Troubleshooting Wi-Fi (Wireless) Problems in Microsoft Windows 8

To fix a Wi-Fi (or wireless) problem, we'll consider tips to optimize wireless signals. Once that's done, we'll ensure that Wi-Fi is enabled and that, if there's a physical switch, it is in the 'on' position. Next, we'll check if there's a problem between the laptop and the router. If that doesn't fix the problem, we'll consider the software (or driver) on the computer. If the driver doesn't solve the problem, we'll move on to checking the system of the laptop. As a last resort, we'll perform a system recovery if needed.

Consider tips to optimize wireless signal:

The first thing you should do is consider these tips to optimize wireless signal.

Walls, floor, and other large, solid objects can cause signal degradation if they're between your computer and your router. Try to minimize the number of walls, floors, and pieces of furniture between the two devices.

A router's signal stability and strength can degrade as it gets older. If it's been a long time since you've installed your router, consider replacing it.

Routers can operate on different channels. If there are a lot of devices on one channel, there can be interference that causes the signal to be weaker. Conside changing the channel on which the router is broadcasting to one with less usage. This is usually for advanced users. To find out how to do this on your router, consult your router's owner's manual, contact the router's manufacturer, or contact your Internet service provider if your ISP provided your router.

Enable Wi-Fi (or wireless), also called turning on the Wi-Fi switch:

To begin, we'll start with the simplest and quickest solution - ensuring that it's enabled.

Some older laptops have a physical switch or toggle on the side or front that must be enabled to use Wi-Fi. Look for this on your laptop. If you see one, make sure it's toggled to the "on" position. If you don't have a physical switch, continue to the next step.

Instead of a physical toggle, older laptops might have a touch-sensitive button on a strip above the keyboard that shows a picture of an antenna. If you have this, you'll want to ensure it's on by looking for the lit up picture. If it isn't lit, touch it to enable Wi-Fi. Not every laptop will have this strip.

Wi-Fi must be enabled through software as well. Press the button with a picture of an antenna in the top of keys to toggle the Wi-Fi. You may also need to hold FN and press the button. If the "F" number is White and the image is Gray, you will press the Fn plus the button with the wireless icon. Example is Fn+F8. If the "F" number is Gray and the image is White, you will NOT NEED to press the Fn plus the button with the wireless icon. Example is F12.

If that doesn't work, reinstalling Toshiba Value Added Package (TVAP) could help. Click here to learn how to find downloads.

If turning on the wireless doesn't fix the problem, move on to the next section.

Check the Router:

Next we'll check the router to ensure the computer can connect correctly. If you don't have access to the router (for example, you might be using a public Wi-Fi network), you can skip this section.

Locate your physical Wi-Fi router.

Unplug the router's power cord.

Wait 5 minutes.

Reconnect the router's power cord.

Wait 5 minutes for the router to establish its connection to the Internet.

Test your Wi-Fi again.

If you still can't connect, try removing any security on the Wi-Fi network. If this is your home network but you don't know how to do this, try contacting your Internet service provider.

If this fixes it, try using a different type of security if you wish to use a secured network.

Previously we ensured the Wi-Fi was enabled. In this section, we checked the router. If the computer still won't connect, we'll continue to check the software on the computer.

Computer Software (Driver):

In this section, we will see if the software on the computer that controls the Wi-Fi, called the Wi-Fi driver, might have a problem.

System Restore:

Try using System Restore to restore your computer to an earlier point in time when you could connect to Wi-Fi networks.

To learn about System Restore in Windows 8, click here.

Once the System Restore is completed, test the Wi-Fi again. If it still doesn't work, continue to the next step.

Check System Information:

We'll now check which version of Windows the computer is using.

Hold the Windows key and press the 'x' key to open the administrative menu in the lower-left. Select "System."

Next to "System type," note whether it says 64-bit or 32-bit.

We'll now check which Wi-Fi card your system contains.

Hold the Windows key and press the 'x' key again to open the administrative menu in the lower-left. Select "Device Manager."

Expand "Network adapters."

Make note of the one with "Wireless" in the name. It will likely contain either the word "Intel," "Realtek," "Broadcom," or "Atheros." Note which one it is. 

