Vista Home Basic won't stay connected to wireless
I am so fed up with this! I got my new laptop in June or July and this was an immediate problem even though my two other XP machines have no trouble staying connected. So I made some adjustments and updated my router software and it seemed to be fixed. Until about a month ago and it started AGAIN! Every time I turn on my laptop I have power cycle my router to get it to connect to the network. I run Network Magic software on all of my computers to control and protect my network. Can someone please tell me how to stop this before I throw my laptop against a wall?
December 13th, 2007 4:02am

Hi, Thank you for the post. Before we go further, I would like to confirm the following points with you: 1. What is the model of the router? 2. What is the model of the wireless network adapter? Is it integrated into the motherboard? 3. How about if the Windows Vista machine connect to the router through a wired connection? Does the issue persist? 4. Did the Windows Vista machine fail to connect to the Internet when the issue occurred? 5. Can the Windows Vista machine detect the wireless router if you do not reboot the router? If it can, is there any error prompted when the Windows Vista machine tries to connect the router? 6. Can Windows Vista machine ping the router when the issue occurred? In this case, please refer to the following suggestions to narrow down the cause of the issue: 1. Please install the latest driver for the wireless network adapter on Windows Vista machine. 2. If it is available, please use another wireless router to check if the issue persists. I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Joson Zhou Microsoft Online Community Support
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December 14th, 2007 1:00pm

Router is LinksysAdapter is Broadcom, don't know if it is integratedIt will connect normally with the ethernet cableYes it loses all internet connectionNoSays can't connect to wireless networkCan't remember if I tried to pingI have updated the drivers and flashed the bios at the request of HP tech support AND changed the channel.It is still dropping out after being connected for a period of time. Last night it went 90 minutes before dropping off and not being able to reconnect.I don't have another router at this time.I have 2 other laptops that connect wirelessly to this same router with no issues so it seems it must be Vista or the hardware in the laptop.
December 22nd, 2007 1:13am

Hi, Thank you for your response. In this case, please try the troubleshooting steps in the following KB articles and check the result: MSBBN: Cannot connect a Microsoft Wireless Network Adapter to a Linksys wireless router http://support.microsoft.com/?id=823368 You cannot connect to a wireless network on a Windows Vista-based computer http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935222 Hope it helps. Sincerely, Joson Zhou Microsoft Online Community Support
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December 25th, 2007 12:32pm

Hi Stacy, Your problem doesn't seem specific enough, though this suggestion could be of use. If your wireless router has the SSID broadcasting disabled, you may need go to Network and Sharing Center > Manage Wireless Networks > Right-click your wireless network which is in use > Click Properties > and make sure the box is checked next to 'Connect even if the network is not broadcasting' Hope this helps. Regards, Zac
December 26th, 2007 9:26am

Thanks I will review those ASAP.This week I was in Wisconsin and was able to connect to a wireless home network without any sort of difficulties. So it would seem there is a conflict between the router and the laptop.
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December 28th, 2007 1:21am

Zac Madden wrote: Hi Stacy, Your problem doesn't seem specific enough, though this suggestion could be of use. If your wireless router has the SSID broadcasting disabled, you may need go to Network and Sharing Center > Manage Wireless Networks > Right-click your wireless network which is in use > Click Properties > and make sure the box is checked next to 'Connect even if the network is not broadcasting' Hope this helps. Regards, ZacThanks Zac but I have already done that. IT took me three days to find that this setting existed after I received the laptop but I did make the change.
December 28th, 2007 1:23am

Sorry about that, though I really don't know about the Network Magic program, I just use my home router to monitor my network. I'm not sure if that could be a problem, also, my wireless stopped dropping out after I unchecked the box which displayed the option of connecting to a more preffered network. Good luck
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December 28th, 2007 5:25am

I was having the problem before I installed Network Magic and I've unloaded it to see if it made a difference and it hasn't. I still need to review the links I was given above, just never enough time in the day
December 29th, 2007 1:07am

Okay I did as recommended in the first article but still having a problem. My signal upstairs is 2 bars, after 30 minutes it drops the signal and again will not reconnect without a power cycle. This is a setback to where I was at. Once I power cycle it stays connected with the same 2 bars of signal. I guess I will get a new router and see what that does for me. I didn't try the second article because I can connect so it doesn't apply. Joson Zhou - MSFT wrote: Hi, Thank you for your response. In this case, please try the troubleshooting steps in the following KB articles and check the result: MSBBN: Cannot connect a Microsoft Wireless Network Adapter to a Linksys wireless router http://support.microsoft.com/?id=823368 You cannot connect to a wireless network on a Windows Vista-based computer http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935222 Hope it helps. Sincerely, Joson Zhou Microsoft Online Community Support
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January 1st, 2008 6:02am

2 weeks with the new router and things seems to be fine. Hopefully it's permanent this time. Thanks for your help!
January 9th, 2008 5:46am

If you are running Vista 32-bit, and are using more than 2 Gigs of memory, the memory could be causing yourinternet adapter to malfunction, believe it or not. Anything over 2 Gigs is not compatible with the 32-bit system.
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January 11th, 2008 12:30am

