BleepingComputer.com: Toshiba Equium A200 laptop not picking up Wireless Networks

If this is in the wrong place then you can move it.

Ok so my friend left me up his sisters laptop so I could look at it and clean it up a bit. He told me that they can never pick up their wireless connection and always use an ethernet cable to connect to the internet. I thought this was strange as this laptop is wifi enabled and is switched on. So I tried to connect to my connection.

Not only does it not connect but it doesnt pick up any connections at all!! This is super strange to me. The only connections it picks up are:

02 Mobile Web 3G (Dial up)
02 Mobile Web GPRS (Dial up)

Is there some sort of hardware missing that is preventing a connection being detected?

Any info would be most helpful.

Thank you

Are you using the software that was installed with the wireless? If so look for a way to turn it off and use what is on this site to set it up. If that still won't work, I'd uninstall the wireless card from device manager and all the wireless programs from Add/Remove programs, reboot and let windows install the drivers. And try the setup again.

CaveDweller2, on Dec 3 2009, 08:19 PM, said:

They have had this for 2 years. I was pretty shocked when they told me they always used the ethernet cable. So god knows what they have done to it. Il have a look and get back.

Thanks

This post has been edited by hammy106: 03 December 2009 - 03:56 PM

When you say uninstall the wireless card form Device Manager do you mean under the Network Adapters?

Would this be it?

realtek RTL8187B Wireless 802.11g 54Mbs USB 2.0 Network Adapter

Yes under network adapters. Is there any other wireless listed? is there any yellow ! or ? in the device manager list?

Cause I thought it has built in wireless and that looks like a USB wireless adapter. lol

Yes that one has a yellow !.

The other 2 are:

Marvell Yukon 88E8039 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller
isatap.(some sort of serial number in brackets) This 1 also has a yellow !

But on the laptop there is a button to enable/disable wireless. What you think then?

Specs for this Laptop

This post has been edited by hammy106: 03 December 2009 - 08:34 PM

It sounds to me like the laptop is missing some drivers. Do they have a CD that came with the laptop? Perhaps the drivers are on there. On the page you linked to the right there is "Support & Downloads" in the drop down is "Download Vista Drivers". Go through the drop downs and you'll find all the drivers. I picked the first a200 in the list and I saw Realtec wired LAN drivers and Intel Wireless drivers.

That isatap isn't something you need to worry about. Its something to do with transition from IPv4 to IPv6.

Do make sure the switch is on when you are trying to connect wireless lol

lol yes it is switched on.

Should I go ahead and download/install those drivers you mentioned?

The ISATAP thing, don't worry about that. But for the other stuff with the yellow ! yes.

Got it going now. Thanks for your help

The wireless too? WOOT...bet you look like a hero to them lol