Can see wireless networks but not connect

[Gnopps]

I recently bought an Acer laptop with Windows 7 that came loaded with bloatware. Thus I formatted the hard drives and installed a clean version of Windows 7. Before the reinstall wireless networking worked fine.

After the install I installed the latest driver for my Broadcom wifi-card, activated it and tried to connect to my home network. After a couple of seconds trying a window pops up saying that "Windows is unable to connect to the network", there is no question for password although the network is secured. When trying to connect to an open network the same thing happens. My router is working fine as I can connect to it with another computer. I can also connect to the router with my Acer by using a LAN-cable.

I have been searching the internet for answers for the last couple of hours but have not managed to find any. So far I have tried all of the below with no success:

• Installing all Windows updates
• Deleting and reinstalling the wireless driver
• Rebooting both computer and router
• Disabling IPv6
• Changing mode on device driver from b to auto
• Changing channel on device driver from 11 to 6
• Activate device discovery

Please, please, please could someone help me understand what is going on and help me connect to networks?

Thankful for any ideas!

 

[Ztruker]

Posted by Gloria Boyer:

Hi folks. If you're using an 802.11N router, there might be issues with WPA-TKIP security. I've been told that the final version of 802.11N dropped support for WPA-TKIP. Try switching to WPA2-AES and see if that helps.

Windows 7 wireless connection problem - No Wireless Connections Available

Post #8 in this thread.

 

[Gnopps]

Thanks for the idea. However I can't connect to an open network either so it shouldn't be security that is the problem. Moreover, I could connect to the very same network before the reinstall.

 

[WindowsStar]

Gnopps: I have seen this before, with several other laptops. The issues seem to be that you have to use the drivers installed by wireless software install package from Acers website. Then remove the bloat-ware software they install. I really hate that it is this way but I have had to do that a lot more lately. It seems that you cannot go to the manufacture of the wireless card and download the drivers and have everything work. UGH!

Give it a try and let us know. -WS

 

[Gnopps]

Thank you for the answer. I am using the drivers from Acer's website. However I am using a new installation of Windows 7. There has to be a setting somewhere that is causing this problem.

 

[WindowsStar]

Thank you for the answer. I am using the drivers from Acer's website. However I am using a new installation of Windows 7. There has to be a setting somewhere that is causing this problem.

Did you install their drivers with their software??? If you just unpacked it and installed the drivers (which I have done before) that will not work. Unfortunately you many have to install their software with drivers and then remove just the software leaving the drivers behind. Seems that the software install does something to make it all work. I hate that because I like to make clean builds and I do not want their software unless I WANT it or I need it for some other reason. Being forced to use the software, or forced to install it to make it work really #$@#$ me off.

I hope this is not the case for you...just seen this too many times lately.

 

[Gnopps]

Problem solved

I did a factory reset yesterday and then noticed that the wireless driver shipped with the computer was newer than the one Acer supplies on their homepage. So I reinstalled windows yet again and by downloading this never version from a different webpage everything works well. Not so well done by Acer... :-(

 

[WindowsStar]

And that is the other thing, newer drivers! Glad you have it worked out.

 

[EddieX]

would be great to know what drivers you installed and from what place too. I can too see the wireless on a acer 5741 but when clicking connect it says "cant connect" to whaever connection. it asks for password but i dont think it even cheks it it looks like its stucked or something else isnt working. the singnal is good signal and all, i cant connect trough my androids shared Internet connection either wich used to work fine so it seems to be something with the broadcom driver.
the drivers at acer are WLAN_Broadcom_5.60.18.8_Win7x86x64. I cant find any newer drivers in any other place and broadcoms site is a nightmare if you are not a technician or very savvy in computers.

I can use a cable but the wireless doesn't work.
seems to be something that happened when i opened the machine once and upgraded bios and also some other stuff from live update .

I installed and reinstalled the card checked "delete from drive" sometimes now but nothing works.

 

[smurphy]

Firstly, I know this is an extremely old thread, however I feel I have something important to ask which is related to this.

Posted by Gloria Boyer:

Hi folks. If you're using an 802.11N router, there might be issues with WPA-TKIP security. I've been told that the final version of 802.11N dropped support for WPA-TKIP. Try switching to WPA2-AES and see if that helps.

Windows 7 wireless connection problem - No Wireless Connections Available

Post #8 in this thread.

I am having the same problem as the creator of this thread, and I am pretty sure this solution will work for me. Only problem is, I don't know how to change to WPA2-AES. Could someone please walk me through this?
Thank you so much!

 

[Ztruker]

You do this in the Wireless Security setting of your router.

What is the make and model number of your router?

 

[smurphy]

Thanks so much for your reply, but I managed to resolve the issue.

I changed the setting on my router to WPA2, which solved the problem, but meant that my xbox could no longer connect. (Any clue if Xbox has WPA2 support?)

So I changed my router back to WEP and then eventually found a way to set my computer settings to WEP as well. Seems to be working okay now, although it feels a bit more like a work-around than a solution.

 

[Ztruker]

I found this:

According to the Xbox360's wireless adapter website page:

"Note:
Some copies of the instruction manual for the Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter state that the adapter is compatible with the WPA2 security standard. At this time the adapter works only with WPA and WEP security."