Member Avatar for DrEvilD

I have a laptop with a wireless network card in it and a router wich is wireless network compatible... it has worked for half a year but last week it couldnt connect to my network anymore.... :cry: and now it cant even find my network.... does anyone know what could be wrong?

(got an Intel(r) pro 2200BG wireless connection card)

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Dani AI

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Short summary tied to the thread: ran XP’s wireless setup and the laptop stopped seeing any networks; ’s firewall suggestion was checked and isn’t the cause. The most likely culprits (in order) are the radio being turned off, a Windows or Intel wireless utility change, or a driver/service problem. The checklist below goes from fastest checks to deeper fixes.

Quick checks you can do without reinstalling anything:

  • Look for a physical wireless switch or an Fn+key toggle and confirm the wireless LED is on.
  • Restart the router and confirm a second device (phone/another PC) sees the SSID — that rules out the router.
  • If the SSID is hidden on the router, enable SSID broadcast temporarily so the laptop can find it.

Windows-specific troubleshooting (ordered):

  • Device Manager → Network adapters: confirm the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG appears and has no yellow triangle. If it’s missing or shows an error, uninstall the adapter entry, reboot, then reinstall the driver.
  • Services (Start → Run → services.msc): make sure "Wireless Zero Configuration" (WZC) is set to Automatic and started, or start it from a command prompt: 
    net start "Wireless Zero Configuration"
  • In Network Connections → Wireless Network Connection → Properties → Wireless Networks tab: remove any leftover ad-hoc or wizard-created profiles and either enable Windows to manage wireless (check "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings") or, if using Intel PROSet, use that utility consistently — don’t have both managing the card. Also check the adapter’s Power Management tab and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."

If those fail:

  • Reinstall the latest Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG driver and PROSet utility from Intel’s support site.
  • If drivers look fine but no networks are visible, test with a USB Wi‑Fi adapter or boot a Linux live CD/USB to confirm whether the internal card is dead.
  • Before resetting router or drivers, record the router’s SSID and any WPA/WEP keys so nothing gets lost.

These steps cover the common XP-era causes when a card “stops seeing” networks after running the setup wizard.

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Member Avatar for tayspen

I have a laptop with a wireless network card in it and a router wich is wireless network compatible... it has worked for half a year but last week it couldnt connect to my network anymore.... :cry: and now it cant even find my network.... does anyone know what could be wrong?

(got an Intel(r) pro 2200BG wireless connection card)

Did you install any new firewalls that may be blocking your network connection if so try to configure those.

Member Avatar for DrEvilD

Did you install any new firewalls that may be blocking your network connection if so try to configure those.

no i didnt install any new firewalls... but i figured out why the laptop cant even find any network... it is because my mom(its her laptoop) tried to set up a network with the setup guide from windows xp... that didnt went well but i cant get back to the normal status... :cry:

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