Download New Driver:

Now, download the latest driver for that Wi-Fi card from the support site.

Click here to learn how to find downloads on the support site.

Remember to select the version corresponding to the information you previously obtained from "System Information" and that contains the name of the network adapter obtained from "Device Manager."

Install the downloaded driver.

If this doesn't fix the Wi-Fi, we can assume it isn't a software (or driver) problem. Because we already checked that Wi-Fi is turned on and the router is okay, we'll move on to checking the system.

System Settings:

In this section, we're going to perform a power cycle first to discharge any power in the computer. Don't worry; this will not cause you to lose any data on the computer. Then we'll reset the BIOS, or setup settings. This is are basic settings that contribute to how the computer functions. Both of these tasks are very easy to do.

Turn off the Computer:

Remove all accessories such as USB sticks, DVDs, or SD cards

Disconnect all cables such as USB cables, printers, external monitors, and even power.

If the battery is removeable, remove the battery.

Hold down the power button for 30 seconds.

Reattach the battery and AC power.

Start the computer.

Enter the system BIOS (UEFI). 

Press the key listed in the BIOS to reset the BIOS to default settings. This is usually F9.

Save the changes and exit. This is usually done by pressing F10.

Test the Wi-Fi again.

Perform system reset

Try performing a system reset, which returns your laptop to factory default conditions. If the problem persists after this point, you'll know it's not due to software.

Create a Bootable USB to Install Windows 8 Server or Hyper-V Server 8

Not all servers nowadays have DVD player installed. Sometimes it is handy to boot from USB and install for example Windows Server 8. Here’s a example how to make the USB stick bootable for the following OS versions:

- Windows Server 8

- Hyper-V Server 8

- Server 2008 R2

- Hyper-V Server R2

Preparation:

- Need 4 GB USB memory stick or more

- Download the desired ISO and save it


Stick the USB stick on a  free USB port on your computer equipped with a Windows OS. For this example I used Windows7 as Operating System. Clear the USB stick and create a partition on it by using the following command’s:

Open the command prompt ((make sure you run the cmd prompt as administrator)

Commands:

diskpart 
list disk "list the disk in your system including the USB"
select disk "USB number"
clean
create partition primary
active
format fs=fat32 quick
assign
exit

Mount the ISO  and copy all the content of the desired ISO to USB stick. For mounting the ISO I used “Deamon Tools Lite”.

Now the bootable stick is ready for use.  Boot your server with the stick and your able to install Windows 8, Windows 8 Server, 2008 R2 or Hyper-V server 8.

How to Reset the iPhone passcode, If you forget it?

If you forgot your iPhone passcode you can bypass the lock screen completely and reset the passcode by using iPhone recovery mode. This will get around a locked down iOS device that is stuck on the password screen, but there are some important considerations to take before proceeding.

Warning: This will require you to restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. That means you will lose all data on the device and be back to factory settings as if the device was brand new. This should be considered a last resort.

Requirements:

• iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that is stuck on the passcode screen
• USB cable to connect the device to a computer
• Mac or Windows PC
• iTunes

Those are the core requirements, if you have those you can proceed to reset the missing passcode.

Bypass & Reset the iPhone Passcode

As mentioned above, this also will work on other iOS devices.

• Disconnect the USB cable from the iPhone, leave the other end connected to your Mac/PC
• Launch iTunes
• Press and hold the Home and Power button on the top of the iPhone to turn off the device
• Press and continue to hold the Home button while you reconnect the USB cable to your iPhone, this will cause the iPhone to turn on
• Continue to hold the Home button until an alert message in iTunes appears that an iPhone in recovery mode has been detected

This is the general message you will see:

Now that the iPhone is in recovery mode and has been detected by iTunes, you must restore the device:

• From iTunes, look under the “Summary” tab
• Click on the “Restore” button within iTunes

This will wipe all files, settings, and apps from the iPhone, including the passcode. When the restore is finished, the iPhone will be at the factory settings. At this point you can choose to start from scratch or to restore the iPhone from a backup that is either stored on the computer with iTunes, or by using an Apple ID and restoring from an iCloud backup. Both of those are very simple processes and you will have the option to do so once the device has been rebooted and is back at factory settings, where the initial setup screens will greet you.

