I have a shiny new Acer laptop – Good
It has Windows 8 – Hateful
It cannot see my Wifi – Problem
It can see other WiFi networks – the neighbors

It is sat right next to this old laptop I am using which clearly is connected to the WiFi network but my WiFi does not appear on the list of available networks.

The list of available networks changes occasionally varying from No Networks Found up to a list of 4 or 5 networks.

Once or twice my network has appeared briefly on the list but when I tried to connect, I was prompted for a a password which I entered and then was told the computer couldn’t connect to the network. Yes I did use the correct password.

Sometimes this computer (the old one) fails to connect to the internet saying it cannot find the wifi network but normally either powering off and on the wifi box or running the fix network wizard fixes that.

I have rebooted the wifi box. It is a Virgin Superhub.

Any suggestions?

Your wireless router might be set to handle multiple standards e.g. B/g/n. try fixing it at just ‘n’ and see if that fixes it. It may not unfortunately but that would be my first try

I’m literally round the corner in aldermoor, if you can’t solve it, I don’t mind having a look.

chojin – I will give it another 30 minutes of swearing and then may well take you up on that offer. Do you know where I live?

I don’t mean this to sound sinister, but… Yes 🙂

As per Virgin trouble shooter I checked the wifi channel using inSSIDer

Instead of showing lots of channels, it only shows one channel which it 13 which is what I am using

Channel 13
RSSI -30
Maxrate 144

Looking at the Virgin video those numbers appear okay although I am not sure why I only see the one channel.

I am puzzled about where the fault lies. If it was the router then surely this PC wouldn’t work and if it was the new Laptop then why can it see the other WiFis?

Chojin – Can I take you up on your kind offer please?

Of course. I just need to nip in to Shirley to pick up a parcel and I’ll pop round after that. Will be there about 12 if that’s ok.

12is great. Thanks!

Is the SSID being broadcast (it can be switched to ‘off’)? If not, the new PC won’t find it.

Get this a lot with the superhubs, try turning wireless encryption off, if you can then see the network try setting it to WPA TKIP.

Did you get it fixed then? What was the problem

Dad pretty well identical symptoms with a new W8 Acer. Would connect to internet via wire, or tethered to a phone, but never to my Netgear wireless router. Tried all combinations of setting imaginable, including with all security disabled. Updating firmware on router didn’t help.
Eventually got a new Router (TP-Link) and never looked back.
Would be interested to hear if you find a solution.

Logged onto the router 192.168.0.1 or something.

Changed the channel from 13 which was the only one showing on inSSIDer to auto. It selected channel 6.

Everything started working. 2 minutes 17 seconds before Chojin arrived to help me.