One of the devices can't connect to the Internet via wifi or Ethernet

[Sunbird]

My HP laptop won't connect via wifi or ethernet.  I get the icon with the exclamation point & it says connected no internet access.  The Toshiba laptop connect so does the Moto g5.  So I don't think it's the modem.  The modem is several years old. I have googled the problem & did all the things I should do to help  connect but it doesn't connect.   When I run the troubleshooter I get the ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration.  Wifi doesn't have a valid IP config.  The modem has been rebooted.  If there was something wrong with the modem would the other devices connect to the internet?  I don't understand it.  Why all the other devices connect & this one won't?  Maybe it's time to take it to the repair shop?  

***Edited Labels***  

[RogersZia]

Hi @Sunbird,

I appreciate the troubleshooting steps you've tried and mentioned in your post. This definitely seems like a device related issue since you are able to connect to the internet on your other devices. Have you tried to renew the IP address on your laptop? Additionally, have you noticed any recent software changes? The device may not have updated the driver settings with your network adapter.

Anyone else in the Community have further insights?

RogersZia

[57]

@Sunbird : Try the laptop at another location - a friend, coffee shop, library, or neighbour where you can test the WiFi... (and perhaps Ethernet)

[gp-se · Accepted solution]

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@Sunbird wrote:

My HP laptop won't connect via wifi or ethernet.  I get the icon with the exclamation point & it says connected no internet access.  The Toshiba laptop connect so does the Moto g5.  So I don't think it's the modem.  The modem is several years old. I have googled the problem & did all the things I should do to help  connect but it doesn't connect.   When I run the troubleshooter I get the ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration.  Wifi doesn't have a valid IP config.  The modem has been rebooted.  If there was something wrong with the modem would the other devices connect to the internet?  I don't understand it.  Why all the other devices connect & this one won't?  Maybe it's time to take it to the repair shop?  

***Edited Labels***  

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@Sunbird

Are you running any third party firewall or anti virus/malware protection? I suggest uninstalling it then trying again. After that plug the laptop into the modem and open the Windows "Command Prompt" type:

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

let us know if that works. If you manage to get the laptop connected I would suggest running windows update to ensure all your computer is upto date.

[Sunbird]

The problems started after an update.  I shut down the laptop with the prompt update & shut down.  The next day when I powered up the laptop that's when I had connection problems.  I'm not sure if it was a windows 10 update or a HP update.  The laptop tells me the drivers are up to date & are functioning properly.  

[Sunbird]

Done that, still won't connect.  

[Sunbird]

I removed the Avast anti-virus program & it connected.  Do I still have to type in the Command Prompt ipconfig/release & ipconfig/renew?  So what do I do for an anti-virus?  Re-install Avast or just use Windows Defender firewall?  Or just run Malwarebytes?  

[Datalink]

If the laptop connected to the modem, both for ethernet and wifi, and you're able to cruise the web, then you don't have to use the ipconfig/release & ipconfig/renew commands.  In theory you should be able to simply reinstall Avast and connect to the internet as usual.  However, if you find that isn't the case, that would indicate that the uninstall routine doesn't uninstall everything, and that there probably are settings left behind in a file or registry setting.  In that case, you should run the avastclear application to completely remove avast.  When that is done, reboot the laptop and reinstall avast.  It should install and possibly give you options to select for connecting to the internet when the install is done.  

https://www.avast.com/en-ca/uninstall-utility

Check the avast forums for issues dealing with the application and internet connection if you continue to have problems.  Best guess is that avast is preventing the ethernet and/or wifi drivers from operating correctly, or that avast is somehow preventing the ethernet controller and/or wifi card from operating.  

[gp-se]

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@Sunbird wrote:

I removed the Avast anti-virus program & it connected.  Do I still have to type in the Command Prompt ipconfig/release & ipconfig/renew?  So what do I do for an anti-virus?  Re-install Avast or just use Windows Defender firewall?  Or just run Malwarebytes?  

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@Sunbird

My personal opinion is just run windows defender, I've been running it for years without any issues.