This tip came from an iPhone repair shop, where it’s common for people to bring in a phone for fixing and then forget to provide the passcode.

Having Trouble? Alternate Instructions for Resetting the iOS Passcode

This is another reader provided alternate approach to initiate the recovery process, it’s similar but requires the device to be turned off first. If for some reason you are having problems with the repair shop method above you can try this instead:

• Turn the iPhone OFF by pressing and holding the Power button until the device powers off
• Attach the USB cable to the computer and launch iTunes – do not connect the iPhone yet
• Hold down the Home button, and while continuing to hold it connect the iPhone to the computer via USB
• While continuing to hold the Home button, the iPhone screen will turn on and show an iTunes logo and a USB cable
• When an alert box opens in iTunes indicating that a device has been detected in Restore mode, now let go of the Home button
• Click the “Restore” button in iTunes – if a local firmware file is found it will restore immediately, otherwise it will download the appropriate firmware from Apple’s servers
• Now just wait until Restore is completed, the device will boot as if it was brand new

Once the phone has booted, you can either use it as brand new or initiate a recovery from a backup. A backup is necessary if you wish to restore personalization data like Contacts, apps, SMS, photos, and phone numbers. iCloud will do that for you so long as the device was routinely backed up to iCloud and that the same Apple ID is used during the setup, but a backup stored in iTunes will also work. If you are only looking to restore apps and not personal data, simply use the same Apple ID and then launch the App Store to download the apps again to that device.

How to Fix Iphone WIFI Connectivity Issues?

Some users have reported issues with slow speeds or trouble connecting to Wi-Fi networks with iPhone OS 3.0 and later firmware. iPhone owners who have jailbroken and/or unlocked their iPhones using blackra1n and blacksn0w have also reported problems.

These problems include the inability to connect to Wi-Fi, 3G and/or Edge, lack of push notifications and issues with the YouTube application. Fortunately there are several fixes you can try to correct these data issues on your iPhone:

*   Reset network settings. Touch Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings.

*  Still having problems? Touch Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset All Settings. Warning: You will loose all of your preferences.

*   For YouTube problems on jailbroken iPhones try installing youtubeFix from Cydia or another package installer.

*   Restore your iPhone as a new phone. This is a slow and tedious process but will reset your iPhone as if it was new from the factory. Although this should fix all of the above issues, you will have to reload your contacts and media onto the iPhone from the computer manually. To restore:

- Connect your iPhone to the computer.
- Run iTunes.
- Under the Summary tab select Restore.
- Select backup if you wish. When restoring as a new iPhone you will not use the backup.
- When the process is complete the iPhone will restart.
- When the Set Up You iPhone screen appears select Set up as a new iPhone.

Of course, after restoring a jailbroken iPhone you will lose the jailbreak and unlock functionality.

Iphone 5 update: 

There are limited circumstances where iPhone 5 users are experiencing slow speeds or intermittent service when connected to Wi-Fi. There are two fixes that might help.

*   Entering manual DNS settings has been reported to help. Navigate to Settings -> Wi-Fi and touch the blue arrow next to your connected Wi-Fi network. Touch DNS and enter Google's DNS server address (either 8.8.4.4 or 8.8.8.8).
 

   Router compatibility issues could mean that WPA2 Personal W-Fi security is causing the problem. Switching to WEP security or removing password security altogether can improve Wi-Fi speeds and connectivity.

Different Types of WiFi Network Topologies

All networks, whether wired or wireless, have some kind of topology, defined as the network's shape or structure. A wired network's topology is physical and conforms to the layout of cabling in the network. Wireless network topology, on the other hand, is a logical topology conforming to the way the member computers connect and interact with each other, as there is no cable connecting the computers.

Wireless Network Topologies.

In a wireless network, all participating computers potentially communicate with each other directly. Wireless networks therefore have only two topologies: infrastructure and ad hoc. This is a direct and natural result of the non-physical nature of interaction of computers in a wireless network.

Infrastructure Network Topology

The infrastructure wireless network topology is a hub and spoke topology, also known as a point to multipoint or one to many topology. In the infrastructure topology, there is a single central wireless access point (WAP). The WAP acts as the hub in the network, with all the other computers (or spokes) connecting to it.

