why can't my laptops connect to the wireless router anymore - but the desktop can?

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Can anyone help?

the dc's laptops won't connect to our home wireless router. This router is connected to the desktop with an ethernet cable (I think that's right...duh!) and the desktop is working fine - as are the laptops if we connect them using the ethernet cable.

The message on the laptops is that the security code is not accepted but we haven't changed anything afaik.

Hope the geeks are about, and not too hungover. Happy New Year!

do you broadcast your SSID? if you have it hidden then sometimes mobile devices can lose it. I guess one way to quickly check - can your laptops actually see the network?

sounds like you have to set the security settings on your laptops to make them wireless network enabled?

oh god, I knew someone would ask a difficult question. I wouldn't know how to broadcast my ssid if my life depended on it!

Yes, snowy, laptops can see the wireless connection.

Have tried all the diagnostic stuff on the laptops and on microsoft.com.

Everything SEEMS enabled clutha.

dd reckons it's the router, but how do I check that?

Guess I should see if the laptops work on someone else's wireless but that would mean going out in the car and can't be bothered doing that today.

Got to run now but would be grateful if anyone can come up with any suggestions. Back later.

Have you tried turning the router off and on again?

if the laptops can see your network then its not the SSID :)

Turn the router off for a minute then back on.

our router is a bit temperamental and that seems to work.

yep, have turned the router off and back on.

Hasn't helped.

any other ideas?

ta in advance.

Sounds like you don't have the right password.

What's the make/model of the router? Or did you get it from your ISP?

Could anyone changed the password? Have you double checked to see if the WPA password is stuck to the side/bottom of the router?

got it from isp - it's a Realtek, I think.

That's an idea - get the kids to retype the password in...though I don't think anyone's changed it. Just had a thought - when we were aware before christmas the kids used the hotel wifi - do you think they could have changed their passwords somehow?

Yes it's stuck to the bottom of the router - will have to go and scrabble around with a magnifying glass though!

The desktop's still working fine.

...when we were away

They wont have changed it, but I guess they may have somehow deleted the association. I am just guessing.

Try the password.

Good luck

are your settings set to automatically find ip addresses
I dont know if it will help and I'm pretty useless with wireless/bluetooth/laptops in general (even though that is what I always use)

but this is the problem I have sometimes

Ok, they've tried putting the password in manually - still doesn't work.

gaad.

the laptops could be tryng to connect to the last network it connected to

crossposted with Trinity..

I don't know the answer to your question (am also useless!) but the laptops can see our home wireless and when the kids select that network to connect to they just get the message back that the security code is wrong.

greetings,

are you 1000% sure you know what the password is?

If so, then ensure you are actually typing it correctly by typing it in to notepad, or another application where you can actually see whats being typed.

On some laptops you may accidentally enable "num lock", this means that certain keys (normally around the J K L area of the keyboard) actually type numbers instead of letters when pressed.

If you have confirmed that you are typing it correctly then it would seem that the password has changed.

Do you have another wifi enabled device at home? like ipod/iphone/ipad/kindle/ wifi enabled phone?

if so, try connecting from there and verify its a local laptop issue or a wireless router issue. If you can connect wirelessly from another device then obviously the issue is with your laptop.

If you cant connect, then its time you connect to your router and change/check the wifi password.

good luck

Ok, time to connect to the router. If you got the router from your ISP then they should be able to talk you through logging into the router and confirming what the password is.

Does the sticker at the bottom of the router actually say its a "WPA key"/Password/Passphrase? Sometimes people confuse it with the MAC address which is something completely different.

thanks people for mulling this over.

dd tells me that she kept the password (filed in her laptop) from the first time we set up this wifi - so that is what she used to try again this time.

Yes, the sticker on the bottom of router does say wpa...etc.

No, no other wifi enabled stuff in the house.

right, so I have to email or phone my ISP and ask them how to log into my router? But how can the bloody router have changed its password? And how come the desktop still works using the ethernet cable?

sorry about missing caps too lazy to go back and correct.

Don't know anything about computers, but we had the same problem.. we lost our airport, are the laptops still displaying the airport logo? i believe it's usually like a parachute..

Don't know about a parachute logo jelly, but certainly the laptops can find our house wifi. They just don't bloody connect to it.

Am getting sick of sharing the ethernet cable with the dcs....thank god they've gone to bed now!

Right, so I have to email or phone my ISP and ask them how to log into my router? But how can the bloody router have changed its password?
No idea. But its the next logical step, ie. to confirm what the router thinks the password is.

And how come the desktop still works using the ethernet cable?
Computers connected via a cable do not need a password to connect. The theory being that a "hacker" would have to be physically in your house and connected with a cable to misuse your connection. At which point, having a password or not is probably the least of your worries

Wireless, there's no control over who/where people connect so they use encryption with a password to ensure only the right people can access.

Actually I just had a thought. WPA passwords are case sensitive. Have you made sure you are entering it EXACTLY as per the sticker?

If that still doesn't work then call your ISP. They should know how to get onto your router. We'd only be guessing and could cause more problems than its worth.

Ummm are you sure that laptop is not trying to connect to last network ,one at hotel ? open the network and sharing centre,go to manage connections and move/drag your home network to the top of the list .
I know I've had trouble with this and eventually had to delete old networks as they kept somehow moving themselves to the top.
Good luck,I feel for you1

thanks guys and girls...

thanks nguy. Yes, will make sure that the password is being typed in correctly (am sure it is). Amd will see if the isp can help me.

Yep ginger, it's funny how this seems to have happened since we were at the hotel. But, I don't think the laptops are trying to connect to the hotel wifi, - we can see our own home connection amongst others (one for example is a mobile connection using a "pen"). We click on our own wifi and ask it to connect - which it appears to be doing - then we get a new window saying how the password was wrong...

Will let you know how I get on!

oooh exciting stuff, I've logged into my router - I checked the instructions that came in the box.

Of course I now don't know what to do. Still need to get the kids, after school, to retype their passwords.

The status on the router page seems to be telling me I have two computers connected. the desktop and dd2's laptop. dd1's laptop is shown with Lan Wireless access point but it's got a red cross against it. I suppose because it's not on/connected.

Anyway, I have no idea what I'm talking about but will update later.