My laptop lost its wifi
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
United States
June 20, 2012 7:56pm CST
We have wifi. I also have an air card inside my Dell Inspiron Mini laptop. When we got the wifi connection, this computer automatically found our Belkin and I could just click on it to connect it. Then one day, Poof!! It went away. I don't have a driver compartment.. dvd.. or whatever you call it.. so I would have to buy a cd rom or dvd thingy... not sure what it is called, to install the driver for it.
So what happened and how can I get it to accept my wifi again. I'm using the air card because I can't connect to Belkin... the router is fine.. there is no problem there. Whatever picked it up the first time isn't working now.
I went into services but didn't see anything there to kick start the wifi... any ideas? Remember I am not computer savvy, so if you talk over my head, I will not understand you. Keep it Mickey Mouse (simple) for me. Please! 
3 people like this
9 responses
@GardenGerty (157545)
• United States
21 Jun 12
PQ, look very carefully at all the keys on your keyboard. You should see one that has the image of a little tower with a halo.That would be a toggle for your wifi to be on or off. Mine is on my F2 key. My cat accidentally stepped on mine once and off went all wi fi. My son had to show me what had happened. I am thinking you may have accidentally hit the switch.
2 people like this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
21 Jun 12
I'm o my iPhone. I don't know what the computer is doing now. It's already done this configuring and shut off and restarted and now it's doing it all over again. It says:
stage 4 assembling service pack
do not turn ugh your computer.
I wonder if is just going to keep doing that?
It seems to be stuck on that blue screen that says Windows 7.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
21 Jun 12
I'm o my iPhone. I don't know what the computer is doing now. It's already done this configuring and shut off and restarted and now it's doing it all over again. It says:
stage 4 assembling service pack
do not turn ugh your computer.
I wonder if is just going to keep doing that?
It seems to be stuck on that blue screen that says Windows 7.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
29 Jun 12
I'm learning every day. I fixed it with the help of FrugalMommy. She took me step by step and I fixed it. I fixed my daughter's also because hers went off wifi also. Now my family thinks I'm computer savvy when I'm not really. I just learned something new.
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
21 Jun 12
It happened to me one time when i carried my laptop to put it on my lap while Im on the bed suddenly the wifi disappear and lost connection. I thought the problem is on the router but when i looked at my phone i was connected. Just restart the laptop and it came back. Maybe you should go to the repair center maybe your wifi hardware is already broke and need a replacement.
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
22 Jun 12
FrugalMommy took me step by step to get it back.. thanks. Restarting it didn't work.. that's why I was asking for help. Nothing was wrong with my wifi because my phone and 3 other computers are connected to wireless.
@youless (112108)
• Guangzhou, China
21 Jun 12
I wonder whether there is some conflicts that leads to your wifi card out of work. If you are using Windows XP, perhaps you can try to recovery your operating system to the day that your wifi still worked fine. If it doesn't work, perhaps you shall try to download the wifi card drive from other places and then store it to an USB driver. Then install this drive again and hopefully your wifi card can work again.
I love China
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
22 Jun 12
I'm using Windows 7... I have it now. FrugalMommy told me what to do and it now works. Thanks.
@payout (3794)
• United States
21 Jun 12
Soo sorry to hear .. That I know how frustrating that can be.. Believe me ..
Most if not some computer automatically connect to the internet especially if there is a wifi signal around that doesn't have a secure code.
I would recommend you to try few things.
1- see if you are computer is able to locate your belkin?
2- double check on your router... Make sure your router (belkin) is actually connected may look like it but make sure it has Internet access.
3- once you attempt to connect again try to do it without your air card. That might help..
If your computer.. Automactly connected to your belkin in the beginning then you don't need anything to install on your computer. :)
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
21 Jun 12
The router is fine. 3 other computers are using the wifi connection. Even my phone uses the wifi so it doesn't use AT&T data.
No, the laptop will not locate the wifi or any other wifi.. it used to all the time. My wifi is the only one that I have a password to. All the neighbors with wifi have theirs locked... but that's moot anyway, since this laptop won't pick it up anymore.
As soon as we hooked up our wifi a few months ago this laptop found it.. we moved and it still found it and I was happily using it. Then suddenly it just quit.
I only hook up to the air card (it's inside this laptop) because I can't get the wifi to even show up as an option. It always did before.
2 people like this
@payout (3794)
• United States
21 Jun 12
Oh okay, sounds like .. Your wifi failed. On you.. The only thing. I can think of is .. Too take out the air if you can't then .... Disconnect from that restart your PC and see if you can pick up the connection. Because if all your other computers have connection then.. It's something just with your computer alone.
I wish I could actually see your computer and router and etc.l I took my laptop apart and re build it .. Lol.. That was fun.. But,, I can only do so much from my side.. :(
2 people like this
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
21 Jun 12
You have totally lost me. lol
but I do sympathize, I am not a happy camper without my internet.
Hope you find an answer for this soon. Hey, how are you posting if it doesn't work? 
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
21 Jun 12
I'm using the air card that is inside this computer. When I had wifi on here I didn't use the air card. When I watched Netflix or tv on here I would use wifi so it wouldn't use AT&T data. I have 5 gigs of data but it gets used up fast with streaming video.
@smacksman (6053)
•
21 Jun 12
A common fault is that you have turned off your laptops WiFi by mistake. As said above, look for a button round the edge or a function key to turn it on and you shoulkd then see an extra indicator light up.
Go to Connections Wireless and select the name of your router Connect
@TheIzers (680)
•
21 Jun 12
Have you check with other computer? If you haven't you might want to check if the Internet connection works on other computer to make sure the problem is wether on your dell or on either modem or the router. If you found out that the Internet doesn't work at other computer then the problem is on either the modem or the router, you can try fix it buy unplug both modem and router cable for about 10 minutes then plug them back in and see how it is going. If the Internet works at other computer then the problem could be your dell, you might want to try troubleshooting from network connection but if window can not solve the problem the best way is calling dell tech support. One thing that I love about dell is their tech support are always very helpful. Good luck
@PageTurner (2825)
• United States
21 Jun 12
So sorry to hear this, PointlessQuestions. Such things are SO frustrating.
It could simply be a button on the laptop that you have inadvertantly switched off. On every laptop I've ever owned, this button is a slider-type switch on the front edge of the laptop. The front edge of the keyboard. I have mistakenly turned this off and have had to slide the switch over to the 'on' position.
