Suddenly cannot connect to wireless internet!?

Question

Hello,
I was recently messing around with my network connections in order to network all of my computers together. I never got it to work so I just gave up, however, when I tried to connect my laptop to the internet, i couldn't. All my other computers can connect to the internet just fine and when i plug an ethernet cable in, my laptop can also connect just fine. and my wireless tells me I am connected to the network, however I am sending packets but not receiving any... I have tried almost everything, resetting the router, disabling all firewalls, ect. and I am just all out of ideas. Please any help would be greatly appreciated as i have been working at this for over an hour now, and im getting very frustrated!!!

Answer 1

Connected to the network is not the same as connected to the internet.

Check that your Internet Protocol setting on the laptop are set to obtain an IP address automatically. You do this by opening the network connection, selecting your wireless card, click on properties and highlight Internet Protocal (TCP/IP) .

Click on the properties button and the page will open to a selection screen. Both the IP and the DNS Address should be set to automatically obtain. If either is not set for auto - change it to auto. You may have to reboot after you make the change.

Then give the internet a try again. If you are not obtaining the IP automatically, you will not get past the hardware firewall on your router and thus will have only the LAN Local Area Network and not the WAN or Wide Area Network - where the internet connection is.

Answer 2

you may have already done this but with the info you gave all i can say is make sure mac filtering is setup right or off, and on the laptop set the wired and wireless networks to obtain all tcp/ip and dns info automaticly and double check encryption settings

Answer 3

Maybe you have to set your internet connection as the default. Those other ones you made up might be set as the default. (go to the icon on your toolbar---lower right hand corner of most computers--and right click it. Open up the list of connections and see which on it is set on. That might fix it.)

Answer 4

Call Customer Service.

Answer 5

Well, i dont fiddle around w/ my neworking junk, but my wireless interent shuts down (loses connection) sometimes, and all i do is take it out and plug it back in and its back up, sometimes it takes 2 or 3 in-outs though. (its not integrated into my PC, so if yours is integrated into your laptop, tough luck)

Answer 6

Had the same problem. Had a BestBuy tech in and he said that a password was missing.

Answer 7

how many wirless devices have you got,
your laptop may have found someone elses wireless signal

ring your ISP support #

Answer 8

you got to restart the computer

Answer 9

does it say application error if it does its broken like mine i hit it dont look at porn without me jk lol but yea lol

Answer 10

Check The Wired Network

When you encounter wireless network connection problems, one of the first things you should do is check your wired network connections. Look for the lights on your broadband modem to make sure it has a connection to your ISP; dig out the manual if you need assistance identifying the lights. Also, check the network cable connections among the modem and your router and wireless access point and make sure they all have secure connections.

Turn It Off & On Again

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the ones that work the best. When you’re encountering wireless connection problems, try turning your wireless access point off and then back on again. You’ll want to try the same trick with your wireless network card.

If you have a laptop with a built-in wireless network card, check your documentation because there is usually a button on the side of the laptop that lets you easily turn the card off and then on again. If you have a PC Card or USB wireless network card, launch the Safely Remove Hardware utility and click the Stop button. Next, remove the wireless network card and reinsert it while Windows is running so the OS will redetect and re-enable the wireless network card.

Change The Channel

One of the most common sources of wireless connection problems is interference. As you may know, all 802.11b and 802.11g WLANs (wireless local-area networks) operate at the 2.4GHz frequency. Unfortunately, so do a lot of other common wireless devices. For example, cordless phones, baby monitors, surveillance equipment, and even microwave ovens all operate at 2.4GHz. If there are other wireless devices operating in close proximity to either your wireless access point or your wireless network card, your connection problems could be caused by interference.
Changing the channel on most wireless access points, such as this one from LinkSys, is a matter of accessing a Web-based configuration program embedded in the access point and choosing one of the other channels from a list.

Fortunately, all Wi-Fi devices have access to 11 different channels within the 2.4GHz frequency. Of those 11 channels, three are nonoverlapping, while the other eight channels overlap, or share bandwidth, with the adjacent channels. The nonoverlapping channels are 1, 6, and 11.

If you suspect that the wireless connection problems you’re encountering are related to interference with other wireless devices, you may be able to solve the problem by changing the channel on your wireless access point and your wireless network card. As you do this, try accessing nonoverlapping channels first.

