Yesterday, I bought an Aspire 1. Like the size and weight, no Vista in sight, and the price was right ($250).

Problem is, I can't get the WiFi to respond. I'm currently sitting about two feet from my access point. When I boot the computer or repair the connection, it sees that there are connections out there. But when I go to the list, or refresh it, it telling me it isn't finding a think.

Now I know that last is bogus- roommate's machine can see half a dozen access points in range, and it is a 4-5 year old Dell. So what the heck?

Chipset is the Atheros AR5007EG, the OS is XP and I spent half of last night updating it. I don't see any third party wifi management software.

I know there are a couple of us who have Apires- anyone seen this?

First, some computers have a switch on the side that shuts the WiFi on and off. Make sure that switch is in the proper position, if it has it.

Next, make sure Wifi is enabled in the Network Connections tab.

Next thing I would do is make sure the computer is plugged in (not on battery power), shut it down properly, and restart it.

After that, I would connect it to the internet via hard line and make sure I've got all the updates, including driver specific updates (Windows automatic updater often won't give you those). A BIOS update might also be in order. Then I would properly restart it again.

If it still isn't working, and I can't find any other known fixes by searching the web, then my guess is it's a hardware problem and you might need to talk to Acer.

Hi,

Once you've eliminated the obvious (and yes, I did overlook the wifi switch on a laptop one time, but it was a black switch in a black bezel, it was tiny and it was dark. But I digress. The switch on the Acer Aspire One is obvious, and the little orange light above it on the palm rest will blink to let you know Wifi is active).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, take it back and exchange it.

I bought two Aspire Ones, identical specs, different colours. Mine worked perfectly from day one. My wife's worked mostly, but the Wifi would drop out after some indeterminate time. We checked the obvious causes, but since we had two identical models in the same physical environment we concluded that one of them had a problem. After a few calls to Acer and the retailer we got a new one in exchange. It works perfectly.

It's awesome, and I now run Linux on mine.

HTH,

A

Click on Start > Goto 'run' and enter 'msconfig' then press OK
click on the 'Startup' tab, which is the one furthest to the right or just before 'Tools' then select 'disable all' then press OK. The system will now ask you to reboot etc. reboot the computer; this should disable any third party wireless software after rebooting.

Click on Start > Goto 'run' and enter 'services.msc' then press OK

In the Services (local) double click the 'Wireless Zero Configuration'

Make sure the Startup Type is set to 'Automatic' and the Servic Status is 'Started'

Close down 'Services'.

Go to the Network Connections window and right click the Wireless connection and select properties; you should have an tab marked 'Wireless Networks'; select this tab and check the box 'Use Windows to configure my wireless network' then delete any entries in the 'Preferred Networks' if there are any then press OK. This should ensure XP is managing the wireless connection.

Then right click the wireless network icon again and select 'View available Wireless Networks'; hopefully you should see your network, if you don't then the Wireless adapter may have some advanced settings such which may need to be changed such as the wireless mode;

Again right click the wireless network icon and select 'properties', click on 'configure' then select 'Advanced settings'; here you will find a list of parameters; it may be that the wireless adapter might be set to 802.11A/N/B/G or a combination of these letters, you'll need to find the parameter to set the wireless adapter to just 802.11G or 802.11B (depending on the routers wireless access point capability), then save the advanced settings.

Then try again to find you wireless network etc. i.e Windows should prompt you for your WEP key or WPA passphrase if the router is secured.

If your wireless connection then connects but aren't getting an IP then make sure that your TCP/IP properties are set to DHCP i,e. obtain and IP and DNS server automatically.

If all else fails you may need to check that the router doesn't have a MAC address table enabled to only allow certain wireless adapters with specific MAC addresses to connect. Some folks will use this as a security measure even if the wireless security is disabled.

Still not working - take it back and get another one.

Err, that's interesting and all, but nobody sets up their routers with MAC address filtering, and nobody needs to fiddle with the wireless settings on a stock Windows install (and certainly not on the Aspire One: I know because I have one).

So, really, it should Just Work (assuming it's switched on), and if it doesn't it's borked.

A

Yes, some people do set up the MAC address filtering in their routers. Ask me how I know.

Ok, I do it too , but I didn't think it necessary to impress everyone with my technical prowess. The OP states that it's his router, so he's in control of it and its settings, and that his roommate can see a bunch of networks that he can't.

So, either it's a simple problem (wifi turned off) or it's broken. Looking for more complexity is counterproductive.

