Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

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viking33
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Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by viking33 »

I think I may be in one of those can't see the forest for the trees modes, so here is my problem.
I will be participating in a Electric Power usage study for the home. To do this, They provide an adapter that fits over the electric meter and an indoor wireless "donut" ( really a WiFi type adapter ) to receive data from the meter and forward it to the computer as a wireless link.
Try as I might, I cannot get my system to recognize this donut or even see a Wireless icon available in the notification tray. Most all Google results always start by saying, "click on the Wireless Icon" to start the enabling process.
Contacting the company that provides the hardware, I am told that if the donut is sending signals, it will flash it's LEDs in a certain order, which it IS doing. They then say it has to be my machine that isn't set up for receiving wireless? ( my Verizon unit is a combo modem\router\wireless model GT 786 )

I am looking for any reasonable answers to set up my machine properly, before sending the donut back to Dunkin' Donuts. :grin:
BOB
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BobH
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by BobH »

Have you tried setting everything up then uplugging your router (and cable modem, if they are separate units) them plugging them back in (doing the cable modem first then waiting for all its lights to blink)?
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viking33
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

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BobH wrote:Have you tried setting everything up then uplugging your router (and cable modem, if they are separate units) them plugging them back in (doing the cable modem first then waiting for all its lights to blink)?
The modem and router are in one unit. Yes, tried unplugging and resetting the unit, NG.
I've also just noticed in my flubbing around, that if I try to create a new connection, in the Network and Sharing center, it attempts to create a WAN Miniport (PPPOE) connection but that fails. I can get on the net via Local Area Connection but now the details shown, say Authentication Failed. Whatever that means?
Checked Device Manager and no yellow flags there.
Tried System restore back to furthest point, still no joy.
Why the absence of a Wireless Icon in Notification area?
Tried all the troubleshooting Wizards for Networks and Homegroups.

Feel like I'm slowly sinking into the sea with this!
BOB
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StuartR
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by StuartR »

Is your computer able to connect to a WiFi network at all? Can you try disconnecting the Ethernet from the PC and trying to connect via WiFi and let us know what happens.
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Rudi
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by Rudi »

This is not my field...but see if this troubleshooting guide reveals something overlooked? I know it's for Vista, but the technicalities should be the same...
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Jay Freedman
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by Jay Freedman »

The same sort of question as StuartR's, but more basic: Does your PC have a WiFi adapter installed, or is it Ethernet-only? Until fairly recently, it was unusual for a desktop PC to have one except as an aftermarket addition.

Your modem/router/wireless unit is a transmitter, and so is the donut. You won't see a WiFi icon in the system tray unless the system has a WiFi receiver.

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viking33
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by viking33 »

Jay Freedman wrote:The same sort of question as StuartR's, but more basic: Does your PC have a WiFi adapter installed, or is it Ethernet-only? Until fairly recently, it was unusual for a desktop PC to have one except as an aftermarket addition.

Your modem/router/wireless unit is a transmitter, and so is the donut. You won't see a WiFi icon in the system tray unless the system has a WiFi receiver.
Looks like both Stuart and Jay are on to something. Pulled the Ehternet and no connection.

I did look at the Speccy results and under WiFi Network, it said that WiFi was not ENABLED, not that it was not present. I would read that as saying it is on this PC but not turned on?

Other questions are, when I try to set up a new connection, it insists on using WAN Miniport, not local connection?

What is the authentication failed message on the present Local Connection mean?

I assembled this machine myself just a few years ago and it seems that I was having SOME problem with WAN Miniport but that I could setup either method of connection? I don't recall if I was able to actually resolve this or not? A search here on the Lounge didn't turn up anything but I know we did discuss it here?
BOB
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StuartR
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by StuartR »

Sounds to me like your PC doesn't have a Wireless interface - or if there is one on the motherboard (unlikely, but possible) you haven't installed the correct drivers for it
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Jay Freedman
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by Jay Freedman »

To clarify a bit further: The operating system, the drivers, and programs like Speccy are all software. A wireless adapter is hardware. If you don't have the hardware, then the software can talk to itself any way it likes but it isn't going to be able to get on the network. :grin:

I don't know precisely what Speccy means by WiFi not being enabled, but it could (and probably does) mean that it couldn't get a response from (what it thinks is) the WiFi adapter. That could mean that there is no adapter, or that the driver for it isn't installed, or that something in the registry is missing or wrong.

One way to get better information is to open the Device Manager (search for it through the Start menu) and expand the Network Adapters icon. If all you see is something like "10/100 Network Connection" or "Gigabit Network Connection", that's the Ethernet adapter. If there's one like "Wireless-B/G" or "Wireless-N", that's the WiFi adapter. If there is a WiFi adapter, make sure it doesn't have a yellow question mark on the icon -- that means there's trouble in the driver.

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PaulB
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by PaulB »

To illustrate what Jay describes above, here is a screen capture of the relevant Device Manager entries for my networking adapters. The highlighted entry is my WiFi adapter. The other is my Ethernet adapter. Its entry has a downward pointing arrow indicating I disabled it as I no longer use a wired connection.
Capture.JPG
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Paul

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viking33
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Re: Windows 7 not recognizing wireless adapters

Post by viking33 »

viking33 wrote:
Jay Freedman wrote:The same sort of question as StuartR's, but more basic: Does your PC have a WiFi adapter installed, or is it Ethernet-only? Until fairly recently, it was unusual for a desktop PC to have one except as an aftermarket addition.

Your modem/router/wireless unit is a transmitter, and so is the donut. You won't see a WiFi icon in the system tray unless the system has a WiFi receiver.
Looks like both Stuart and Jay are on to something. Pulled the Ehternet and no connection.

I did look at the Speccy results and under WiFi Network, it said that WiFi was not ENABLED, not that it was not present. I would read that as saying it is on this PC but not turned on?

Other questions are, when I try to set up a new connection, it insists on using WAN Miniport, not local connection?

What is the authentication failed message on the present Local Connection mean?

I assembled this machine myself just a few years ago and it seems that I was having SOME problem with WAN Miniport but that I could setup either method of connection? I don't recall if I was able to actually resolve this or not? A search here on the Lounge didn't turn up anything but I know we did discuss it here?
I guess I've resigned myself to the fact that I have to go buy a WiFi Dongle, if I want to go ahead with this study.

Remaining are the questions about insisting on trying to make a new connection by always going to WAN Miniport ( which doesn't work ) and the authentication failed message? :groan: :sad:
BOB
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