[LR6]

Dropping Internet Connection

I have a Hitron Router model CGN3ACSMR.  My network consists of 2 computers, 1 printer and WD External Drive for backups.  I also have 1 iPhone, 1 pixel phone and 1 ipad that use wifi.

I seem to drop my internet connection on only one computer.  Wifi indicator shows connected to the internet but when I try to search using google or try to connect to a website I receive an error message stating that I am not connected to the internet.  This happens with a wireless or wired connection.  The second computer, printer and other devices are fine.  When I conduct a diagnostic I get a message that there is a dns error.

When I reboot the PC everything is fine for about one day then the error returns.  How can only one device on the network be affected?  Can it be the LAN/wifi card in my PC?

[Datalink]

@LR6 it is possible for a LAN card/port or wifi adapter to fail over the course of time.  We have seen that happen with other users in the forum.  In those cases, the failure caused a modem network failure, ie:  whatever network the failed adapter was connected to would fail.  For whatever reason, the adapter caused the modem's network controller, for that network, to become unresponsive.  Replace the adapter and the problem disappeared.  So, yes, it can happen. 

1.  Is the particular pc located at the furthest distance from the modem, compared to your other devices? 

2.  Is that pc connected via 2.4 or 5 Ghz wifi?  

3.  Do you happen to have a Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable that is long enough to reach that pc so that you can experiment with an ethernet connection, looking for the same type of failure?

[LR6]

Thanks for the response.  To answer your questions:

1) The PC is within 8 feet of the modem.  It is the closest device to the modem

2) It is connected at 2.4 Ghz wifi

3) When I connect the PC via a Cat cable, the same thing happens.

The PC is several years old and it is the original LAN/Wifi card so my guess is that the card is failing.  I brought the PC to BestBuy and they said the card is working fine.  I will probably just ask them to replace the card.

Thanks again

[Datalink]

@LR6, before you replace the card, have a look at the drivers for the card.  If the pc is several years old, as you indicated, there's probably a good chance that the driver is much newer than the card and that the current driver might be causing an issue.  I have that problem with this particular pc and its video card.  The last correct driver from AMD works.  If the driver manages to update for some strange reason (it shouldn't), I have to roll back the driver or reload the current driver which I keep on hand.  I wonder if thats the case with your network card?

So, you might have to do some research on the network card manufacturers site to determine the last published driver and see what you have loaded.  There is a good chance the current loaded driver is a generic Microsoft driver instead of the manufactures drivers. 

If you do decide to replace the card, I'd look for a wifi card that runs 5 Ghz so that you can shift that pc up into the 5 Ghz band.  There are a couple of ways to do this, one is to install a wifi dongle, and the other is to install a pci card.   One major problem with the dongle is that its buried behind the pc, which is usually  metal case.  Not very conducive to good wifi reception.  The other approach is to install a pci card with an antenna set that can sit above the pc, possibly on a desk.   If you have a white CODA-4582 modem, it has four 5 Ghz antenna, which would allow you to run a PCE-AC88.  The black Hitron modems have three 5Ghz antenna, where you could run a PCE-AC68.   In both cases, the numbers of modem antenna would match up with the pc's number of antenna.  Essentially one data stream per antenna, although its possible to see multi-path streams with the right home environment.  So, whatever the budget allows, I'd recommend going with a wifi adapter that allows 802.11ac, in order to maximize the data transfer rates.

https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Networking/Wireless-Adapters-Products/

The other item to look at is the wifi environment.  2.4 Ghz wifi is tough to work in these days if you live in a typical neighbourhood.  Its worth looking at that wifi environment with a wifi scanner to see if any of your close neighbours have set up a 2.4 wifi network, on your operating wifi channel that is causing your pc to drop out.  Just to note, the more antenna that a pc or laptop has, the better performance it will have.  Single antenna systems will have the worst performance in noisier environments.  So, what you can to is load the same wifi scanner on the pc and laptop to see what differences there are between the two.  Laptops typically have two antenna these days, although its still possible to find laptops with one antenna due to cheap manufacturers. 

