Okay, I have made my living with computers until I retired. I've built them, repaired them, installed them, programmed them, you name it, so I feel I've seen it all and fixed it when necessary. However, I have a new problem affecting 2 laptops at the same time which seems to not have a solution... at least one that I can find!

The problem is with 2 Dell laptops. One is around 12 years old and really needs to replaced, but the sucker just keeps on trucking along. The other is much newer... maybe 5 or 6 years old. Without warning neither laptop can "see" my wifi network! It's like the SSID broadcast is turned off, but I have triple checked that it is indeed on and working by "seeing" it with two other laptops, and ancient HP and a fairly new Acer Nitro, plus verified with several iPhones!

I have run the troubleshooter multiple times and it says the wifi adapter is working fine, and indeed it does "see" multiple networks from surrounding neighbors, just not my own, and also cannot see my iPhone when I set it up as a mobile hotspot! I have updated the drivers, rolled back the drivers to the original versions, and several places in between, but it's a no-go. Nothing works!

Regarding the home internet; around the first of the year I switched to Verizon's 5G home internet service and it has been working perfectly until this little snafu. I mean, it still works perfectly, just suddenly not with these 2 Dell laptops! I have logged into the router and verified SSID is indeed being broadcast, both on 2.4GHz and 5GHz settings. Again, my other computers and all phones can see it, just not the 2 Dell machines!

Other than using them for targets on the range, what do folks recommend? Thanks in advance...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bronicabill,

I will assuem that the Dells you are talking about are running some version of Microsoft Windows. If so, I would suspect that the "known networks" database on the laptops has flagged your SSID as "ignored" or, perhaps, some "security" update has invalidated some aspect of the protocols used by your A-I-O "router" box. I'd try the following things:

1) Change the SSID on your box, or set up a "Guest" SSID if supported, see if that is visible. You might also try resetting to factory defaults and re-configuring.

2) Boot the laptop with a USB-bootable version of some other, non-Microsoft OS to see if the SSID appears (this would exclude hardware problems on the laptop in question)

3) Obtain a "real" stand-alone Access Point, set up a new SSID, see if you can connect (then change the SSID to be the same as the invisible one, and repeat).

4) Wipe the laptop's drive, install a fresh OS from scratch.

ETA: you may have hit the limit with your existing box of how many devices it will support. Check its configuration screen for this parameter.

ETA: you have confirmed that the situation persists across multiple user accounts? Most OS's with which i am familiar associate WiFi parameters on a user-by-user basis.

i've also got a 2010 dell laptop, purchased new that i upgraded to free win10 home from win7 several years ago....made a world of difference in usability.

i had the same issue when i upgraded to the new contour modem/router from cox, 4 years ago, when i had been using my own netgear router for wi-fi.

the dell never connected to the new contour router, yet other items/cell phones/newer laptop were connected. i still had to connect the netgear router from one rj-45 ports on cox unit to netgear router for wi-fi on dell laptop.

6 months ago i was having connection issues both hard wired/wi-fi, requiring cox technician visit.

he replaced 4 year old contour modem, eliminated multiple rooftop coax splices, connected residence, both smart tv's wireless.

dell laptop now visible, able to eliminate netgear router.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
I will assuem that the Dells you are talking about are running some version of Microsoft Windows. If so, I would suspect that the "known networks" database on the laptops has flagged your SSID as "ignored" or, perhaps, some "security" update has invalidated some aspect of the protocols used by your A-I-O "router" box. I'd try the following things:

Sorry, I should have mentioned, both are running Win 10 Home edition. One of the two has been wiped and has a fresh install of Windows on it, so it doesn't have a "known networks" database at the moment, other than the one I put in manually trying to get it to connect.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
1) Change the SSID on your box, or set up a "Guest" SSID if supported, see if that is visible. You might also try resetting to factory defaults and re-configuring.

I tried turning on the Guest SSID and it wasn't visible either. The 5G internet box is all factory defaults as it arrived pre-setup and has been working fine since day one.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
2) Boot the laptop with a USB-bootable version of some other, non-Microsoft OS to see if the SSID appears (this would exclude hardware problems on the laptop in question)

That's a good idea that I hadn't thought of. Any suggestions on where to obtain such a thing?

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
3) Obtain a "real" stand-alone Access Point, set up a new SSID, see if you can connect (then change the SSID to be the same as the invisible one, and repeat).

Since one of the computers is basically junk, and the other is an el-cheapo that I was hoping to get rid of, I really hate to spend money on an access point just to solve this mystery. I will give it some consideration though...

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
4) Wipe the laptop's drive, install a fresh OS from scratch.

Already done on one of the two machines; still doesn't work.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
ETA: you may have hit the limit with your existing box of how many devices it will support. Check its configuration screen for this parameter.

ETA: you have confirmed that the situation persists across multiple user accounts? Most OS's with which i am familiar associate WiFi parameters on a user-by-user basis.

Will check to see if a limit on devices can be found, but don't remember seeing one. There's typically only an absolute maximum of 5 at any one time; surely it can handle that many! If not, I'll be dumping it!

Problem is across all user accounts in the household.

Oh yeah, and if I setup my iPhone as a personal hotspot, the Dell laptops don't see that either, but my other laptops see and connect to it just fine. Go figure...

I see lots of suggestions as to resetting/wiping and starting fresh on the PC end of this issue but really nothing about your router.

