My Dell Inspiron is telling me that no wireless connection is available

[Mimi58]

but I'm typing this message using my old ibook G4 via the wireless connection to the router that sends the little 0's and 1's through the internet. I don't get it.

I tracked down Microsofts instructions on how to set up a wireless network. It gave instructions on how find your wireless adapters. The dell says I have one and it is installed properly. I've done some different troubleshooting steps on the dell that I found on the internet (with the ibook) which all lead me back to the message message loops: "You are currently not connected to any networks"  "Not connected" "No connections available"

I have both laptops on right now. The dell is still telling me there is no connection available as I'm finishing typing this post on my ibook. I have no clue what to try next.

Any suggestions about what to do to get the dell to recognize the working wireless network or router or whatever it needs to do to get online?

Sure glad I hung on to my old ibook even if it is slow as molasses.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[officerripley]

I'm interested in this too:  every so often my toshiba laptop won't connect while the desktop & my tablet are connecting just fine.  I do a restart (or two) on the laptop & then I can connect; so I guess it's not the router??

[radar]

...hi mimi...I'll be following this as well...

...my asus laptop windows 7 connects to an infamously notorious inefficient not secured wifi at an rv park...usually runs ok during the day, but after the office goes home I get the same "no wireless connections available", "limited connectivity", "identifying network", "no valid IP address" etc...

...troubleshooting usually brings up "reset network adapter"...is the computer doing this?, or am I supposed to?...dunno...

...when brought to office attention, they say things like "oh, we reset or rebooted our router" or "it's because too many of you are on at the same time" or "too many of you are downloading movies, music, youtubes, etc"...what?

...they say that they have upgraded their system, including repeaters (thru comcast)...ummm, yeah, right....bestbuy geeks say that they are too lazy/cheap to upgrade enough to cover their customer demand (180 rv spaces)...(I inquired about getting a newer netgear adapter for my desktop...they said to save my money...a new one wouldn't help)...grrrr...

...usually no problem with my verizon 4G device...but can't use for normal entertainment without going over the allotted  limit and having to pay more...

...I probably should have made this a separate post, but...

[ProblemAgain]

you could try restarting your modem and router...do that first....if it doesn't take, then reinstall the network adaptor in your dell thru the device manager ...

[Pete48]

Hi, Mimi!

I agree with ProblemAgain's suggestion.  Unplug both your router and your modem, and you know the drill.....count to 60 seconds, reconnct the modem and let all its lights start blinking steadily again (not all of them are constantly "on" - there'll be one light that blinks incessantly and that's a good thing.).  Then connect and restart the router.

How far from the router is the Inspiron?  Less than 20 feet?  On another floor of the house?

Perhaps your Inspiron's wireless card is failing.  Go to Amazon.com and enter "usb wireless network adapter" and you'll get a bunch of hits on wireless USB adapters that should just plug in to an available USB port on the inspiron and should recognice your network in a matter of seconds.

Unfortunately, they're not free.....

Pete

[Mimi58]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I was tied up earlier today, and then this afternoon I called a friend who's husband works with computer software and he uses dell computers.  He told me (via my friend) to look at the function keys and see if one of them had an icon that looked like a power line tower with quotation marks around it. I found it and clicked on it and it then found the network.

I don't know why it wouldn't let me connect by going through the control panel. I don't know why clicking that button seemed to be the only thing that would let me connect. But - it worked. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it continues to work, LOL

officerrepley and radar, I hope you can find a solution to your problems. Maybe you have a "magic" button, too :^)

[ProblemAgain]

that isn't a "magic button"...that is an on/off for your wireless...hp's have those too.....theirs have a blue light behind it when active and an orange light when it is off

[officerripley]

I agree, that button certainly isn't "magic"; the stupid button on my toshiba laptop is always lit up, same white light, whether it's been turned on or off.  You'd think it could at least be in a different color for off than on so I could tell when I'd inadvertently turned it off, but nooooo...

[ProblemAgain]

hmmm wonder how much money they make off techie calls to turn the button on? ("that was some job...i had to take it out to the truck to replace the framistan and rerout the jigpop to keep the flummox from overheating...here's your bill")

[officerripley]

And don't forget about the flux capacitor! :D

[ProblemAgain]

oh forgot that...that's extra too.....

[Mimi58]

ProblemAgain, that certainly could be the way some techies do business, LOL.

Well, it did it again tonight, but at least I knew to try clicking the button. I had thought I might have accidently clicked the button, but I've had this computer since last May and yesterday was the first time it happened and then again tonight. I'm beginning to think the network adaptor might be about to give it up.

And sorry, Pete. The laptop is in one room and the modem is in a room next to it. I'd say less than 20 feet away. Thanks for the info about the USB adaptors and Amazon. I think I'll go ahead and compare prices and, at the same time, hope that I won't need to buy one, lol

Thanks again. :^)

[Pete48]

Mimi.....

I have a 4 year old Dell laptop that also has a slider switch on the left-hand side of it, back near the hinge where the screen is connected to the keyboard.  It has this annoying ability to be bumped, and then goes into the "OFF" position and it disables all wifi capability of the laptop until it;s turned back on again.  The most annoying thing is that the error message I got never once indicated, "Hey, dodo, reset the switch".

That might be your answer,  :)

Pete