lap top will not pick up internet any more?

hotspur (Chris) · #1 27-04-2011, 02:34 PM

Hello.

My lap top is having a bit of a ditty-in that is no longer picking up internet,Other members in house have no issues.I was on the internet early
this morning for close to 3 hours,so wonder if something has over heated?I tried plugging the cable from router into lappy,it acknowledged the connection,but still would not pick up.On wireless nothing happens.The lappy is 3 1/2 years old,just wondering is it starting to die?

I have had this issue before,and it eventually comes back to life,but when I have plugged cable in the back,it usually works.But not this time

We tried menu settings and options,nothing happened,so I put them back to the way they were,when it did work.Any ideas or thoughts welcome.

Thanks Chris

supernova1965 (Warren) · #2 27-04-2011, 02:55 PM

I just had this with my lappy and if I used a usb wireless adapter it would work. And with network cable I had to manually assign a IP address to get it to work eventually this stopped working as well. I think it means the Mainboard is failing but there is a chance that windows has thrown a nutty also. I have now replaced my lappy as more things started dying.

michaellxv (Michael) · #3 28-04-2011, 12:08 AM

Does it have a little slide switch to enable/disable the wireless? They are easy to forget about and accidently bump.

danielsun · #4 28-04-2011, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaellxv

Does it have a little slide switch to enable/disable the wireless? They are easy to forget about and accidently bump.

Same thing happened to me once, drove me insane until I found there was a little switch at the front that I didn't even know I had that I must have accidently bumped.

RickS (Rick) · #5 28-04-2011, 08:05 AM

Doesn't sound like it's just the wireless switch if a wired Ethernet connection isn't working either. Try running ipconfig from a DOS window and see what it tells you about your network interfaces.

Cheers,
Rick.

hikerbob (Bob) · #6 28-04-2011, 08:47 AM

Chris as a wildcard.

I lost all connectivity (wired and wireless) a few days after setting up Oracle VirtualBox on my Laptop. Eventually I tracked down the network protocols for it and removed them and all was well (including network connectivity for VirtualBox).

I've been experimenting to see if I can mix Windows and Ubuntu apps at the same time with VirtualBox although I've put that aside for the moment while follow up some other interests. http://www.virtualbox.org/

Bob

Barrykgerdes · #7 29-04-2011, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielsun

Same thing happened to me once, drove me insane until I found there was a little switch at the front that I didn't even know I had that I must have accidently bumped.

I regularly bump the "wireless" switch and lose the network. However it is easily restored and re-connection implemented. Besides if you restart the computer it takes up the on position automatically.

Sounds more like an internal fault. The wireless TX/RX is an integrated item used on many devices. I have had two or three fail on plug in cards.

The cheapest solution is to inhibit the internal wireless (via contol panel) and get a USB wireless adapter stick and install it as your network connection.

Barry

hotspur (Chris) · #8 29-04-2011, 11:07 AM

Thank you,everyone for your help and concern.

Some good news it all working again!! woha!

I spoke with a computer boffin,and he said it may have over heated.
Which I think is likely.As I did have internet going for over three hours
that morning (buying too much stuff from U.S

)

The chap said to turn off computer so it was totally off not just closed.
and leave it for an hour or so,when I came back it worked

But I think I'll get one of those USB wireless adaptors as it does drop out
every now and again.

Thanks again-Chris

Barrykgerdes · #9 29-04-2011, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotspur

Thank you,everyone for your help and concern.

I spoke with a computer boffin,and he said it may have over heated.
Which I think is likely.As I did have internet going for over three hours
that morning (buying too much stuff from U.S

)

Thanks again-Chris

I fell for the overheated problem on my lap top last week. I should have had more sense. It was sitting in its correct place, where! on my lap of course. Trouble was I had the fan blocked by my leg. It shut down just when I was doing something important.

Barry

acropolite (Phil) · #10 29-04-2011, 07:40 PM

Chris, laptops shouldn't overheat, especially when web browsing, there's not much CPU load web browsing.

Check to see if the fan is still operating, as Barry pointed out, the most likely cause of overheating is blockage of ventilation inlets which are usually underneath the laptop.
If you're using the laptop on your lap or on a surface likely to impede the airflow, stick something with a hard surface underneath to give some clearance for ventilation.

ZeroID (Brent) · #11 01-05-2011, 09:03 AM

If you are running a laptop for long periods, several hours or more it pays to have it in a docking station or with the back of the laptop lifted 10-20 mm. The fan for the CPU normally pulls air from underneath and they struggle to get enough in with the mm or so that the base buttons give. When I am running up lappies at work which takes a few hours for all our specialised software and updates to load I place a small metal bar I have at teh rear so iot has more clearance. Plenty of air, no problem and I have seen the issue before, freezes, BSOD, etc.

g__day (Matthew) · #12 01-05-2011, 09:24 AM

So long as you have all the drivers - you could try removing the network adapter then run detect new / changed hardware and it should see the adapter and re-install it. This approach can help when part of the software layer of the IP stack has been corrupted as it will refresh it.

As said above - from a DOS window run the command

ipconfig /all

report what is seen - does it have a valid IP address, IP gateway and DNS servers listed?

Net try

ping www.google.com.au

Did any / all pings make it - without more diagnostic information can only give you limited advice.

Matt

issdaol (Phil) · #13 02-05-2011, 01:31 PM

I had a very similar problem at one time and thought it was my laptop wireless card. discovered that it was my linksys modem and basically had to buy a new one.

hotspur (Chris) · #14 02-05-2011, 04:55 PM

Thanks again for all the advice from everyone!,I book mark this thread.

In think this laptop has always been a bit 'not the best' re wireless pick up,quite regularly I'll have to switch that wireless switch on and off,to get it to finally grab the signal.I've used other family members lap tops (when they let me,which is not often),and I think wow,this so much quicker,better than mine.

I will have to look at getting one of those fan things lappy's sit on to pump air through them.As someone mentioned that and they would help.Any links to these?anyone-I think they may have come down in price a bit,D.S may still sell them.

Anyhow thanks for input,Sounds like there is a few people out there that know what a crisis is when the internet is not working

troypiggo (Troy) · #15 04-05-2011, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotspur

Thanks again for all the advice from everyone!,I book mark this thread....

Not much point bookmarking it for reference if you can't access internet next time!

Glenhuon (Bill) · #16 05-05-2011, 10:43 AM

Some lappies are a bit weak on the wireless side. I replaced my internal one with a USB device (G-Sky from Ebay), works really well, 5 bar signal inside the caravan, and only around $30 from China, postage free. Local price for a similar one was $90.

hotspur (Chris) · #17 05-05-2011, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenhuon

Some lappies are a bit weak on the wireless side. I replaced my internal one with a USB device (G-Sky from Ebay), works really well, 5 bar signal inside the caravan, and only around $30 from China, postage free. Local price for a similar one was $90.

Sounds interesting,mine,I feel has always been very week,visitors lappies pick up out in the garden,mine will not.

Would you have the link to such item you purchased?

Thank you-Chris

Glenhuon (Bill) · #18 06-05-2011, 10:03 PM

Not at home at the moment Chris, house sitting for my daughter. If you go on to Ebay Australia and search on Computers for Wireless you should find it easily. There's a few sellers have it listed, some with just the basic setup (5db antenna) and others with an external 7db antenna and 5m extension included for $45, if memory serves. Not used the extra antenna as the standard setup works really well in my situation (I connect through a wireless hotspot in the caravan park when at home)

Cheers
Bill