Load one of the following on a pc or laptop.  The inSSIDer lite is fairly new and requires you to sign up for a freebie account.  The scanner from Lizard systems is free for home use, just have to send for a freebie licence.  I haven't seen the inSSIDer lite as I run a licenced version of inSSIDer.  The two of them should be fairly close.   The Lizard systems scanner displays a number of data items for wifi network, far more than the inSSIDer equivalent.  

inSSIDer download:

https://www.metageek.com/products/inssider/free/?utm_source=MetaGeek+Customers&utm_campaign=d4c1da8a...

Lizard Systems wifi scanner download:

https://www.metageek.com/products/inssider/free/?utm_source=MetaGeek+Customers&utm_campaign=d4c1da8a...

Freebie licence link is on the following page.  follow the "Get Licence" link for the Wifi Scanner:

https://lizardsystems.com/purchase/

When you have one of those loaded, take a look at your wifi environment and see whom you're competing with for a clear 2.4 Ghz channel.  I suspect that you might see several networks on the same channel.  These days, with mesh network becoming popular, some of which use fixed channel 2.4 Ghz networks for backhauling data from the nodes to the main router, the wifi environment is becoming more crowded, probably to the point of causing issues for neighbours wifi networks.  You never know, that might be the case here.  Switching channels might work and could save you some money. 

[rodralph]

I wonder if you can help.  My daughter recently changed to Rogers Ignite from a previous Rogers service. She has an indoor security camera called Ezviz mini o.  Now she can not connect it to the new service.  She has spoken to Rogers and tried to connect it to the 2.4Ghz network but it wont connect.  Ezviz support says something like you need a different "mode"  (I suppose like wireless G or N or something, maybe).  I am not in town or would try to bird-dog it myself, but maybe we are missing something simple.  Help!  Rod

[RogersMoin]

Hello, @rodralph.

Welcome to the Rogers Community Forums! 🙂

I appreciate your participation in the Community and thank you for your post.

I have checked the specs of your security camera; it seems it only supports 20 MHz channel bandwidth on a 2.4 GHz network. Below are the specs:

Standard - IEEE802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n

Frequency Range - 2.4 GHz ~ 2.4835 GHz

Channel Bandwidth -  Supports 20MHz

Security - 64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK

Transmission Rate - 11b: 11Mbps, 11g: 54Mbps, 11n: 150Mbpss

You can check to see if only 20 MHz channel bandwidth selected on your modem by navigating to Wireless/Advanced/2.4G/Channel Bandwidth. 

Let us know if you need any further assistance.

Cheers,

RogersMoin

[rodralph]

Thanks very much. I will pass this on.  Will selecting 20 bandwidth change things for other equipment on her network?

[Datalink]

@rodralph in theory, selecting 20 Mhz instead of 40 Mhz for the channel bandwidth could cut the throughput in half.  However, realistically, in a normal residential area, its difficult if not impossible to run 40 Mhz wide channels in the 2.4 Mhz band.  Even if you selected 40 Mhz as the bandwidth, based on the Clear Channel Check which is requested by the transmitting device and carried out by the receiving device, the transmitter would or should default down to 20 Mhz if the extended channels required to run a 40 Mhz wide channel were already occupied. 

In the Wireless .... Basic Settings, the 2.4 Ghz settings should be set as follows:

Wireless Mode:  802.11 b/g/n mixed

Channel Bandwidth:  20/40 Mhz 

Save the changes in the event that they have actually changed.

Beyond those settings this becomes a question of range from the router.  I'd recommend relocating a problem device close the modem for test purposes, ensuring that the modem will communicate with the device, and then relocate the device to its intended location in the home.  If it doesn't work in that location, then its a question of signal power and signal to noise ratio of the modem's wifi network.  That can be determined by loading inSSIDer lite, and/or Lizard Systems wifi scanner, as indicated in the following thread:

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Internet/slow-wifi/m-p/429489#M54216

With inSSIDer Lite or the Lizard Systems wifi scanner loaded on a laptop, its fairly easy to look at the wifi network's signal level and signal to noise ratio and compare that with the other networks that might be interfering with your own network.  At that point its a matter of coming to some conclusion as to whether or not the device will work at its intended location.