Wireless connection problems with laptop

[katzdvd]

We have an HP laptop that has a wireless card; The icon in the taskbar shows very good/excellent connection, 36 to 54 Mbps. Problem is, it will not connect to the internet via. wireless;

BUT: this is the funny thing - If I connect it via. ethernet cable it will surf just fine. Then, if I pull that cable & enable the wireless, it will then surf just fine wireless...

Why does it need a "jump start" via. the cable connection?

Also, I don't want to keep pulling the cable like that while it is turned on for fear of shorting something. Where do I start to look to troubleshoot this issue?

[katzdvd]

Update:

Did some searching on other (networking/pc) forums, found some threads that suggested deleting the Windows temp files. Did that, & now it will make a wireless connection. Still a bit "quirky" now & then, but for the most part, seems to be working, at least for now.

I noticed that when I did get it working previously, it was fine until we shut it down or rebooted; at that point we would have connection problems again. I haven't rebooted yet, so I don't know if the problem is really corrected or not...If anyone has any advice or similar experiences, I would like to hear them.

Cheers, katz

[locoeng]

When you have connection issues with the laptop do you have issues with any other PC's using the same router/modem?

[katzdvd]

Both ways; They (2 others) can be in use or sitting idle. The other 2 pc's are ethernet connected. Doesn't seem to make a difference if I am using them or not, issue is still the same.

[Chewy]

I mostly use wireless and it's quirky at best, I usually disable the ethernet controller in device manager before I set up my wireless network. Better to just let windows see one or the other from bootup, it gets confused otherwise. That temp file trick was probably it trying to remember what worked.

[katzdvd]

I usually disable the ethernet controller in device manager before I set up my wireless network

I will do that; there is one temp file that wouldn't delete, it said that it was in use by some program. I could probably boot into safe mode & delete it?

@Chewy; was it you that posted in a prev. thread not to plug/unplug ethernet cable while the pc is running? I seem to rem. that from somewhere...

[Chewy]

ethernet is not too bad, other than causing wear and tear and making windows more confuzzzzed than it already is.

USB is what should never be hot swapped, causes some voltage surge that kills wireless adapters and jump drives over time.

[katzdvd]

USB is what should never be hot swapped, causes some voltage surge that kills wireless adapters and jump drives over time.

???
I thought that one was the "safe" one to "hot swap" - guess I was wrong.

[Chewy]

my daughter burned up her usb2 wireless adapter in a few short months, I have a buddy that kept hot swapping his jump drive(never using the safe to remove option and laughing at me about it), he's on his fourth or fifth one, mine is still going strong after a lot more use, not abuse!

[katzdvd]

Interesting...well, I still remember Bill Gate's USB hot swap crash when he was showing off, what was it, Win 98?

safe to remove option

do you enable that in Dev. manager?

[Chewy]

no, if it applies then it's running down next to the clock and speaker

[katzdvd]

no, if it applies then it's running down next to the clock and speaker

ok, I do see that down there sometimes...

Still having connection issues, after talking w/ tech. I think I will just send this thing back for them to fix, tired of spending an hour of my personal time on the phone trying to fix something that should have been done at the factory...