Could someone verify if this memory is true? I thoght the limit was 4gb...Just looking for a second opinion... I am having the same connection problem described here with a 32 bit Vista machine I just built- DG33TL Intel MoBo, Core 2 Duo Homr Theater PC. I was thinking the problem was with something I did in Set-up, but I can't see anything wrong. I'm using a D-Link USB wireless-g adapter and a Westell 327 versalink from ATT/Bellsouth. I was about to try the fragmentation threshold settings before I read this post about memory. My 64 bit PentiumD running Vista 64 seems to be fine. Though I havelittle of the same problem with my PowerPC Mac Mini, but no problem with XPpro or my two Ubuntu laptops... (Too much in one house!)
February 9th, 2008 1:11am

Hello Tommigun. I would like to see other responses to verify that what I stated above is true, but until then, I just want to let you know that once I removed two gigs of memory from my 32-bit Vista Operating systemed PC,mywirelessPCI adapterbegan working properly again. I have a TrendNet PCI Adapter. It quit working immediately when I replaced one gig with 4 gigs. So, I thought it's days were just numbered. I then purchased a Linksys PCI Adapter, and my internet was up again. But then after about a week, my inter-net connection rapidly became weaker and weaker. Finally, I decided to take heed to the incompatability warnings that I had read about, and took out 2 gigs from my system. Wala! Problem solved, and I even reinstalled my original TrendNet PCI Adapter and returned the Linksys. It is so wierd, but it's true. I bought my memory from ZipZoomFly.com, and they even state that 4 gigs is not compatible with the 32-bit Vista. You must be running a 64-bit Vista O/S, not only to be able to use more than 3.5 gigs of the 4 gigs of memory, but also so that your system does not have irregular responses (meaning the malfunction of various drivers on your PC). Windows XP should not have the same problem as Vista, from what I understand. I cannot verify that, though. Removingtwo gigs from your system should correct the problem. The other option is to install a fresh 64-bit Vista O/S.
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February 9th, 2008 5:50am

Well, I pulled 2gb of memory out (leaving 2gb in). didn't help. I'm leaving it out until I come up with a fix - then I may try putting it back. I also looked at changing the fragmentation threshold; as recomended on the link above - but that setting is not an option on my D-Link wireless adapter. I reset my modem/router, changed the name of my network, set up the "Manage Wireless Networks" with the new SSID and Password. It says it will 'remember the connection, and connect automatically' But it doesn't. If the computer is restarted, it loses the network. I have to go and look for it and re-enter the ID and Password again. I'm not sure I want to try the "hotfix" that's listed above; because I don't want to screw anything else up if my problem is different. I also don't want to re-install Vista - it's a Media PC and there are a lot of drivers I don't want to have to install again. Anybody have any new things to try? It's really a pain to have to quit Media Center all the time to go back and re-enter passwords -- especially since someday this thing is supposed to spend 90% of its time without a keyboard...
February 13th, 2008 12:23am

bump please.
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February 13th, 2008 3:12am

Tommigun,sorry that taking out the 2 gigs didn't work. I know how frustrating internet issues can be. Something to think about, but may not be the case for everyone: with my Trendnet Wireless adapter, it immediately quit working when I upped my ram to 4 gigs, and working when I went back down to 2 gigs. But with the Linksys,it worked at first, but slowly got worse until it did not work properly anymore after about a weeks time. And the same was true, but opposite, when I went down to 2 gigs. So that could be the case for you. Like I said, it's something to just keep in mind. If your internet doesn't get better after a few days, well then my only last suggestion is to connect directly to the router. Then you can use 4 gigs (well about 3.5 of it) without any internet problems. I do not recommend reinstalling Vista unless you are upgrading to a 64bit Vista. I think that wouldbe a waist of time and useless in this situation. Anyway, I hope some other suggestions go your way, and you get your problem fixed. Good luck!
February 13th, 2008 4:15am

Vista Premium, 3 gigs ram, Worked when hard wired, wireless got ONLY Google and my bansounds viral, but...problem all solved by shutting off extra programs running from start-up.....Isimply shut off about five programs from the task bar!! Easy!...(Left McAffee running). I guess it was a software conflict. Go figure!
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May 2nd, 2008 3:14am

I have had the same problem with two different laptops on two different routers. The machines running XP connect to the network just fine, but if you are not broadcasting SSID Vista will not connect properly. I tried to set it up manually on both computers, but it would not work unless SSID was in broadcast mode, no matter the settings on the vista laptops.So now I broadcastThanks MicrosoftDave
May 27th, 2008 7:21am

Stacy, If you got this problem fixed, could you please tell me exactly what you did. I have sent my computer off to the Geek Squad and they aren't able to replicate the problem. I have a Netgear router that does the same exact thing with my Windows Vista-based laptop.
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September 12th, 2009 12:49am

i have a belkin54G router Windows vista medion computer Won't stay connected to the internet, Tried everything. any help? email me please.
October 20th, 2009 10:29pm

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