Trying to enable wireless connection

Hello Help with connecting my laptop wireless connection required please. I have a Toshba Satellite Pro L100 and cannot figure out how to get it to connect it's wireless connection to my broadband router instead of cable. I think the wireless facility is not switched on for the machine, but I cannot find out how to do that, I have looked in an online manual but cannot see it there. I do have another laptop connected wirelessly to the same line without problem. If some one could kindly assist please, it would be much appreciated. rgds……………bar457

Hello
Help with connecting my laptop wireless connection required please.
I have a Toshba Satellite Pro L100 and cannot figure out how to get it to connect it's wireless connection to my broadband router instead of cable. I think the wireless facility is not switched on for the machine, but I cannot find out how to do that, I have looked in an online manual but cannot see it there.
I do have another laptop connected wirelessly to the same line without problem.

If some one could kindly assist please, it would be much appreciated.
rgds……………bar457

Bar457,

Sorry to hear about your problems I can try to help you some and another tech may also jump in.

Need to know a little more info on your system.

1. How Much Memory you have.
2. What Current Operating system you have? And what is the current Version SP1, SP2 or SP3 ?
3. Was Any new "stuff" added? Software or hardware upgrades.
4. What was running on the machine when the problems appeared?
5. Was the wireless working before any of the above?

Please post back with the info and we can get started.

Jimbo1

Hi, just to add to Jimbos usual excellent advice on your point as follows:

I think the wireless facility is not switched on for the machine, but I cannot find out how to do that

1 Do make sure that you have switched the wireless switch on….. it may sound odd but several laptops come into my workshop each month with the owners unable to use wireless….. and all they need is the wireless switching on.
So the first thing I check is that the wireless is switched on and the indicator light is lit.
On a Toshiba Satt Pro L100 the wireless switch is on the left side of the computer (as you sit at it!) and is between the PC card slot and the modem socket. It slides (or at least it does on the one that I have on the bench for repair!) to switch it on and check that the indicator light (beneath the touch pad area) is illuminated (its the last one on the right and carries the Internationally recognised wireless symbol.
2 When you have done that check in Device Manager under "Network Adapters" that the Wireless card is present and working Ok (you will need to click on the + sign to the left of Network Adapter and then right click on the wireless card.)
Post back with the results and the information requested by Jimbo and one of us will take it from there
Regards
paws

Hello Paws/ Jimbo1 Am running XP Prof SP3 with Office Prof 2003 and have 1.5 gb Ram Wireless is switched on and is working ok with no conflicts. I obtained this machine recently and it had never been used from new or connected to the internet. The wireless connection therefore had never been used. I have it working fine by cable to the router and have another laptop connected to the same router using wireless. So the wireless connection just needs setting up I presume. bar457

Wireless is switched on and is working ok with no conflicts.

I obtained this machine recently and it had never been used from new or connected to the internet. The wireless connection therefore had never been used. I have it working fine by cable to the router and have another laptop connected to the same router using wireless.

So the wireless connection just needs setting up I presume.

bar457

I need to ask this question and thanks to Paws for the info, I was reading the manual looking for the info on the switch, glad he knew where it was. Now seeing the switch is turned on, I need you to make sure it's working.

1. Did you try using the FN key command to turn on the wireless device, You can do so by hitting your FN key, plus pressing F8. From what I see in the manual this is what turns on the device. Then the indicator light (beneath the touch pad area) is illuminated or it should be, if so check and see if you are able to see your wireless connection on the router.

2. If not then please do as paws instructed in post #3 to see if the device is installed or working.

Please post back the results.

Jimbo1

Wireless is working and light is on, FN+F8 says enabled. I have no idea how to look for this wireless connection on the router, yes there are a series of lights showing, but as the other computer wireless is connected and working, wouldn't any indicator light be already lit ? bar457

Wireless is working and light is on, FN+F8 says enabled.

I have no idea how to look for this wireless connection on the router, yes there are a series of lights showing, but as the other computer wireless is connected and working, wouldn't any indicator light be already lit ?

bar457

I let Paws take this, if all is working, down in the lower right in your task bar you should see a wireless icon and in xp I think you double click to get a window list to pop up to see list of available wireless connections. Yours should be what the name that has been assign to it by default factory or the name you gave it when setting up the router for the first time.

This is about the best way I know how to put it, as I said I will let Paws take it from here because I am a bit weak in networking setups.

Jimbo1

If it turns out that it is all working, this guide by Microsoft explains how to connect to the network :

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/n…wireless.mspx#4

Hi When I double click the connection icon in the task bar, it shows no list of connections in range and if I click refresh list, it still shows none. bar457

Hi, did you do this part of my original directions?

2 When you have done that check in Device Manager under "Network Adapters" that the Wireless card is present and working Ok (you will need to click on the + sign to the left of Network Adapter and then right click on the wireless card.)

If so please post back with the details that you found and we will take it from there.
Regards
paws

Hi Paws Yes see my answer "Wireless is working ok with no conflicts" It actually says: 'This device is working properly' and then below 'enabled' bar457

Please provide the exact model number of your laptop. It is a number located on the bottom of the laptop that is usually a group of 4 or 5 characters followed by a dash and 6 or 7 more characters. (i.e. L300-SP6993A) When you toggle the switch on the left hand side, or press the combination Fn+F8, do you see a message in the lower right hand corner that pops up and indicates that the wireless has been switched off or switched on?

It is a Satellite Pro L100 model no: PSL4AE - 003008EN Switching the side switch turns the red light on and off below the curser pad, and pressing Fn + F8 produces a screen message either : Wireless connection is disabled, please turn on the wireless switch or: Wireless connection is enabled bar457

I kinda at a lost here because if your wireless is working (What I mean here sending out s signal) , then when you double click on the wireless icon, you should see a pop up list saying wireless connections available. If you have a wireless router you should be able to see your setup or any others who may be in the area. Then out of that list you should be able to click on the one you want to connect to and then hit the connect button. This is why I said I am at a point of not know what else to tell you, it will be up to another tech to help you with the rest. They will be able to help, this is how its done in XP or unless your wireless connection is controlled by another 3rd party software and you have to use that program to connect to a wireless connection, some laptop do have that. Jimbo1

Well, it sounds as if the software is fully functional.

Toshiba usually has its own utility for connecting to wireless networks. If that tool is being used then you will not be able to use the built in windows XP wireless zero utility.

To make sure that we are on the same page, make sure that you are right-clicking the built in windows XP wireless icon, and clicking "View Available Wireless Networks" as seen in the picture. See if the list is blank, or if it tells you another message. If the list is just blank, then also try toggling the wireless mode (Fn + F8) to disabled and refresh the wireless network list. I know this sounds strange, but the software could be telling you the wrong state of the wireless hardware.

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If you are unable to get any wireless networks to show up in the list then the wireless module has probably failed. But, I would try installing/re-installing the newest wireless driver before coming to that final conclusion. However, please double-check the model number you are providing, because it does not exist. I think you might be providing the part no. and I need the model number. See the picture below:
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I cannot determine what software to download without a proper model number.