OT our laptop can't find our wireless network - is something dead inside

[Llewellyn]

We have an Acer laptop which has always connected automatically to our wireless network at home, until now. But it's stopped doing it, and it won't even display a list of available networks any more.

Is there something inside that does the connecting to the network, and could it have just died? Our other Toshiba laptop is fine.

[verticaldoug]

Do you have a physical wireless switch on the laptop body that may be turned off?

Goto you control panel, open network and sharing center, look at status for network discovery, run diagnostics and repair.

[cfox]

Your wireless radio is turned off. I've seen this happen before with older laptops. I don't know why they do it, they just start turning the radio off. You will periodically have to turn on the radio yourself, sometimes it will turn on automatically (like it is supposed to) when you boot your laptop. To turn it on manually, you hit the Function (FN) key + F5 at the same time, a wireless switch will pop up. You should be able to turn it on somewhere in the pop up box. Once it turns on, you should see the networks in your range. If that doesn't do it, you may have an actual physical switch located on your keyboard or the side of your laptop. Google your specific model, assuming you have another computer, and see what you find.

[Davist]

IF the above doesn't work to turn back on radio. I had a radio die inside the box, a quick USB version and $20 and I was back in business, with a better receiver to boot...:banana:

[choke]

I had a USB Wifi adapter quit yesterday when I clicked on a link. Starting/stopping the adapter didn't fix the problem and it wouldn't show any networks available. I went to the Device Manager, disabled it and then re-enabled it and it started working again, so that might be worth a try.

[echelon_john]

...Or just get a Mac. :banana:

[zmudshark]

http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1304/~/enable-or-disable-wireless-networking

Mine had an unmarked switch that was very easy to turn off accidentally.

[dekindy]

You might have accidentally hit the F key that disables the wireless connection? My Acer did this for awhile also, don't know for sure if it was the F key everytime but since it now works all the time it probably was. Then again, I would have had to hit the F key accidentally twice, which is possible. I have hit keys accidentally before and did not know what I did and took forever to figure out.

[cfox]

...Or just get a Mac. :banana:

I tried this, and I have to say it's been a massive disappointment. I paid way up to get a high-spec Mac desk top and the thing is garbage. It's slow, video card blows, wifi radio drops constantly and the lack of a split button mouse hurts its functionality. It underperforms the $400 PC it replaced in every conceivable metric, save one; it is easier for my son to download and edit his Go Pro videos on the Mac. Which, I guess, explains who Macs are really made for.

[ericssonboi]

Ultimately it narrows down to your wireless card inside your computer. If you've tried the above by enabling the wireless card (switch or soft key) and if it still doesn't work, you can buy a usb wireless dongle for about $20 pretty much any electronic department store (Best buy or Target) and it should get back up and running.

[ultraman6970]

Laptops had a switch moving around. some have it around the screen, other ones at the top of the keyboard... etc. Once it is on you see the wireless logo light one that generally is blue, no idea about those acer ones. zmudshark posted a good link with the picture of what you should be looking for, if the logo is not on then is off obviously.

Probably the switch it is just off.

[HillDancer]

The wireless network adapter (Atheros AR5B93) in my Acer AO532h fails randomly. I keep an Ethernet cable nearby for that eventuality. None of the common fixes corrected my adapter issue in the long term. I suggest identifying your network adapter model and Google it. control panel>system>device manager>network adapters