Wireless issue on laptop

[freedomit]

I have a wireless issue on a 6 month old HP ProBook 450 G2 with in built Realtek adapter. The laptop boots to Windows and can see around 8 networks, when I try and connect to the correct one it prompts me for the password, I enter and it fails to connect. Then almost all the networks disappear, leaving one or two in the list, it seems random which one or two appear but it fails to connect to any. My iPhone can see all and connect to any without issue. If I disabled the card and re-enable it can see the full list for a few seconds but then back to one or two, the router which is about 3 feet away seems to be one of the networks it loses from the list the most.

I have so far...

Removed all profiles in list and renamed the Profile folder in ProgramData. Updated Wireless drivers to latest version and reinstalled device. Clean boot with no Startup items or non Microsoft services. Reset Winsock.

Next step tomorrow is to try a USB wireless card and see if it works but was hoping for a few other ideas or suggestions...

 

[MichaelBits]

It would be fairly rare in my experience... Only seen one the last couple years...

But it is quite possible the card is failing. So trying an alternate would most likely be my next step as well.Though I would just replace the card in the laptop (assuming you have several laying around like we do) and and skip the usb wireless test. Wireless cards are usually easy to swap out.

 

[NJW]

Updated Wireless drivers to latest version and reinstalled device.

Driver from Microsoft, HP or Realtek? Try an alternative source.

Check the locale set for the Wi-Fi – it might be prohibited from using the channel your router is on, due to geographical restrictions. It will see it, but not connect. Or change the router to Channel 6.

 

[freedomit]

Driver from Microsoft, HP or Realtek? Try an alternative source.

Check the locale set for the Wi-Fi – it might be prohibited from using the channel your router is on, due to geographical restrictions. It will see it, but not connect. Or change the router to Channel 6.

I couldn't find the driver on the Realtek site so I installed the latest one from HP which was dated late 2014.

The router is a BT Homehub so is set to auto by default. I even tried to connect to my iPhone hotspot but it would detect it.

 

[freedomit]

It would be fairly rare in my experience... Only seen one the last couple years...

But it is quite possible the card is failing. So trying an alternate would most likely be my next step as well.Though I would just replace the card in the laptop (assuming you have several laying around like we do) and and skip the usb wireless test. Wireless cards are usually easy to swap out.

Yep I'm thinking wifi fault as well. Will look around for an internal card and give it a try. Other thing to try I guess would be to pull the hard drive and install a fresh copy of Windows on a test drive and see if it works.

 

[citizensmith]

Ttry connecting to open network first - I use my phone as an AP . Are the routers in N only and wifi card set to b/g Try a linux or Gandalfs boot disk

 

[NJW]

Try a linux

Linux has problems with RTL8723/RTL8188 Wi-Fi card, too (related to powersave) – similar symptoms to the OP.

The router is a BT Homehub so is set to auto by default.

You can select the channel manually, if only to test the theory: http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/32236/~/how-do-i-change-the-wireless-channel-on-my-bt-home-hub-3?

For the country/region regulatory settings in Windows, you need to look at the advanced settings for the wireless adapter (sorry, I don't have a Wi-Fi-enabled Windows to hand, so I can't be more specific) and make sure that it's set for UK or Europe. For example, US setting historically prohibited channels 12 & 13 (although it's no longer legally required, I think).

With reference to the powersave problems in Linux, try disabling any power management options for the Wi-Fi.

The driver for that adapter, at least on the HP site, is the same for Windows 7 and later. Try some of the older versions – regressions are not unknown. Install in compatibility mode, if necessary. Finally, remove/disable any Realtek or HP front-end if there's one included with the driver and let Windows manage the device.

 

[freedomit]

Ok, so I installed a D-Link USB wireless adapter and that successfully connected to the BT HomeHub router. When clicking the network icon the list was split into two for each adapter, the D-Link could see 12 networks and the Realtek only 1.

I then booted Ubuntu from my USB drive and the wireless card was detected, it could see around 10 networks but would not connect to the router. So I completely turned off the router, enabled my phone as a hotspot and was able to connect to the internet to browse a few pages. So I turned the router back on tried to connect but couldn't. After that whatever I did I couldn't connect to wither my phone or the router and then suddenly the entire list of networks went blank.

In the end I gave the customer two options, send back to HP for repair or buy from me a new PCI Express wireless card at cost price. A new Intel Centrino Wireless N2230 card was £7.00ex so she went for that option, fingers crossed when it comes on Monday it will fix the issue.....

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Good choice. Some of the cheaper laptops have those realsuk..I mean...realtek NICs....or Atheros NICs.....I just say the best option is to get a good NIC in there and disable that onboard junker.

 

[mrapoc]

I'd have used snappy driver to update it

 

[freedomit]

Intel card fixed the issue