Woo-hoo! This is a wierd one-- Wi-Fi disappeared...

[TreasonousBastard]

Just *poof* no adapter present. WIN 10 updated to 1709 problem started over a month after the update.

Used to plug my desktop into an Ethernet port for security, but said nuts to that and turned on WiFi. Then my router blew and got a new router a month or so ago. Everything worked fine until last week when the Wi-Fi just died. Dead. Did every diagnostic I could find no adapter showed up.

The router itself is fine-- three tablets, a phone and a laptop work well with it. Plenty of signal. And the 50' of CAT-5 cable works fine, too.

A bunch of online allegedly expert forums, including Microsoft's, all had suggestions, but none of them worked. Seems to be a not uncommon problem.

Could the WiFi adapter just crap out?

[padfun]

1. It can,

especially if it is on the motherboard.

You can get a dongle for about $15 and they can handle 150 mbs.

Edit: That is, a USB Wi-Fi dongle.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. OK, I'll pick one up just to have it but I suspect the cable is faster anyway...

The experience did freak me out-- what's next to fry?

[canetoad]

2. Yep, it can

A USB wi-fi adapter is not terribly expensive. If it works, will confirm diagnosis.

On Edit: Try reinstalling wireless driver first. See how that goes.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. I was thinking about the driver, but how do I find it? And then replace it?

[lapfog_1]

5. be careful of after market windows driver websites

many contain malware that will infect your computer

If windows 10 update crapped out your driver, try the manufacturers website for windows support.

or buy a new wifi USB that will either work with the windows 10 or maybe will come with a DVD with the driver on it.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Thanx-- went directly to HP's driver site and they have drivers for Win 8.1, not 10...

so fugeddabout drivers and just use the cable.

Maybe get a dongle to have it around if i need it.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Thanx, I remembered you get drivers from mfr sites, but, as said below, HP doesn't have one.

[Voltaire2]

8. With most recent systems the wifi adapter is integrated as part of the system chip set

and it is pretty hard for it to break.

If you right click on the start button and run "Device Manager" there is no "Wireless" device under Network Adapters?

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Nope, but I see under network Connections...

Name: Wi-Fi
Description: Ralink RT5390R 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter
Physical address (MAC): ***********
Status: Not Present
Maximum transmission unit: 0
Connectivity (IPv4/IPv6): Disconnected


Name: Local Area Connection* 11
Description: Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
Physical address (MAC): ******************
Status: Not Present
Maximum transmission unit: 0
Connectivity (IPv4/IPv6): Disconnected

[canetoad]

11. That would indicate

That the adapter itself is buggered.

BUT...

Just googling to see if a driver for W10 was around, I found this:
Q: Ralink RT5390R 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter and Windows 10
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_web-insiderplat_pc/ralink-rt5390r-80211bgn-wi-fi-adapter-and-windows/b07675fd-e80e-4e95-a55a-626a022ccd0f?auth=1

So go have a read and see if it answers your questions

[TreasonousBastard]

12. Thanx, but it didn't help. Found a network reset, but that didn't help either.

[canetoad]

13. Bummer.

Cos it looks like plenty of others are having problems with that wireless adapter and Win10.

If you're confident in taking the side off your computer, a desktop wireless card is cheap, as long as it comes with a Win10 driver. You can install in a couple of minutes.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Well, my desktop is really on of those all-in-one Pavillions that won't have a card...

It's essentially a laptop, or huge tablet, with legs on it and a separate keyboard.

I've been in there to add memory (laptop memory, actually) and a few other things, but wifi seems to be on the motherboard, like with laptops.

If it can't be fixed, so be it. I don't have a problem with being hooked up with an Ethernet cable. It just worries me what else can go wrong...

And will this happen to my laptop?

[canetoad]

15. That's a good question

You are not alone. Microsoft might issue a fix - it's starting to look like a driver issue. You could also turn off auto updates on your laptop until a fix is sorted out.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-networking/wi-fi-adapter-not-functioning-windows-10/9d637e46-70f5-4c9b-ab92-71d5b047783f?auth=1

http://www.troublefixers.org/laptops/fix-wifi-not-working-in-hp-pavilion-series-using-windows-10/500/?doing_wp_cron=1516645455.3033049106597900390625

[Voltaire2]

16. It might actually have a spare pcie slot available, but you'd have to be willing

to poke around inside it.

But this ralink adapter as others have noted is a poc. Lots of people are having issues with it, and there doesn't appear to be a recent win10 driver for it.

A usb wifi adapter should work fine and is cheap and is easy to install.

[Brainfodder]

17. Nuts to ethernet?

WiFi is as fragile as the rest and why remove it from Ethernet (RJ45 jack), that is the bees knees, you want that!

[TreasonousBastard]

18. At one point there was a problem with a switch I was using and it made sense to take the PC off it..

(non-wireless network printers, Skype phone, security camera and other things going into that switch) WiFi should have been slower, but wasn't.

Anyway, reconfigured everything with the new router and it now works fine off the ethernet cable.

[Brainfodder]

19. Switches....

Get new switch if anything stops working on it, but works otherwise without it.

Cheap switches are not the most reliable device either, I had to get one and it broke in less than 12 months, and it was only handling 2 most of the time.

Upgraded to a better quality one and it's still OK after about a year, fingers crossed.

[ucrdem]

20. Could you have accidently hit a kill button somewhere

and switched off your wifi mechanically? I have a couple of Vista-era laptops that both have network kill buttons that are easy to accidentally trip. They also have function-key shortcuts that do it. Why killing your wifi with a flick of the wrist is so important I don't know but they can be hard to diagnose

[TreasonousBastard]

21. My laptops have touchpad and wifi switches-- makes sense for power conservation and to...

avoid some mistakes.

But, this isn't a laptop, although it uses a lot of laptop components. no switches or key shortcuts that i can fins.

[ucrdem]

22. Could be a quick-launch software button somewhere

or a security set-up that came with the PC with a keyboard shortcut you didn't know existed. Those kinds of add-ons don't show up in the repair routines I've noticed.