networking suddenly quit

I have a wireless network at home / my laptop connects through my desktop. I had no trouble setting this up. Both run XP. It has been running for months. Suddenly, my lap top will not connect. I've done every bit of troubleshooting I can find (at least all that I understand).

A few things I've noticed. My desktop shows two connections available. (Because my old laptop had a card I had to slip into it). My laptop shows two connections with red x's on them and one that says it is working. However, it does not connect to the internet.

Both connections on my desktop say firewalled. I don't know if they said that before or not.

One of my red x's .. when I right click it says it is unplugged.

I tried restoring to an earlier point on each computer. no luck.

I'm about to take them in to a professional, but that is so expensive. I don't even know if the problem is with my laptop or my desktop. Any other ideas?

Thanks for your help,
Vicki

 

Hello Vicki,

We need a little more details about how your computers are networked? Do you have a router sharing a cable/dsl Internet Connection?

If you have a router we need to determine whether or not it your device or the network card. You can do this by bypassing the router's functions and directly connecting the problem computer to the cable/dsl modem. If this works then we can look at the router.

First, have you tried going to Device Manager and uninstalling and reinstalling the network card? Do you have wired network card that you can run a network cable to without troubleshooting this with a wireless network connection?

 

We have to computers which are wired networked and then a laptop that is on a router sharing a cable internet connection.

On my task bar it shows three connections. The first -- says 1394 Connection Speed 400.0 Mbps Status: Connected. (obviously it is not as I can't get on the internet)


Another says Wireless network connection not connected. It has a red x on it. The last one with another red x says Local Area Conections a network cable is unplugged.

I went to the device manager. Everything had + next to it. I was concerned about uninstalling the network card, because I don't know how to install it. This laptop has the network card inside it somewhere.

This all being said, this thing is under warranty, so I could take it in and have them look at it?? Or I could go up to the local coffee shop and see if it connects to the internet up there.

Thank you for your help. I will try some things and get back. Time is a problem this week, so I might be slow posting.

Vicki

 

my own stupidity!!!

I went to a local coffee place and tried to get online and no luck. So i figured the problem was in my laptop. I ran it up to Comp USA and as i was explaining my problem to the tech there... he reached over and pressed a little button on the front of my laptop. DUH... it turns off networking to conserve battery when there is no network available. so... I'm very sorry to bother you all with such a dumb thing. Thanks so much for trying to help.
Vicki

 

Glad you got it fixed.