Can you factory reset that and set it back up and make sure you’re up to date on that end? I suspect the issue is with your security on that side of things, not necessarily on the computer side.

It is currently in use by the spousal unit on a project with my daughter, so will have to do a factory reset later.

In all honesty, I haven't changed a thing on it since it was unboxed, so don't know what a reset will accomplish, but will try one later when I get the chance. It is only about 6 months old, and has been working flawlessly so far. Besides, it is visible by my other computers and all Apple devices, so that makes no sense.

Based on the the details provided I have to ask is the WiFi 6/WPA3 and the clients WiFi 5/WPA2?

Is the WiFi actually toggled on? << My first guess.

Did you check the driver compatibility?
Sometimes after an update there could be an issue (rarely but possible) then revert to prior updates.

Lastly (or the first thing I would do) reset the Network (not whole computer).

https://answers.microsoft.com/...a8-b4e4-e20ed9401ec3

Reinstalling is not something I recommend.

You could try a USB adaptor to see if it is the adaptor hardware itself.

Good Luck

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by architect:
2) Boot the laptop with a USB-bootable version of some other, non-Microsoft OS to see if the SSID appears (this would exclude hardware problems on the laptop in question)


That's a good idea that I hadn't thought of. Any suggestions on where to obtain such a thing?

Any Linux distribution site will have a USB bootable image, most BSD sites too. I would suggest Ubuntu or Debian for this purpose due to greater likelihood of built-in out-of-the-box support for your particular WiFi NIC chipset. You might have to dig a little for a version that runs on older hardware.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Based on the the details provided I have to ask is the WiFi 6/WPA3 and the clients WiFi 5/WPA2?

Is the WiFi actually toggled on? << My first guess.

Did you check the driver compatibility?
Sometimes after an update there could be an issue (rarely but possible) then revert to prior updates.

Lastly (or the first thing I would do) reset the Network (not whole computer).

https://answers.microsoft.com/...a8-b4e4-e20ed9401ec3

Reinstalling is not something I recommend.

You could try a USB adaptor to see if it is the adaptor hardware itself.

Good Luck

WiFi 6 and WiFi 4 are both WPA2, which is the only option. All 5 devices currently connected are on the 5GHz band (selected automatically)

Regarding drivers, I did go back and get legacy drivers to try so as to eliminate that possible issue.

Will try resetting the network once the wifey finishes the project she is working on, but seriously doubt that will change anything since neither laptop will see the mobile hotspot I setup on my iPhone.

I know it sound redundant but double check the settings?




Also if already connected by ethernet port it may disable the wi-fi.

If unable to figure it out a $30 USB adaptor may be easier than radical re-installation.
^^ btw, had the same thing happen on a computer for my wife I had rebuilt - it was a little older as well, I didn't want to take the time for extensive rebuild and just popped in an USB Net Adaptor but I had it already and it was an easy fix. YMMV

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
I know it sound redundant but double check the settings?


<<snip>>

Yep, already double-checked, triple-checked, etc. If WiFi is off, it does not show available networks. When WiFi is on, it shows all the neighbor's WiFi systems, but not mine.

^^^ check.

I would reconfigure each band for different SSID's.
Protocol used to configure each band with same SSID and let the AP use band steering.
That never was a reliable method and now best practice is to separate.
I might create a new connection at the wifi AP without any security - for testing then apply later if visible.
Have you tried to power-cycle the Wifi AP?

From your description you're using Verizon's device for your WiFi. My guess is they pushed an update, recently, and now something's incompatible with your MS-Win laptops.

As smschulz said: Name your 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless networks differently. (E.g.: "MyWiFi" and "MyWiFi5g".) That will automatically kill off band-steering, which, as he said, has never worked very well with many devices.

The other thing you can look at is the WiFi security settings. Are they set to "Mixed WPA2/WPA3 Personal?" I have had some client devices in the past that didn't like that. (I don't recall whether they saw the AP and wouldn't connect, or simply didn't see the AP.) If everything you have on the wireless network is relatively new, the WPA2 compatibility shouldn't be needed, so set it to straight "WPA3 PSK". ("PSK": Private Shared Key. Aka: "Personal.") If you still have older devices, try setting it to straight WPA2 PSK and see if that solves the problem.

Used to be a way to wipe clean your network registry settings. It should rebuild it automatically after reboot.

Haven’t done it in ages but remember doing it several times over the years with different Windows versions.


https://www.action1.com/how-to...tings-of-windows-10/

0-0

Will try different SSIDs if I ever get to mess with the AP again (will probably not be until tomorrow)!

This unit doesn't have WPA3 by itself anywhere in the settings... only WPA2/WPA3-Personal, or WPA/WPA2-Personal.

ETA: Cannot do much testing of settings at the moment lest I disconnect the spousal unit from the internet and foul up the project she is working on.

ETA2: Trying the network reset now. Didn't see that option earlier as it was off the screen at the bottom...

Network reset did nothing to help. Still see neighbor's WiFi's but not my own... or my personal hotspot on the iPhone.

Just about ready to simply give up and toss both machines in the garbage!

Problem solved!

Finally got a chance to mess with the router without messing up the wifey's project and reset it to factory defaults. Both Dell laptops now see the wireless network! Forgot to try the mobile hotspot before I shut those machines down, but since it's working now I expect the hotspot will work also. Tired of fooling with it so will try that tomorrow... maybe.

Thanks for all of the help, and Cheers!