It is true that there are many other possibile causes, but their likelihood is vanishingly small. In addition I have two of these, they always work (one is XP, one is Linux), and I have used them on many networks as I move around (between cities I mean, not just to the next room). If I had only one of them, and it was the faulty one, then it would have been trickier to determine where the fault lay. The fact that I had two made it simpler. The fact that the OP's roommate has a wifi-enabled laptop which is working in the same environment gives credence to the idea that something simple and obvious is wrong, and it's not subtle and arcane.

A

Well, mabybe it's beacause I'm paranoid, but I use this setting as an extra. I also hide my ssid and use wpa-2.

If he set up the wireless router himself, or his flatmate did, who knows how it's configured? Some people do use MAC address filtering. It doesn't add much real security because MAC addresses are easily faked, but not everyone knows that, and even the ones who do know may figure it adds a little extra to discourage casual hackers. Similarly it might have unusual settings for other security features. Hopefully it uses WPA2 and needs PSK password and, eg, you need to be consistent about whether its in hex or as a pass phrase. There are lots of things that can go wrong. It doesn't always "just work".

It can be worth switching all security off on the router, and then trying to get Windows to make a connection from scratch. If that works, you know the hardware is OK and you can try re-enabling security. Maybe leave any PCs or other devices offline while you try this, just in case, and of course don't leave the security off.

Yes sometimes it should just work, a lot of times it does just work, but then the mystery of why it stops working comes into play. I once got a call from a seriously pissed of city gent type (*anker) complaining that his wireless connection wasn't working anymore and that it was my fault and the internet service he was getting was just appalling. First question was 'What is the make and model of your router', 'How should I know' was his reply. 'Its the box connected to your telephone line', well eventually he was able to get a make and a model after about 5 minutes. Googled the router make and model and then told him to connect the laptop to the router using ethernet. His internet started working immediately. I then gave him the number for the router manufacturer support number. 'What about the wireless connection', he said. 'The Router manufacturer should be able to advise you on that'.


Maybe I should of told him his router didn't actually have a wireless access point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt9j80Jkc_A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDbyYGrswtg&NR=1

SSID hidden and WPA2 here as well. But manually configuring the MAC address.... yeah, I can do it. (Bloody well should be able to do it, computer engineering degree and way too many years in IT work.) But my roommate, not so much... I want her to be able to look for the access points, select ours and put in the PW if she has to, nothing more.

I've intentionally kept the set up on this KISS.

And yes, I made sure the silly thing was on.


Thanks guys. I'll give a couple of these ideas a try, then call Belkin.

EDIT: You know, it kinda says something when I post first here, then ZS, and then, after several hours, to technology forums. *grins*

The laptop cannot SEE any wireless signals. So it's not MAC address filtering, or WEP/WPA, or anything like that. Those things may prevent him from connecting, but not from SEEING a signal.

Sounds like a flakey laptop to me, assuming the WiFi switch is "on" and so is the router. You might try rebooting the router also. I've seen some go brain-dead and stop with the WiFi part. However, the laptop IS running Windows, and I don't find Windows all that reliable (a separate discussion topic).

For additional troubleshooting, I'd boot the laptop with a Linux LiveCD. If you can get it to detect wireless signal under Linux, then you need to look closer at OS/driver issues when trying with Windows. I would try a Ubuntu LiveCD first, as this distro is more aimed at less experienced/less knowledgable users and thus tends to have better automatic hardware detection (but not always). Knoppix or SystemRescueCD would be good to try also. I haven't used Knoppix for quite a while, but it USED to have decent hardware detection ... I don't know how it stacks up these days however. I've had very good luck recently for many different hardware configurations using SystemRescueCD (based on Gentoo).

I do it too... ;-)

Is it using windows to manage the wireless or the software from the wifi card manufactuere. Someplace there is a checkbox for that and if you let windows manage the connections it does bad things. Microsoft designed windows to be end user proof and it will hop around between multiple wifi connections looking for a better/easier one and as a lot of people have found will hop off of a perfectly working one on to a non working one if the wind blows the right way. If your in an area where there might be multiple wifi access points then windows can hop around or connect to a secure one with the stongest signal and sit there and not be able to do anything.
Whatever model wifi nic is in the laptop should have a driver and utility download. install that driver and utility and tell windows to let the manufactuers software manage the wifi rather than windows, then use the signal strength meter than came with that utility to see if there is a connection and setup your ssid and such within that utility rather than in windows.

That's a pretty wide ranging blanket statement. It shows a lack of knowledge, not an excess of it.

