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HELP!!! Laptop No Longer "Sees" Wireless Networks!

Anonymous
2010-03-13T04:50:40+00:00

I have a 08' Toshiba Laptop that was upgraded to Windows 7 from Vista. I primarily use a wired network but I will use wireless when I have to. Until 3-10-10, I was able to connect to or at least see any wireless network within range of my laptop. Now it is no longer able to find a wireless network. It will find neither public nor private wireless networks even when I know they are broadcasting. I do not have a personal router or anything like that, just the adapter in the laptop.

The adapter is called: Realtek RTL8187B Wireless 802.11b/g 54Mbps USB 2.0 Network Adapter 

I have tried the following things (Adapter is enabled):

  • Roll back the driver
  • Manually installed an even older driver
  • Reinstalled the newest driver
  • Installed an item for the adapter called Reliable Multicast Protocol (listed in the Networking tab in "Properties")
  • Reconfigured the adapter  (in Advanced tab of "Configure"):

   802.11d - enable

   Channel - 10

   Frag. Threshold - 2346

   IBSS Default 11b mode - Disable

   LED control - Enable

   Network Type - Auto Detect

   Power Save mode - CAM

   Preamble Mode - Auto

   QoS - Disable

   Rate Adaptive - Enable

   RTS Threshold - 2347

   SSID - ANY

   Wireless Mode - IEEE 802.11 b/g

   WMM APSD - Disable

I am really confused about this. Troubleshooter, Scanning for hardware changes, running diagnostics all turn up nothing.

Random but possibly useful information:

  • I only have two antivirus programs: Norton Antivirus 2010 and Microsoft Security Essentials.
  • Don't really use power-saving mode.
  • Power mangement is not allowed to turn the adapter off to save power.
  • Scanned for any viruses and found none.
  • The upgrade to Windows 7 was back during the $30 Student price offer.
  • The switch on the laptop to enable wireless is on, but it didn't matter after getting windows 7, it would connect regardless (not now of course!). 
  • Both v4 and v6 protocols are set to obtain ip addresses automatically.
  • I don't know what some of those settings in the advanced tab (Listed above) do anyway.
  • I am not on my laptop right now.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks in advance!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2010-03-13T20:10:13+00:00

I may have just found the problem. I pressed Windows button+x, saw that the wireless was turned off so I turned it on this way (Although the switch was turned on and the adapter was recognized as "enabled" in its properties, all other things constant). It may have worked, but I won't know until Monday (3-13-09), when I can get to a wireless network. I hope its at least a step in the right direction.

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Anonymous
2010-03-16T15:24:38+00:00

Yes! the Windows+X solution worked! I am on my laptop right now posting this via a public wireless network. I can see again!

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-03-30T13:56:09+00:00

    Hi,

    Good to know that your issue has been fixed.

    Let us know if you have any issues.

    Azam - Microsoft Support.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-03-14T13:17:43+00:00

    Eljay87,

    Enable and Restart WZC:

    1. In Windows Search or RUN, Enter services.msc
    2. Looking for Wireless Zero Configuration
    3. Enable it, Start it or Restart it.

    If the problem continue, then uninstall the wireless adapter, restart the computer and reinstall the adapter.

    Good luck

    Polin7

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-13T21:46:02+00:00

    Hi,

    I suspected that the network discovery and network adapter would have been disabled, good to know that you have found issue.

    I will wait for your reply, and let us know the status of the issue so that we can assist you better.

    Azam – Microsoft Support.

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