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Can no longer connect to wireless network


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#1
vinny_the_hack

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Hi, I am having one heck of a problem. Well, my friend is but she's not technically inclined.

I set up her Win 8 PC to start a wireless network using a USB. For the past 9 months or longer, her Kindle as well as her Chromecast, were using this wireless network for downloading books and streaming movies respectively through a shared Internet connection. Out of the blue, things stopped working. I was able to find that the "netsh wlan start" command was failing. Why it never failed before, I don't know. Regardless, she did a system restore back as much as 2 weeks, even though it just started failing, but still it continues to fail. I tried enabling the virtual adapter, a suggestion I found on the web, and it does start (the USB flashes), but her Kindle will not connect. I've looked at her real adapter properties and it had the sharing option turned off, which I seem to remember I had it turned on when I first set this up. I tried to set it on, but it tells me protocols must be installed and enabled, and I didn't want to mess with that in case she lost her connection altogether. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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#2
Ztruker

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Try uninstalling the wireless USB dongle then reboot and reinstall it, see if that helps.

 

Look in Control Panel, Programs and Features and see if it shows in there. If so, uninstall it there.

Open Device Manager, expand Network Adapters and USB, see if the USB wireless shows there. If yes, right click and uninstall it.

 

Reinstall the USB device.


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#3
vinny_the_hack

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Thanks for your suggestion.

 

Get this when attempting to un-install the USB device: 

 

Cannot uninstall this device because its descendants refused the request. This can happen if the descendants are required to boot up the computer.


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#4
Ztruker

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Can you describe the network setup?

 

Who is the ISP?

Is there a router involved or only the ISP modem?

Have you tried resetting the modem and router?

Does it work if you connect with a Ethernet cable?


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#5
vinny_the_hack

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The desktop is connected to a cable modem and has worked all along. 

 

There is no router.

 

The USB acts as a wireless network adapter through which the Chromecast on the TV and the Kindle use to connect to the Desktop and on through to the Internet through the cable modem.

 

What boggles the mind is that nothing has changed and nothing appears to be "broken", yet what has been working for 9 months has suddenly stopped working.


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#6
Ztruker

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Do you have the make and full model number of the USB device? I'd like to see what I can find about it so I understand the setup. From what you are saying, it sounds like you are creating a Wireless LAN via the USB device, not getting it from the ISP Modem. I've never done this so would like to read up on it a bit. Maybe then I can be of some assistance.


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#7
vinny_the_hack

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I don't think knowing the model number is going to help or tell you anything relevant to this problem. Just think of this USB as any other wireless adapter or a wireless router.


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#8
Ztruker

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A normal USB wireless device receives and sends wireless signals to a wireless device, like a router or wireless modem.

Chromecast gets it's signal also from a wireless device like a router or wireless modem. I don't understand how it gets it from a USB wireless device connected to your computer. Maybe that's what I need to know about.

 

I was hoping the make and model number might allow me to find some useful info. If you don't think so that's fine.


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#9
vinny_the_hack

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A normal USB wireless device receives and sends wireless signals to a wireless device, like a router or wireless modem. (...or a Kindle, or Chromecast....

Chromecast gets it's signal also from a wireless device like a router or wireless modem. I don't understand how it gets it from a USB wireless device connected to your computer. Maybe that's what I need to know about.

 

I was hoping the make and model number might allow me to find some useful info. If you don't think so that's fine.

 

 

This USB device is just another wireless adapter which receives and sends signals between the desktop and any other wireless adapter; in this case, between the Chromecast dongle and the desktop and also between the Kindle and the desktop. The desktop then passes those incoming and outgoing signals between its cable modem and the USB device.


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#10
Ztruker

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Have you tried replacing the USB Wireless device that plugs into the computer?

 

I think my ignorance is showing, sorry.

 

I don't understand how connecting a USB wireless device to your computer gives you a wireless network that the Chromecast device can connect to. Are you running IIS or something similar on your PC that provides the network?

 

I'm not doubting it worked for 9 months, I just don't understand how. I'm wasting your time here and not helping to solve the problem for which I'm sorry but I hate it when I don't understand something. Maybe I should start a thread in the Networking forum to discuss this and point to this thread as the source of the question on my part?


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#11
vinny_the_hack

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A friend was going to try that even though I don't believe it is the culprit. That friend never did follow through.

 

I appreciate you're trying to help. I don't like it when I don't understand something, either. And to be honest, I have never understood networking, and judging by the number of people who experience networking issues and have great difficulty finding solutions, my feeling is that not a lot of people do understand it.


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#12
vinny_the_hack

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Perhaps my ignorance is showing. As far as I understand, the USB functions like a very basic (wireless) router, so what else do you believe is needed?


Edited by vinny_the_hack, 22 March 2015 - 07:12 AM.

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