So, my son builds his first computer. Puts a wifi card in, finds our network,

[FSogol]

the signal is strong, it connects, and then boom. Signal is dropped seconds later.

Device manager says all is well. Updated the drivers, checked the power settings in properties on the card (so the card doesn't shut off to preserve power), still no luck. No other wifi device in the house has any problems.

What to try next?

Restarting in safe mode with networking?
Delete drivers and let windows find them?

Any advice?

PS Winders 7.

[gvstn]

1. I'm not good at networking so no advice there.

If you have any live linux CD/USB, that would allow you to boot to that and determine if the problem is hardware or Windows. If it works in Linux than it should work in Windows. (I always have a USB with some version of Linux on it so this would be simplest for me. If you don't have anything like that around it is up to you if you want to bother creating one.) Just a thought if you have trouble troubleshooting.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. When you say "signal is dropped"...

what's your indication of that?

You could try disabling the firewall and any antivirus software and try again, if you haven't already.

If you open a command prompt window and run ipconfig, what does it report back?

[FSogol]

3. Here's what it reports.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\thos>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : thos-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 36-CC-20-23-EF-DB
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : N600 Wireless Dual Band PCI Express Adapt
er
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 14-CC-20-23-EF-DB
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : fd1b c01:4cea:0:a021:c613 7c7:84da(Pref
erred)
Temporary IPv6 Address. . . . . . : fd1b c01:4cea:0:5d0b:2dab:5855 d2c(Pref
erred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::a021:c613 7c7:84da%13(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.132(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, May 29, 2015 7:00:44 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, May 30, 2015 7:00:48 AM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : fe80::4af8:b3ff:fe32:bfb3%13
192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 185912352
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-1C-FA-4A-B1-14-CC-20-23-EF-DB

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.105.28.11
68.105.29.11
68.105.28.12
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FC-AA-14-97-40-E2
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80: c3d:30e:1061 8d3%11(Preferred)
Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.152.211(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 352102932
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-1C-FA-4A-B1-14-CC-20-23-EF-DB

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1
fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{D8C20091-17FD-426B-B2EA-AA87458DCAC8}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{7B2A660E-8022-4B65-B567-AE402E9F1119}:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #3
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

C:\Users\thos>

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Looks like you're connected to a router

In the command window, try:

ping 192.168.1.1

[FSogol]

5. results

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\thos>ping 192.168.1.1

Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 3ms, Maximum = 8ms, Average = 5ms

C:\Users\thos>

[MannyGoldstein]

6. You're connected to a router

Could be DNS.

Try ping democraticunderground.com (or some other site)

[FSogol]

7. results

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\thos>ping google.com

Pinging google.com [2607:f8b0:4000:807::100e] with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 2607:f8b0:4000:807::100e:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\Users\thos>

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Try

tracert google.com

[FSogol]

10. results

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\thos>tracert google.com

Tracing route to google.com [2607:f8b0:4000:807::1001]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 99 ms 11 ms 15 ms fd1b c01:4cea:0:4af8:b3ff:fe32:bfb3
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * General failure.

Trace complete.

C:\Users\thos>

[MannyGoldstein]

11. That's a weird result

Looks like the system is defaulting to ipv6 addresses.

Can you run the same test from a working computer and see if you get the standard 192.168.1.x type address?

[FSogol]

13. Same test being ipconfig or tracert? n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

14. tracert

but also, on the computer that's not working, try: ping -4 google.com

[FSogol]

15. Jury results

Sorry. Here's another cpu running on wireless. My cpu is connected via Ethernet cable.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Gromit>tracert google.com

Tracing route to google.com [216.58.218.174]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 2308 ms 552 ms 13 ms 192.168.1.1
2 243 ms 29 ms 26 ms 10.3.16.1
3 946 ms 1546 ms 1319 ms ip68-100-4-105.dc.dc.cox.net [68.100.4.105]
4 146 ms 129 ms 49 ms ip68-100-3-198.dc.dc.cox.net [68.100.3.198]
5 1225 ms 1276 ms 1461 ms ashbbprj01-ae2.rd.as.cox.net [68.1.0.242]
6 1262 ms 891 ms 203 ms 68.105.30.118
7 320 ms 62 ms 51 ms 209.85.252.46
8 99 ms 35 ms 36 ms 209.85.143.112
9 171 ms 153 ms 96 ms 209.85.250.70
10 241 ms 215 ms 55 ms 209.85.249.73
11 158 ms 152 ms 253 ms 209.85.142.119
12 160 ms 212 ms 67 ms 64.233.175.149
13 55 ms 57 ms 56 ms 209.85.246.211
14 46 ms 46 ms 50 ms dfw06s46-in-f14.1e100.net [216.58.218.174]

Trace complete.

C:\Users\Gromit>

[MannyGoldstein]

16. Very funny.

Try the ping -4 google.com on the naughty pc

If that works, disable ipv6 on the wireless adapter and I suspect you'll be OK.

[FSogol]

17. The ping -4 just returned a response of cannot connect. Will go give the

disable ipv6 a try.

[FSogol]

18. We disabled ipv6 and were able to get on google. Seems really slow.

Is that caused by the wifi signal not reaching that part of that room or some other problem? A wireless laptop in that room works fine. The signal strength says fair.

[MannyGoldstein]

19. Weird stuff going on.

Are you sure that you installed the correct wifi card driver? Latest version from the vendors web site?

[FSogol]

20. Nah, no idea. I'll mention it to him. Thanks for the help. Really appreciate it. n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

21. Good luck

Does sound like a driver issue at this poing.

[MannyGoldstein]

12. Also, every time your title says "results"

I instinctively think I just got a hide.

[MannyGoldstein]

22. Well... any luck?

[FSogol]

23. No idea, he's at work. I think he was going to swap the card for

a different one and see if would work.