The process for changing the channel on your access point will depend on the brand, so check its documentation. Most wireless network cards will automatically sense the channel change on the access point and match it.

The Driver Connection

Just like any other peripheral device connected to your computer, your wireless network card uses a driver to communicate with the OS. If the driver is flawed in some way, either a buggy version or a corrupted file, you could very well experience problems with your wireless connection. As such, you should visit the card manufacturer’s Web site and download the most recent driver. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s site or your documentation for specific instructions for removing the old driver and installing the new driver.

Upgrade To Windows XP SP2

If you’re using WinXP and haven’t yet made the jump to SP2, then you should consider doing so to take advantage of the enhanced wireless networking features in this version of the OS. In addition to such notable features as the Wireless Network Setup Wizard and built-in support for WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), you will find a handy Repair command for when you need to troubleshoot wireless network connectivity problems.

To access the Repair command, right-click the Wireless Network Connection icon in the notification area of the taskbar and select Repair in the context menu. WinXP will refresh your wireless network connection. Not only will the Repair command disable and then re-enable your connection, but it will also flush the ARP (Address Resolution Protocol), NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System), and DNS (domain name system) caches. And if you’re using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), the Repair command will also release and renew your IP address lease.

Encryption Keys


Windows XP SP2’s enhanced wireless networking features a handy Repair command that completely refresh your wireless network connection.

If you protect your WLAN with either WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) or WPA Wireless Encryption, then it is possible that your wireless connection problems are related to a mistyped encryption key. The wireless access point and the wireless network card must have the exact same encryption key in order to communicate. As such, you should double-check and probably re-enter your WEP or WPA encryption keys.

Check your wireless access point and wireless network card documentation for information on set-ting up the WEP or WPA encryption keys. If you upgrade to WinXP SP2, you can take advantage of its Wireless Network Set-up Wizard that can automatically generate and assign encryption keys.

Coverage Area & Obstacles

If you encounter wireless connection problems while setting up your WLAN for the first time, you need to assess your Wi-Fi coverage area and the types of obstacles between your access point and the wireless network card in your computer. The typical access point has a coverage area of about 300 feet, but obstacles or poor placement of the access point can limit or interrupt that range.


It is important to understand that the antennas on most wireless access points are omnidirectional and radiate the wireless signal in a 3D (360 degree radius) doughnut-shaped pattern with the antenna at the center. As such, you’ll get better coverage and have a more reliable Wi-Fi signal if you place the access point as close as possible to the center of the area that you want to cover. Furthermore, the higher you place the access point the better the coverage.

Wireless access point antennas are omnidirectional and radiate the wireless signal in a 3D doughnut-shaped pattern with the antenna at the center.

Like all radio signals, Wi-Fi signals can easily pass through walls and floors. However, Wi-Fi signals are attenuated, or weakened, by distance and the density of the materials through which they pass. Essentially, a signal will weaken faster if it has to pass through multiple and thicker walls or floors. Metal and other large objects (the steel construction beams, tin air ducts, or large appliances in your home or office) can also interrupt Wi-Fi signals. We suggest trying out your access point in alternate locations to find the best spot.

Reposition The Antenna

If you suspect that you are encountering coverage area or obstacle problems and you have moved your wireless access point to alternate locations, try moving the antenna on the access point to different positions. The default position for the antenna is pointing straight up, but you may be able to work around obstacles by pointing the antenna to the side downwards depending on your situation. Although moving the antenna may seem like an insignificant change, keep in mind the shape of the invisible 3D doughnut-shaped pattern.

Investigate Wi-Fi Extension Solutions

If moving your wireless access point or its antenna does not solve the problem, you may want to investigate the addition of a high-gain antenna or a wireless repeater. A high-gain antenna focuses Wi-Fi signals in a particular direction, while the wireless repeater intercepts Wi-Fi signals and retransmits them at full power.

If you decide to go this route, be sure to contact the access point manufacturer and inquire about its Wi-Fi extension solutions. It’s a good idea to use Wi-Fi extensions made by the same company when adding equipment to your WLAN.

Get Back Online

Having your wireless connection go on the fritz for whatever reason can be really frustrating, and troubleshooting is no fun. However, by following our set of wireless connection troubleshooting tips and tricks, you can make quick work of a tough job and get back online in no time.