Warning triangle on WiFi system tray icon

SevenOfNine · 12 Jun 2015

Sometimes Windows 7 SP1 shows a warning triangle on the WiFi system tray icon. The warning triangle is a yellow triangle with a black exclamation point in it.

Here is how it looks:

How does one determine what is causing that warning?

The WiFi works fine. The icon's tooltip shows the correct SSID, with "Internet access" in italics below it. Clicking on the icon shows that Windows is connected to the correct SSID. Everything seems to work fine, but Windows must think there is some sort of issue. There is no indication, outside of the triangle of what that issue could be.

What's causing that warning triangle?

mikeybinec · 12 Jun 2015

When I get that, it means I have no internet connection. I can ping the router but no outside stuff

SevenOfNine · 12 Jun 2015

That's what I would expect too. But the WiFi works as normal (with internet access) even though the warning triangle on the WiFi system tray icon is present.

SevenOfNine · 12 Jun 2015

Here is what the system tray icon looks like:

I'll try to add it to the OP too.

mikeybinec · 12 Jun 2015

You've got a weird one on your hands. I'd leave it alone. Maybe you have two wireless nics on the machine and one is disabled?

Good luck

SevenOfNine · 12 Jun 2015

There is only one wireless NIC in that machine, but the 'Network Connections' Control Panel shows 'Microsoft Virtual WiFi MiniPort Adapter' as well. My understanding is that the miniport adapter is the hotspot feature built into Win 7. Nothing is connected to it. It's normal for most systems to have that listed, right?

Outside of that, there is only the wired NIC, and nothing is connected to it either.

mikeybinec · 12 Jun 2015

Just for jokes, right click on your wireless icon with the exclamation point, and then left click on "open network and sharing center". Your network topology will be displayed. Does the access type connection on the right side at appx the middle also have the warning sign?

regards