Another tip. If you have definitely isolated the issue to your laptop, consider how far you are away from the wireless router when you have the problem. The wireless router (that box you got from your service provider) is typically installed in at some out of the way access point in the house. The wireless signal signal can reach about 150 ft indoors (or obstructed by walls and doors, etc), or about 300 ft unobstructed (outdoors or across a large open floor plan or a big ballroom if you are using one in a convention center, hotel, etc). The more walls and floors and doors, the shorter the distance will be. So, if your access point is in the basement (perhaps near where your cable box or FIOS box enters your home), then going to the 2nd floor bedroom on the opposite end of the house may be too far for a big house. If you are having problems when you are in the same room as the router, then it is likely the hardware on either the computer or the router.

So, to test, you can set up the laptop close to the router, like, in the same room and see if you ever have the problem. If you are on a different floor of the house, then that might be a problem. If you notice that you are always having a problem when you are pretty far from the wireless router, then you can get a wireless repeater (relatively inexpensive) and set it up somewhere in the middle between where you have the router and where you are having connection problems and it should solve the issue if your problem is from a weak signal.

13:57, you are awesome. Thank you!

I already checked the drivers and they are updated. I will do your other steps tomorrow. Really appreciate the help.

If you google "network adapter issues" there are instructions about how to update drivers for the adapter (very easy).

I usually just go ahead and connect with a network cable to the modem but location is such that is easy for me to do.

A lot of factors can play in though. Distance from your modem if that is the access point, issues with the access point if you have that in addition to modem, construction materials in your house, interference from other sources.

Here's something that can help:
Our first approach should to isolate the issue and understand whether it is the source of the wireless connection or the computer itself. Thus, check if other systems connected to your wireless router or access point are working fine or not. Once we are sure that the problem is with the computer only, we could proceed to the following troubleshooting:

Problem with wireless adapter or access point

1] Power-cycle the modem, router, and computer

Power-cycle the modem using the following steps:
1.Connect the modem, router and the computer hard-wired. Switch off all 3. (hard-wired as in connect with an ethernet cable)
2.Power on the modem. Wait for 30 seconds.
3.Power on the router. Wait for 30 seconds.
4.Power on the computer.

Check if this resolves the issue. The purpose behind power cycling is to make sure that memory in each of the three network devices is refreshed.

Anonymous wrote:Desktop or laptop? For laptops it's usually internal, for desktops it may be plugged into a USB port.

It's a laptop.

Is this something I can fix myself or do I need to take it in for service?

Desktop or laptop? For laptops it's usually internal, for desktops it may be plugged into a USB port.

I have a relatively new computer that has given me trouble with internet access since I bought it a few months ago. I routinely lose internet access and have to reconnect. Frequently, I run the troubleshooter and it tells me that it "fixed" a problem with the wireless network adapter. Sometimes is says "wireless network adapter or access point."

Is that adapter in my computer or outside of the computer in my home modem? we aren't having trouble with any of the other myriad devices that access the internet, so I'm thinking it is inside the computer. Might be time to see about getting it fixed.