Whoa, what happened? can't connect to my home wifi

OklaMoni

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I have an older laptop (2010). Worked fine yesterday.

Today, it would not connect to wifi.

Now, after hooking it up direct with a cable, it worked for a while, then boom, gone again.

could this be via a virus?

do I need to take it in to a shop?

any help/advise is apreaciated

Moni

PS, wifi works fine on my I-pad mini!

Comments (16)

Elmer J Fudd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Reboot everything (modem and router each, if separate and the PC) and try again. I presume you have adequate antivirus/security software already installed and if so, there should be no need to check on that score

If this were mine, I'd do a minor amount of checking - like is the battery loose?- and if the erratic behavior continues, I'd schedule a funeral and buy a new one. Remember to take off your important files - photos, etc - onto SD cards, thumb or external drives.

Unless you know someone who can fidget with it for you for free, I'd leave it be. I wouldn't pay any money to diagnose or repair an 8 year old laptop. It's lived longer than many do.

Good luck.
OklaMoni
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Good advice...overall, but I really didn't want to put any money or thought in to a new computer. I hate computer changes.

i restarted it 4 times, and went back to the 11.th of October.

just got back home, and should try it once more.

Moni

PS, edited..

Laptop still does NOT read and connect to wifi. I have it hooked up via cable at the moment.

What the heck do I have wifi for... if my stupid ( ok, old) computer won't connect.

So, Elmer, what kind do I get? I have windows 7 on here.. what all do I need to look for? It's been AGES, since I had to think about such stuff, and I am really not good at it.

Moni
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OklaMoni
Original Author
5 years ago
Elmer, I could just pull my post.... but you took time to answer... so, here it goes.

I reset the modem once more, as well as the laptop, and at the moment they are playing nice together... and all is working.

I will holler at you, when I need help again.

Thanks a bunch!

Moni
acraftylady
5 years ago
When my devices started to stop connecting to Wi-Fi like that and I had to reset a lot my very old modem was wearing out. Bought a new one and problem went away. If this one goes I will get the free one from spectrum this time. Mary
Elmer J Fudd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Be careful with your words. The wifi signal (or ethernet, in the case of wired connections) is done by a router, not a modem. The modem connects to the external signal source only and passes that signal along to a router.

Some people use the hardware supplied by the ISP and those are typically an integrated modem plus router in one case, so perhaps that's what you're referring to. The routers in these units can be rather mediocre. Between that and the need many have for a higher performance router because of the nature of their use or size of house, a lot of people have separate modems and routers. I do and have had for as long as I can remember. I currently have a Surfboard modem and a Netgear Orbi router + satellite system using a mesh configuration.

A way to tell which is the problem components is to connect to another PC on the home network and transfer a lot of large files back and forth. If it continues for a good while without problems, the problem ISN'T the router but could be some part of the internet connection OR the modem.

So if the internet connection seems okay but the wifi connection drops, the problem is the router.
acraftylady
5 years ago
Oops sorry. I have always had my own device because Adelphia then time Warner charged a monthly fee for theirs or you could buy your own. Spectrum does not charge a monthly fee so at some point will switch over but this one is still working fine. Mary
Elmer J Fudd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Free isn't always free. If the stock one works well for a user in their home, fine, but that's often not the case as many tend to be quite mediocre. Also, many houses are of a size or construction or configuration that a basic or inexpensive router can't do the job. Especially in a household of many users that includes a lot of higher bandwidth audio and video streaming.

There are now many product choices on the market that are much more capable in distributing a faster than ever signal over a greater area than ever were available before and most use some form of mesh technology. They're expensive but yet very popular for the very reasons mentioned.
OklaMoni
Original Author
5 years ago
I have AT&T U-Verse, there is a model number:

5268 AC FXN

So, do I have a router, or a Modem? We also have a white box at the wall, that everything seems to be wired through.

At any rate, it is rather new... got it in September. This is my first time with a problem.

Moni
Elmer J Fudd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I searched the model designation you've given and it appears to be a combo unit, a modem and router together. If you're always able to connect the tablet fine with wifi but the PC disconnects from time to time, I'd suspect the problem is the PC.
OklaMoni
Original Author
5 years ago
Yeah, Elmer, I thought so too... but then when I did the reset on the unit... my computer was able to connect again. Before, it didn't see the unit. Charlotte has no problem with her laptop... and my ipad works..

sooo, sooner or later I will have to get a new laptop. I am holding out a bit longer. It's only 8 years old... LOL

Moni
maggie200
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I suspect that if you buy a new PC or laptop they are going to have the newest windows on there. I have windows eight and do not want to go through another learning curve. Is there a windows9? I don’t think windows 10 is out.
acraftylady
5 years ago
I went from Windows 7 to Windows 10 about a year ago when I got new computers had no issues or learning curve. Absolutely love windows 10. Never had 8 so can't say how it compares. Mary
dadoes
5 years ago
Maggie200,

There was no Windows 9. Windows 10 has been out since July of 2015.
maggie200
5 years ago
Oh, that's great. . Big leap. Thanks
shuffles_gw
5 years ago
When I got a new desktop with Win 10, my tech installed Classic Shell (i think). There was no learning curve as it looks and works like Win 7 did.
jemdandy
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Att Uverse uses a "Gateway" which is a modem and router combined into one unit. Check the settings in your laptop to insure that the radio is turned on.

You could have an unsupported browser. My memory is dim on this, but I recall that the older version of internet explorer (the one that came with Windows XP or Windows 7) is no longer supported and is not compatible with the newer systems used by internet service providers (ISP). It became obsolete after "Edge" was introduced. If you manage to get connected and for a long enough time period, the ISP may send a message that your browser is outdated.

I am running Windows 7 professional using ATT Uverse and the browser, Internet Explorer that came with Win7, no longer works. (My ISP gave me plenty advance warning that this version was being obsoleted and that must have been a couple of years ago.) I have installed FireFox by Mozilla and it works very well. Some folks use Chrome. I have tried the free version of Chrome and found that I preferred FireFox. Over the past month, FireFox began to hang for several minutes and the best way out was to exit it and restart it. I found there was something running in the background that was interfering and my system identified that it was a file in the Chrome folder. I uninstalled Chrome and the problem went away.

Another possibility: The radio link and/or interface in your PC has failed. Try installing FireFox. Since your connection is bad, you may need to have a friend download a copy for you.

I wish you luck. I presume you have all the current updates for your system.

Whoa, what happened? can't connect to my home wifi

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