The laptop sees the wireless router but will not connect or get IP address. Another computer works fine with the same wireless router.

Possible cause:

1. Wireless card driver corrupted.
2. Problems with the operating system.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

There could be a problem with the wireless card driver, maybe the driver is corrupted.

Go to the device manager, find the wireless card listed in the network adapter, right click on the wireless adapter and uninstall the driver. Now restart the laptop and let it detect the wireless card and reinstall the driver. Test wireless connection.

If it doesn’t help, try downloading the latest wireless driver from the manufacturer’s website and reinstall the driver. Test wireless connection.

If the connection still not working, back up all personal files and reinstall the operating system and device drivers from the recovery disc or installation CD. Test wireless connection.

If the wireless connection still not working, most likley the wireless card has failed. Replace the wireless card.

The wireless card disappeared from the laptop. The wireless card is missing from the network connections and device manager. It looks like there is no wireless card installed at all.

Possible cause:

1. Bad contact between wireless card and motherboard.
2. Corrupted software.
3. Bad wireless card.
4. Motherboard failure.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

It’s possible that contacts on the wireless card got oxidized and the wireless card is not making good connection with the slot.
Remove the wireless card, clean contacts with pen erasure and install the wireless card back into the laptop. Test wireless card.

There is a chance that you have corrupted software. Not just the wireless driver, but some main core system files. Before replacing any hardware, try reinstalling the operating system from scratch.Test the wireless card again.

If reconnecting the wireless card and reinstalling the operating system didn’t help, most likely you have a faulty card. Try replacing the wireless card.

If you still experience the same problem even after replacing the card, most likely this is the motherboard failure. Replace the motherboard.

Here’s another suggestion. Instead of replacing the motherboard, you can try using a PCMCIA Wi-Fi card.

The laptop freezes when network cable plugged in. After you hard power down and restart the laptop, it works fine until the network cable plugged in again.

Possible cause:

1. Defective network cable.
2. Corrupted software.
3. Motherboard failure.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

1. Try another network cable. Maybe your cable is defective and has to be replaced.

2. Try reinstalling the network adapter driver. The driver can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

3. If reinstalling the network driver doesn’t help, try reinstalling the operating system from scratch. Back up personal files and reinstall the operating system from the recovery disc or installation CD. Download and install the network adapter driver if it’s missing. Test the laptop again.

4. If you still experiencing the same problem even after reinstalling the operating system, most likely this is the motherboard failure. In most laptop the network port is soldered directly to the motherboard. If that’s the case, you’ll have to replace the motherboard.

Alternatively, you can try using the laptop with a PCMCIA network card. Plug this card into the available PC slot and get a new network port instead.

Orange light on the laptop network port stopped flashing. The laptop will not connect to the local network and Internet.

Possible cause:

1. Local Area Connection is disabled.
2. Defective network cable.
3. Bad network port.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

It’s possible the orange link light stopped flashing because the Local Area Connection in the laptop has been disabled. Check the network connection properties and make sure the Local Area Connection is enabled.

Windows XP:
Click on Start button >> Right click on My Network Places >> Click on Properties
Right click on Local Area Connections icon and Enable if the connection is disabled.

Windows Vista:
Click on Start button >> Right click on Network >> Click on Properties >> Click on Manage network connection (in left pane)
Right click on Local Area Connections icon and Enable if the connection is disabled.

If enabling the connection doesn’t help, it’s possible that you have either bad network cable or broken network port.

The laptop network port is loose. In order to connect to the Internet you have to wiggle the cable inside the network port.  The light on the network  port starts blinking only if you find the right position for the cable.

Possible cause:

1. Bad network cable.
2. Damaged network port.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

First of all, test connection with another network cable. It’s very likely that you have a damaged network cable. Replace the cable if needed.

Take a look inside the network port. Make sure there are no damaged pins inside the network port. It’s possible that one of the pins is bent and connection to the network fails because of that. In some cases you can straighten the bent pin with a thin rigid object.

It’s possible that the network port is broken and it loses contact with the motherboard when moved. In this case it is necessary to replace the broken port with a new one. Unfortunately, this is not an easy repair. In most laptops the network port is soldered directly to the motherboard.

You can work around this problem without replacing the damaged port. Simply buy a PCMCIA Network card. Plug this card into the available PC slot in your laptop and get a network port instead.

The laptop connects to the wireless router but not Internet. You open the web browser but cannot access any website. Another computer works fine with the same router.

Possible cause:

1. Wrong settings.
2. Software related problem.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

1. Go to the browser internet options and reset settings back to defaults. Restart the laptop and try connecting to the Internet.

2. Check connection setting in the wireless router. They must match settings entered in the laptop.

3. If all connection setting entered correctly but you still cannot access the Internet, try downlaoding and reinstalling the wireless card driver.

4. Back up all personal data and reinstall Windows from scratch. Install wireless card driver. Test connection to the Internte again.

The laptop cannot detect the internal wireless card. The wireless card used to work fine but now it disappeared from the device manager. It looks like there is no wireless card installed even though the card is installed.

Possible cause:

1. Poor connection between the wireless card and slot.
2. Software problem.
3. Wireless card failure.
4. Wireless slot failure.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

Here are some troubleshooting steps in case if your laptop stopped detecting the wireless card:

1. Try reconnecting the wireless card. It’s possible that connectors on the wireless card or inside the slot got oxidized and the card doesn’t make good contact with the slot anymore. Reconnecting the wireless card might fix the problem.

2. Try reinstalling the operating system from scratch. It could be software related problem.

3. If reconnecting the card and reinstalling the operating system doesn’t help, most likely you have a faulty wireless card. Try replacing it with a new one.

4. If replacing the wireless card doesn’t help, most likely it’s faulty slot on the motherboard. If that’s the case, you’ll have to replace the motherboard.

Alternatively, you can use an external PCMCIA wireless card instead of internal card. You plug this card into the available PC slot in your laptop, install the driver and use it same way you used the internal wireless card.

The laptop stopped connecting to the wireless network. The wireless connection used to work fine but now it’s not working. You tested your laptop with a few wireless routers without any luck.

Possible cause:

1. Wrong settings for the wireless card.
2. Bad or corrupted software.
3. Wireless card or router failure.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

1. Make sure the laptop can see the wireless router. If the laptop doesn’t see the wireless router, make sure the wireless switch in your laptop is turned on.

2. Check network properties and make sure the wireless adapter is enabled.

3. Make sure the wireless router is turned on. Test your laptop with another wireless router if you can.

4. If the laptop can connect to the wireless router but cannot access the Internet, make sure that your wireless card settings match the wireless router settings. Make sure the security key in your laptop matches the securing key entered in the wireless router.

5. Access the device manager and try uninstalling the wireless adapter. Restart the laptop and let it redetect the adapter and reinstall the device driver.

6. Visit the manufacturer’s website and download the wireless card driver. Try reinstalling the driver.

7. Back up all personal data and try reinstalling the operating system from scratch.

8. If all software tricks do not work and all setting are correct, but you still cannot access the wireless network, try replacing the wireless card.