New laptop, connects to router, will not connect to internet
 

Hello Everyone,

I bought my wife a new laptop for Christmas, an HP Pavilion g6, AMD A8, with a Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 wireless chip.

Now, I realize that this is a Linux forum, and I have been a member for many years, but this laptop is running Windows 8 because my wife just refuses to break away from Windows. But no where on the net are there more networking experts than right here. So, if no one wants to respond because I am asking a Windows question, I understand. But I am hoping a Windows networking expert will be kind and try to give me a hand with this. I am using WPA/TKIP security with a passphrase.

I set up her laptop for her, and having never seen Windows 8 before, I am glad that I use Linux. What a load of rubbish! It truly looks like Microsoft has attempted to copy Ubuntu, but made a wreck out of it. Underneath all the crap, it looks like the same old Windows. Anyway, here is my problem:

I set up the laptop in about half an hour and for about ten minutes the wireless connected to Zyxel router easily and I was on the net. After about ten minutes, it stayed connected to the router, but would no longer connect to the net. Since then, it will not connect to the net but does connect to the router easily and is assigned a network address. I first tried restarting the router, and it did work for another five minutes and then stopped connecting to any web sites, but again connects to the router just fine. Each time I would restart the router it would work, but only for five minutes. The tech guys at Curry's, where I bought the laptop, are worthless. They are trying to convince me that I have a faulty router, even though I have three other computers, 2 ipads, 2 iphones and 2 ipod touches, and a PS3 which ALL connect to the net just fine, never an issue until now. Here is what I have tried so far:

1. Restored the laptop to factory settings (nothing to lose here since it is new)
2. Reset the TCP and Winsock stack using admin priveledges
3. Turned off the Norton system to rule that out
4. Used both Windows and Norton troubleshooters to try and diagnose the problem (windows reports that there is issue connecting to the net. No kidding....)
5. Pinged www.google.com which works for the short time it is connected, so not a DNS problem

Can anyone else who is well read with Windows networking offer any other suggestion to try? I am pulling my hair out here and getting very close to the date I can no return the laptop.

Many thanks to anyone who replies.

Bob

Moved: This thread is more suitable in General and has been moved accordingly to help your question get the exposure it deserves.

One thing to try is to disable IP V6 support. The laptop may be trying DHCP6 to get an IP and IP V6 for DNS. If it tries IP v6 for services first, the router may be getting confused.

Check if the laptop was assigned a default gateway.

Try disconnecting all other devices from the router, even wired interfaces. I had a problem connecting to my wireless router on all my devices. The problem turned out to be the pulse audio settings on a Ethernet connected desktop. I was using pulse audio to pipe audio from various hosts to my media computer near my stereo's spdif connection.

At work, the only way that works to get the IP address changed on an interface, of a Win 2008 server, is to remove and re-install the device drivers. First try removing and re-configuring the connection before the device drivers.

I once had a problem with a wireless interface. Booting into Windows from Linux, the problem persisted. I powered down the computer for 30 seconds. This fixed the problem. Try powering down both the laptop and the router.

Since it is a portable laptop, try connecting to another wireless network, such as free WIFI in a restaurant. If you have the same intermittent problem, you know it isn't a problem with your router.

If this is a new laptop, and nothing you try works, a new laptop may have a defective wireless card. Consider a service call to get it resolved under warranty.

Good Luck.