Members Mark L Posted June 16, 2014 Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 The wireless function on my laptop appears not to be working (I'm using my Kindle to post this), so I'm wondering if there is a cable I can use to connect to the internet. I have a Sony Vaio laptop and a Belkin router, if that helps Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted June 16, 2014 Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 Check your laptop and router to see if they have ethernet ports. If so, you should be able to plug a 'category 5' ('cat 5') ethernet cable between them. If you need an ethernet cable, do yourself a favor and buy it from a cheap online store -- not a brick and mortar walk-in where a short cable that costs a few quid online will likely cost 4 or 5 times that (if UK stores are anything like US, anyhow). http://compnetworking.about.com/od/e...ernet-port.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet That said, wireless connections just seem to go south every once in a while. Sometimes the password gets corrupted (or something) or the hardware bios reset or maybe it's just gremlins. What I typically do is first confirm the net connection to the router is good (your other device working is a hopeful sign -- UNLESS it's using a mobile network in lieu of your local WiFi). If you've already got an ethernet cable, you can direct connect and see if that works -- but make sure your laptop's ethernet is enabled in the OS network settings! Then, when I know my computer can see the Internet through the router directly, I'll check my particulars, re-enter my login stuff or just go ahead and set up the Wi Fi from scratch again. It usually only takes a couple minutes -- but you may need to refer to your router's manual. If you don't have a physical copy of the manual, it's almost certainly somewhere online, Google for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted June 16, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 Thanks, blue The router is working fine. My wife has a laptop and all is well in her online world. The green wireless indicator on mine isn't working and therefore I can't get a connection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted June 16, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 I can't seem to find a way of enabling my laptop's Ethernet. How do I do it? I have Windows 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted June 16, 2014 CMS Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 Try a close inspection first. Some laptops have a switch (which may be a key combination) to turn the wireless transceiver on or off ("Airplane mode" = off). Make sure that it's turned on. If it is, and this is a Windows computer, the brute force approach that usually works as long as something isn't broken is to virtually remove the wireless network interface, then restart the computer. Windows should find it and configure it automatically. Go to the Device Manager - the quickest way to do that is to right-click on "My Computer" or "Computer" in newer systems. Select Manage, then Devide Manager. Look at the list of devices, find the Network Adapters, click the box next to it, and you should see your wireless adapter. If you don't, that's not a good sign. Assuming you see it listed, right-click on it and select Remove. Ignore the warning that your mother-in-law will come to live with you, your toilet will clog, your testicles will fall off, and the wireless adapter will cease to function. Close all of that up, shut down the computer, re-start it, and see if the wirelss adapter comes to life after a couple of minutes of chugging around. You may see a "Wireless networks have been found, click here to view the available networks" message. If so, do that, pick yours, and click the Connect button. If you've set up a password for the wireless connection on the router, you'll be prompted to enter that. If that doesn't work, call one of the computer experts here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted June 16, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2014 Just tried what you suggested, Mike Didn't work But thanks anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Did you see the ethernet port listed in Device Manager? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted June 17, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 17, 2014 There doesn't seem to be a specific Ethernet port, Phil, but what ports there are are all enabled. I do have the required cable but I still can't get online Woe is me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted June 21, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 21, 2014 Couldn't fix it, so I ended up taking it to a repair shop near where I live They fixed it and gave it a complete service. Didn't cost nearly as much as I thought it would All is well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 philthumb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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