cannot connect to internet

Question

i have an old laptop with windows 7.  I recently changed my router and now the laptop does not connect.  My other computer with Windows 10 works and also my tv and a tablet do

Answer 1

I changed the Key/passphrase C1100T router the password needed to connect to the network is cqxtn5qkkzaus5. 

yes, the network icon looks similar to what you showed.  This is what I normally use to connect.  I removed centurylink0000 from there, but I was unable to find the dell icon you mentioned.  I show three hidden icons when I clicked customized I found them named:  

Volume

quickset

Webroot secure

While I was in customize I saw a couple others listed that did not have icons showing.  Don't think they were important, but they were

windows explorer

action center

windows update

windows task manager 

Microsoft office outlook

windows device installation           (to the right of all of these there is three choices 1.  show icons and notifications, 2. hide icon and notifications, 3. only show notifications.  I reset this one to show icons and notifications and it said this icon is not currently active 

I tried to connect again, but the same thing happened it didn't connect, I'm guessing it's because I couldn't delete from the Dell icon I couldn't find.

yes I opened windows explorer and even though it showed the web site I tried to go to, something popped up on the screen that said 

choose your home page and search settings 

from now on, internet explorer will stop websites from silently changing these settings.  Choose the settings you'd like to keep

Microsoft settings:  home page: default search engine:

Your current settings:  home page: default search engine:

I first tried the current settings option but nothing happened when I clicked done.  I changed to the Microsoft settings and again could not close the window by clicking done.

Because of this I can't do anything in explorer.  I couldn't close explorer in a normal way so I went to CTRL ALT DEL to close it.

I then tried Firefox but I got a message saying the connection to the server was reset while the page was loading regardless of the websites I tried. 

I just tried to connect to the internet again, and it shows that I am connected to    network internet access   whatever that is, but I can't really access anything

I then went to my outlook email and clicked send and receive but I got an error message even though I sent a message,  I closed outlook and then reopened a few minutes later the email I sent showed up.  

on the net work sharing page I show the same as you have, with the exception the active network shows Public network not home network

Answer 2

Does your new router have a label like this on the bottom?

And if you still have your old router, does it have a label like this on the bottom?

What is the complete text of the message that you get when you try to connect?

The "network name" you should be looking for is the name marked as the "SSID" -- in other words, if you have a label like the first one above, you should be looking for CenturyLink1526.

Have you been trying to connect to the network identified on the label of the new router?

When you said that you "did have to change the password because it assigned a new one," I assume you would have done that the first time you tried to connect to the new router.  Is that correct?  Were you able to connect that first time?

If you were ever able to connect to the new router, what happened to your system shortly before you became unable to connect to it?

It's hard to understand why "nothing changed" when you tried to connect by cable.  The cable would have gone from your computer to one of the yellow jacks on the router.  Connecting via Ethernet cable does not require a password.  Did you get an error message when you had your computer connected to the router with an Ethernet cable?  If so, what was the complete text of that message?

You missed a step in trying to open Device Manager.  After you click Start, you need to type Device Manager in the Search box.  You'll then see a link to Device Manager and you can either click on it or press Enter.

Answer 3

Your driver has the same version number as the driver I found, but is quite a few years older.  It's a bit difficult to make sense of that.

I think at this point you're going to be better served by taking the laptop a local independent computer repair shop. 

Tell them about your problems with Internet Explorer and with connecting to your router. 

Tell them that you have a CenturyLink C1100T modem/router and that you haven't changed its default settings. 

You might mention that it's possible that your wireless adapter needs an updated driver. 

You can also ask them to merge the two partitions so that you'll have more space.

If you feel like it, you can give the tech the link to this thread, but they probably will want to just diagnose things themselves.  https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-networking/cannot-connect-to-internet/dad5ddd2-ad64-4b1d-832d-86bf36fc9077?messageId=6998699c-bc2f-4488-aac5-764e716896e0

I suggest NOT going to a chain store, a consumer electronics store, an office supply store, or a "big box" store.  Perhaps ask friends for recommendations.  Too often, such places will want to take the easy way out and just reformat and reinstall Windows.  This is easy for the tech but can end up being -- at the least -- a pain for you.

I'm sorry that I couldn't help you get to the bottom of things, but sometimes it's much easier to diagnose problems when you have the computer sitting in front of you.

Answer 4

thank you for responding.

When I click on the internet access icon in the lower right hand corner it gives me several choices including the one I want to connect with.  When I click on it, it doesn't ask for a password it just gives me a message that windows was unable to connect to it.

I am trying to use WiFi.  I did try to connect with a cable but nothing changed.

The make of the new router is CenturyLink and the model number is C1100T

The old router was also CenturyLink model # PK5001Z

When I click start I do not have a choice of Device Manager, but I do have Devices and Printers.  When I click on that it shows 3 devices and 5 printers.  My router is not one of the devices.  When I click to add a device it cannot find my router. I don't know how if possible to add it manually.  I don't know for sure what a warning icon is, but nothing seems to stand out.

Not sure that I configured my new router, I just plugged it in and accepted what was there.  I did have to change the password because it assigned a new one.  When you say wireless network, I'm not sure what you are referring to, but my computers are not connected to each other via a network.  

Again when you say network password, they are not on a network, but I did change the internet connection password.

Yes my new network is there.

Answer 5

What happens when you try to connect?

Are you trying to connect the Windows 7 laptop using wi-fi?  If so, try connecting it to the router with an Ethernet cable.

What is the make and specific model of your new router as shown on the label on the back or bottom of the device?

What is the make and specific model of your old router as shown on the label on the back or bottom of the device?

On the Windows 7 laptop, open Device Manager (click Start, type Device Manager, press Enter).  Then double-click on "Network adapters" and please report the complete name of each item in that category.  If any item in that category shows a warning icon, double-click the item and report its "Device Status."

With respect to connecting by wi-fi --

• when you configured your new router, did you give your wireless network the same name (SSID) as you had used previously or did you give it a new name?
• when you configured your new router, did you use the same network password that you had used before or did you create a new password?
• when you click on the wi-fi icon on the Windows 7 laptop, do you see your new network in the list of available networks?