While MAC filtering does not do much to enhance security, it is useful for other things. For example, I use it in conjunction with "Static DHCP" so that when one of our laptops tries to connect wirelessly (using DHCP) my router recognizes it by it's MAC address and always assigns it the same IP address (keeping the same IP is not guarranteed with standard DHCP).

This is a convenience measure so that our laptops function as if they have static IP's when connected to my network, but still are using DHCP so that they can easily connect on other networks. It is not a security measure since MAC addresses can be spoofed. I use WPA for security. However, I only have the required amount of IP addresses in my DHCP pool and they obviously can't be assigned twice, so this MAC filtering does provide a (small) roadblock for inept hackers. But that is only a side effect, not my main reason for using MAC filtering.

Of course, if the OP had setup something like I'm doing, then he would know about it and could troubleshoot it if it were part of his problem. But a blanket statement saying "nobody uses MAC filtering" is just plain silly.

The laptop is fine.

The router is pooched. Came in after work, nothing attached to it was one, and every light was blinking. Much cussing. With the new one, HUZZAH! We can see the network from here.

Stupid router.

The only, and I say ONLY routers I have had last more than a year are made by apple. (for both PC and MAC)

I now have everyone I know on Time Capsule type routers so there is also the internal backup.

When cash is no longer an issue, go MAC.

Don't buy the overrated MAC garbage, there are thousands of routers in use all over the world, hundreds of brand names and models that work just fine year after year.

Apple have always been ahead of the field in innovative products;

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary

saw that one before. It is funny though like when Apple copied the 3+ year old minibox to make the mac mini and all of a sudden it was new. Or there "revolutionary" web browser that came from Konqeror.
Unfortunately it seems that any computer related thread on forums gets derailed by someone who thinks apple is the be all end all even though there are much better systems out there. I was one one forum where a couple of us suggested trying Linux and a moderator deleted our posts and sent us pm's saying we need to apologize and not turn a windows thread into a linux thread. So after that in about a half dozen other windows threads when someone would post "buy a mac" I would call out that moderator who never did respond. I should have pm'ed him and asked why he would delete "try linux" and not "buy a mac" threads.
To get back on topic if you really want nice wireless the cisco aironet or Enterasys (formerly cabletron) is the top of the line.

Okay,

Seems that providing past experience with equipment that has worked/not worked is half the reason for being here.

While PC/MAC problems have very little to do with surviving a mishap in the woods, I felt it was a great topic as much of the survival knowledge is gained through the internet.

I was only bringing to light the fact that I had received the best results from an Apple router THREE YEARS before my family and I moved from PC to MAC.

Bang away as you wish, but I like purchasing items that last, and compared to the wireless routers I have owned from other major manufactures, the AirPort line of products has given me the best service.

Do enjoy the rest of your day, and have a wonderful weekend.

You should have bough a Netgear RT314 or Buffalo WHR-G54 then. The Buffalo is only three years old or so, but has run flawlessly (I loaded 3rd-party "Tomato" firmware on it). That Netgear router however, has to be getting close to 10 years old now. It's perfect. Been solid as a rock. Never hiccups or needs a reboot. Never.

You must have bought the wrong kind of routers if yours only last a year.

They've got a really good deal over at www.newegg.com on a Linksys WRT54GL wireless router right now. $49 plus free shipping! Linksys puts out some junk routers, but the 54GL is not one of those. Load it up with 3rd-party firmware (dd-wrt, tomato, etc). Note: The 54 "GL" is what you want, not something that sounds similar like the 54 "G". The differences are significant, and make for the difference between a marginal router and a fantastic one.

I am currently using a Draytek 2100VG router, which has been an excellent performer for the last couple of years. The only problem was file sharing over a wireless network which required an obscure telnet command to the router, which resolved the issue. As for Apple, they actually do have some nice well thought out and nicely designed bits of kit, but a premium price is required. The AirPort Extreme Base Station costs £139 in the UK but for the same cost a SME grade router such as the Draytek Vigor 2820 Series ADSL Router is available.

http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2820.html

With features such as Wireless N, direct dual VOIP phone connection ports, 3G wireless support, load balancing multiple WAN connections (ADSL + Ethernet cable etc) this is a router where keeping the internet connection alive vastly outperforms the Apple Airport Extreme in terms of capability if a telephone line goes down or the service provider decides not to give broadband anymore because the service provider has made a screw up. Apple even have short changed folks out of a LAN port having just 3 rather than 4. The Apple Airport Extreme Router sure looks pretty though and wouldn't be out of place sat next to the wide screen TV