I have a wireless router (BTW, I am not a techy person), and my computer allowed me to install it, but it thinks it is a wired router, not wireless. It's very weird. So when I got a new wireless device from Comcast, when I go to install it, my computer won't give me an option for wireless network, only broadband. And at one point, my wireless printer would work wirelessly, but one day it "fell off" and I had to plug it in.
Computer doesn't recognize that my router is wireless
- Thread starter Amy Brown
- Start date
Solution
hang-the-9
Titan
- Mar 25, 2010
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The router is BOTH wired and wireless, does not matter about the computer. You connect things to the router, the computer does not have anything to do with the printer connection or any other connection to the router. If your wireless connection dropped, try to simply reconnect it. Try rebooting the router also. Read the manual to the router on how to connect devices for it, you don't go though the computer except to setup the wireless network connection in it on the settings page, instructions to that are also in the manual. If you reset the router, or moved the printer too far from it, or chanced WiFi settings, the printer would have dropped the wireless connection.
Well, prior to this happening, my computer recognized that there was a WIRELESS connection. Now, it shows that there is a Local Area Connection, and it states that the only option to hook up to is broadband. I have reset the router, deleted the printer and reinstalled it. I don't understand how you say that the computer has nothing to do with it if the computer shows no wireless connection. When I got my new router from Comcast, the first instruction was to click on the "wireless network" symbol on my desktop. There is no wireless network symbol on my desktop anymore, there is a Local Area Connection symbol on my desktop. So I can't connect to the wireless router, even though it is PLUGGED into the computer. It would help a lot if I were more knowledgeable and I could explain it better, but the wireless router is plugged into the computer, but the computer only recognizes a wired network.
hang-the-9
Titan
- Mar 25, 2010
- 60,387
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You don't need to connect both wireless and wired network to the computer, just use the network cord. Your question did not say you had issues with the computer wifi but with some "wireless device" and the printer. Is the issue with the computer, the other devices, or with everything? Is the PC connected to the router with an ethernet cable or USB? Is it a router/modem combination or just a router and the modem is separate? If you had a wifi option in the computer, the card may need to be re-installed, look in device manager and see if the wireless card is listed and has no errors. If it's not listed, re-seat it in the slot, and try again. You may need to download and install new drivers for the card.
It may help if you take a look at some tutorials about how router and such worth together, it may help you to explain what is going on and what you are trying to do. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/home-network.htm http://lifehacker.com/5830886/know-your-network-lesson-1-router-hardware-101
- Sep 13, 2010
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You should be aware that your computer will only use one adapter at a time usually and the one with higher priority set will be used. That priority can be changed as desired.
If you want to get the wireless back as available to your computer, unplug the Ethernet temporarily and then open the network control panel, select manage wireless networks and delete the wireless network that has the name of your old home wireless connection. Then restart and when the wireless adapter finishes detecting wireless signals choose your home network name (SSID), enter the security passphrase and it will connect.
This assumes that your wireless router has been set up already, as hang-the-9 says look at your manual and if it seems too difficult try to get a knowledgeable friend to help. If the person that installed setup your wireless security they should have left you a passphrase but you can find that on your router if necessary by typing the gateway router IP address into your browser when you have a wired connection (just open the command prompt and type ipconfig and it will list your gateway address along with other information).
If you want to get the wireless back as available to your computer, unplug the Ethernet temporarily and then open the network control panel, select manage wireless networks and delete the wireless network that has the name of your old home wireless connection. Then restart and when the wireless adapter finishes detecting wireless signals choose your home network name (SSID), enter the security passphrase and it will connect.
This assumes that your wireless router has been set up already, as hang-the-9 says look at your manual and if it seems too difficult try to get a knowledgeable friend to help. If the person that installed setup your wireless security they should have left you a passphrase but you can find that on your router if necessary by typing the gateway router IP address into your browser when you have a wired connection (just open the command prompt and type ipconfig and it will list your gateway address along with other information).
Okay, I'll take these suggestions and do some more research. I'm not good at explaining what is going on. I know I have both router and modem and at one point they were hooked up (by ethernet) properly and my computer and all my devices recognized the wireless router and the computer showed the wireless network icon. At some point (and I can't remember exactly when this happened) the wireless network icon went away and the LAN showed up. At that time, i unhooked the modem and router and then hooked them back up. It is a problem between the computer and the router, and although it says I don't have a wireless network, all my other devices other than the printer are hooked up (wirelessly) to the wireless network.
I will work on it some more at home tonight. Thanks for your suggestions.
I will work on it some more at home tonight. Thanks for your suggestions.
hang-the-9
Titan
- Mar 25, 2010
- 60,387
- 1,081
- 152,940
So this sounds like you have the PC connected to the router with an ethernet cable correct? Is it getting online OK? Don't worry about the wifi network if you already have it connected to the LAN, you want that connection anyway, network cable beats wifi for speed and stability any time. If the wifi is good for everything else, you can just try to re-do the printer setup for the wifi, or maybe move it closer to the router to test the connection.
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