My Dad recently asked me about the best way to reconnect his Windows laptop to his wireless network router after the Internet Connection stopped responding. He had been fumbling around and had tried changing various hardware and software settings, including hitting the reset button on his router (don’t do this, it will reset the device to its factory default settings). Although he eventually got his wireless internet connection working again, he really wasn’t sure why it had dropped out in the first place, never mind how he fixed it.

Most likely he had a temporary glitch in the wireless connection and it eventually started working again on its own. Sometimes that happens, but usually not. I get so frustrated with wireless connectivity that I leave my laptop plugged into the router with an Ethernet cable most of the time. My wife complains about losing connections on her laptop almost daily.

Problems are often caused by cordless phones and other wireless devices operating on the same frequency as the router. If you have a 2.4 ghz phone, that could easily be the cause. Even if you don’t have a cordless phone, one of your neighbors might, and that could be enough to occasionally interfere with your wireless connection. Note that if your wireless phone is 2.4 ghz then you might consider replacing it with a DECT phone. They operate on an otherwise unused bit of wireless spectrum and should not interfere at all…

When you lose your wireless connection (and you will), try the following steps (in order):

1. Check to see if the wireless connection is disabled using a hardware on/off button. Most modern laptops have these, and they are usually just above the keyboard, but it may be different depending on your hardware.
2. Right click on the network icon in the Windows system tray. Choose “Diagnose and Repair”. Let it do its thing. Most of the time this will solve the problem.
3. Check to see if you have internet connectivity on another computer or wireless device. If you do, try plugging your computer into the router or directly to the modem. If either of these connections work, reboot your computer and test the wireless connection again.
4. Unplug the Router and the Cable or DSL Modem. Wait about 15 seconds and plug the cable modem back in. Wait another 15 seconds and plug the router back in. Wait another 30-60 seconds and check your laptop to see if the connection is fixed. You may need to try to “Diagnose and Repair” the problem again.
5. Contact your Cable or DSL Internet Service Provider to see if there are any problems with your service area.
6. Start “Windows Update” and check to see if there are any driver updates for your computer. Sometimes these are “Optional” updates that may not automatically install; they might help though so in my opinion they are usually worth installing.

If none of the above steps work then it is likely that your problems are much more serious than usual. You may have a faulty router or modem, or a bad network card in your computer. Try rebooting all of the devices again, including the router and the modem. Try testing with another computer or device, such as a friends iPod Touch or laptop. Try contacting your Cable or DSL Internet Service Provider again.

If you go through all of these steps, you should be able to get your wireless connection working again. If nothing works then you may need to get an expert in to help. Good luck!