Can't find WiFi settings or device on my laptop?

Saberu

Saberu

Saberu

Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2003
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Stafford (uni)
I just bought a second hand laptop which was advertised as "WiFi enabled" but I can't find anything to suggest it has a WiFi PCMCIA card installed as theres no driver for it that is called wireless and I can't find any settings on control panel for detecting a wireless network. Have I been duped or am I truly an idiot? :p
 
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hehe if it says its WiFi enabled then it is!

When you are looking at the laptop, look at the bottom left...not on the keyboard bit but on the bit underneath it.

There will be a switch there. Switch it opposite to the way it currently is and that will then have enabled your WiFi.

Then go to...

Control Panel > Network Connections

Then when you are in there you should see...2 computer monitors with the words "wireless network connection" above them.

Double click this, this has then started the connection.

Look in your task bar on your monitor (bottom right) and there should now be a little computer monitor.

Right click that and click on "view available wireless networks"

When you have done that a screen will appear...On the left at the top you will see "refresh network list"

Click that and your WiFi Laptop will pick up your routers signals!

Reply how you get on!

Steve :)
 
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Did you mean take the top half of the casing off? (where the keybaord is).

It's already a bit damaged as it doesn't clip on properly but i'm not sure how to take it off and I don't want to damage it.

I'm guessing you didn't mean the underside of the laptop as that had nothing there.

EDIT: Think I confused you by calling it a new laptop. It's second hand actually I just meant new to me lol.
 
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Oh right, no problem, if he said its got WiFi then it has.

No, I dont mean take anything off, and I dont mean underneath the latop, I mean in between that!

Its facing you!

Any joy?

Steve!
 
If it was that obvious I'd have seen it ;)

It's not abnormal for something to be accidentally miss-advertised. I'll send him an email.
 
look in the bios might need to be enabled in there dude i know i can turn it off on the the wife's lappy with she gets to ebay mad :D
 
I think auction links are against the rules. But i'll email you the link if you give me your addy. It's not in the BIOS, didn't think it would be because this laptop is a few years old.
 
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what make and model is it ?

if it had a wireless PCMCIA card then it would be in the PCMCIA slot wouldnt it ?? :confused:

It may have a internal Mini-Pci wireless card, in which case there will be a switch / button on the side or the front to enable / disable it

it not it may be disabled in windows, check the FN + F5 key combination (it varies from make to make but there will be a general Fn + XX Key to enable it)

Also check device manager to see if one is listed under network adapters ?
 
stevechapman said:
Oh right, no problem, if he said its got WiFi then it has.
Steve!
Click to expand...

No it doesn't - I haven't see anything to suggest the seller is 100% trustworthy ;)

Anway, even when the hardware switch on the chassis is "OFF" on my FSC Lifebook E-Series, the Intel WLAN NIC still shows up in Device Manager. Likewise for some HP nc-series laptops I've worked on.
 
I suspect seller missadvertised laptop to me

threads merged. Please do not cross post!


I recently bought a laptop from you know where on the premise that it had Wifi.

The reason I believed this was because the description said "Wifi enabled" which in my mind means it has Wifi. After asking the seller after buying the laptop about this he seems to believe "Wifi enabled" means it just has the capability of holding a pcmcia card or connecting a Wifi device via USB.

Now I'm no expert but whenever I've seen a laptop advertised as "Wifi enabled" it's always meant it has a Wifi device inside. Am I wrong?
 
Saberu said:
I recently bought a laptop from you know where on the premise that it had Wifi.

The reason I believed this was because the description said "Wifi enabled" which in my mind means it has Wifi. After asking the seller after buying the laptop about this he seems to believe "Wifi enabled" means it just has the capability of holding a pcmcia card or connecting a Wifi device via USB.

Now I'm no expert but whenever I've seen a laptop advertised as "Wifi enabled" it's always meant it has a Wifi device inside. Am I wrong?
Click to expand...


I think you're right. 'Enabled' implies it is ready to go.
 
Kell_ee001 said:
Does it have Wifi software pre-installed?
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell theres no Wifi software and no Wifi device in the laptop.

OK well I ran software to detect all devices in the laptop even ones which might have been hidden and didn't see a Wifi device. The laptop definitely doesn't have it.

Shall I go straight to Ebay with this or shall I ask the seller for a partial refund first? Problem is I don't want to return the laptop I'm trying to get a partial refund of say £20-30 so I can buy a Wifi device and if the seller doesn't give me that option then theres nothing I can do.
 
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I'd say "WiFi Ready" could be taken to mean it has the antennae in the lid ready to take a mini-PCI WiFi card.

But "WiFi Enabled" says to me that the laptop actually has the WiFi card, PCMCIA card or USB device included.
 
Saberu said:
Shall I go straight to Ebay with this or shall I ask the seller for a partial refund first? Problem is I don't want to return the laptop I'm trying to get a partial refund of say £20-30 so I can buy a Wifi device.
Click to expand...

Talk to the seller first - if it doesn't have Wifi HW or SW then it's been missold. Might as well see if you can reach a compromise you're both happy with.

If however he refuses to compromise, file a "Item Not Received or Significantly Not as Described" dispute and let ebay deal with it as you do have a case. :)
 
Hades said:
I'd say "WiFi Ready" could be taken to mean it has the antennae in the lid ready to take a mini-PCI WiFi card.

But "WiFi Enabled" says to me that the laptop actually has the WiFi card, PCMCIA card or USB device included.
Click to expand...

Funny thing is I can't even see a pcmcia slot on the laptop so I wouldn't say it's especially Wifi ready. Only way I can see of connecting Wifi is through the USB and all laptops allow you to do that.
 
A lot of smaller PC retailers used to sell PCs as 'broadband ready' just because they have an ethernet port. I haven't noticed it much recently so perhaps there has been some sort of ruling. I guess this would fall under the same category.

Personally I'd ask the seller for 10% of the value of the laptop as a good will gesture, in return for your not making a fuss about it :).
 
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