Ad Hoc Network Topology

An ad hoc wireless network topology is a many to many (or multipoint to multipoint) topology. There is no central access point in an ad hoc network structure; every computer in the network communicates directly with every other computer in the network. Ad hoc wireless network topologies are essentially mesh networks.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Wireless Network Topologies

The ad hoc topology has the advantage of not requiring a central access point or WAP. However, this also means that only a few security modes and much lower network speeds are available on such networks. Typically, only wired equivalent privacy (WEP) and a maximum speed of 11 megabits per second are implemented on ad hoc networks. Infrastructure networks, on the other hand, require the extra equipment of a central WAP. However, this brings the advantage of higher speeds and stronger security to such networks.

Wireless networks fall into only two types of network topologies: infrastructure and ad hoc. Each of these typologies has its own advantages and disadvantages and is suitable for different usage situations. The infrastructure topology is typically used for permanent networks, while the ad hoc topology is used for temporary networks.

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Guide to Boost your Wireless Network Signals

Reposition your router or access point (AP) to avoid obstructions and radio interference. Both reduce the range of Wi-Fi network equipment. Common sources of interference in residences include brick or plaster walls, microwave ovens, and cordless phones. Additionally, consider changing the Wi-Fi channel number on your equipment to avoid interference.

upgrade the antenna on your router or access point. Wi-Fi antennas on most wireless base stations can be removed and replaced with more powerful ones.

add another access point (or router). Large residences typically require no more than two APs, whereas businesses may employ dozens of APs. In a home, this option requires connecting your primary wireless router (access point) to the second one with Ethernet cable; home wireless routers and/or APs don't normally communicate with each other directly.

add a bi-directional Wi-Fi signal amplifier to wireless devices as needed. A Wi-Fi signal amplifier (sometimes called "signal booster") attaches to a router, access point or Wi-Fi client at the place where the antenna connects. Bi-directional antennas amplify the wireless signal in both transmit and receive directions. These should be used as Wi-Fi transmissions are two-way radio communications.

add a Wi-Fi repeater. A wireless repeater is a stand-alone unit positioned within range of a wireless router or access point. Repeaters (sometimes called "range expanders") serve as a two-way relay station for Wi-Fi signals. Clients too far away from the original router or AP can instead associate with the same local wireless network through the repeater.

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Steps to Set up a WiFi Router to Use with Your Laptop

In general, the process of installing a WiFi device to use with your laptop begins by connecting the router to the same computer that is attached to your broadband modem (in this example, your laptop); this allows automated configuration software to obtain the information it needs without any intermediary devices along the way.

Here is a typical setup:

-  Turn off the power to your broadband modem.

-   If there isn’t an on/off switch, remove the power supply to the device.

-   Connect the power adapter to the back panel of the wireless router.

-   Plug the adapter into an AC outlet.

-   Check that the power LED illuminates.

-   Connect an Ethernet cable to the broadband modem.

-   Restore the power to the modem.

-   Insert the other end of the Ethernet cable into the WAN (wide area network) port on the back panel of the wireless router.

-   Insert another Ethernet cable between LAN Port 1 (on the back panel of the wireless router) and any available Ethernet port on the NIC (network interface card) of the laptop, which you’re going to use to configure the WiFi system.

-   Shut down the laptop.

-   Restart the laptop connected to the WiFi router.

-   Let Windows fully load.

-   Open your Web browser.

-   In the address bar of the browser, type the URL for the built-in setup screen of the wireless router.

-   For example, type http://192.168.0.1 for most D-Link routers.

-   Press the Enter key.

    The below table shows a list of the standard addresses for setup screens as well as default usernames and passwords from several major makers.

Router Manufacturer	URL	Default User Name	Default Password
3com	http://192.168.1.1	admin	Admin
D-Link	http://192.168.0.1	admin
Linksys	http://192.168.1.1	admin	Admin
Microsoft	http://192.168.2.1	admin	Admin
Netgear	http://192.168.0.1	admin	password

Depending on your device maker, you may have to enter a user name such as admin (for administrator), and you may have to enter a password.

The opening screen of the setup utility for a Linksys wired router.

Consult the instructions for details. Once you log in, the home screen of the built-in setup system appears.

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