F5F Stay Refreshed Power Users Networks Unable to access the Wi-Fi network unless the laptop's hotspot is enabled.

Unable to access the Wi-Fi network unless the laptop's hotspot is enabled.

Unable to access the Wi-Fi network unless the laptop's hotspot is enabled.

Q
qjoeman
Junior Member
Find
6
07-09-2024, 01:01 AM
#1
I'm dealing with an unusual situation... Over the last day I've assisted someone in setting up a new Windows on a laptop. Everything proceeded smoothly until the Wi-Fi didn't appear in the system settings. Initially, I attempted standard steps—uninstalling drivers, updating them through Windows, and installing Realtek drivers online. I connected remotely using their laptop linked to the internet via a phone, which was plugged into USB and shared with the internet. Despite everything appearing fine, connections were unreliable; it would show networks but refuse to connect. Only when I randomly clicked did it finally work. At first I didn't understand why... Then I figured it out. If the laptop had internet through the phone connection, activating the mobile hotspot on the laptop would help. Once that was active, the Wi-Fi network connected properly. Removing the phone kept the connection stable and internet functional. Turning off the hotspot restored the issue. After a restart, the same problem persisted—no direct connection possible. It felt like a cycle: having internet meant I could become a hotspot, which then allowed connection, but without a hotspot it couldn't connect at all. It's as if the phone was acting as a temporary Wi-Fi booster. This is completely new to me—I've never seen anything like this before. Anyone have any suggestions? It's frustrating, especially since performance was very slow (around 1-2Mbps).
Reply
Reply
Q
qjoeman
07-09-2024, 01:01 AM #1

I'm dealing with an unusual situation... Over the last day I've assisted someone in setting up a new Windows on a laptop. Everything proceeded smoothly until the Wi-Fi didn't appear in the system settings. Initially, I attempted standard steps—uninstalling drivers, updating them through Windows, and installing Realtek drivers online. I connected remotely using their laptop linked to the internet via a phone, which was plugged into USB and shared with the internet. Despite everything appearing fine, connections were unreliable; it would show networks but refuse to connect. Only when I randomly clicked did it finally work. At first I didn't understand why... Then I figured it out. If the laptop had internet through the phone connection, activating the mobile hotspot on the laptop would help. Once that was active, the Wi-Fi network connected properly. Removing the phone kept the connection stable and internet functional. Turning off the hotspot restored the issue. After a restart, the same problem persisted—no direct connection possible. It felt like a cycle: having internet meant I could become a hotspot, which then allowed connection, but without a hotspot it couldn't connect at all. It's as if the phone was acting as a temporary Wi-Fi booster. This is completely new to me—I've never seen anything like this before. Anyone have any suggestions? It's frustrating, especially since performance was very slow (around 1-2Mbps).

Reply
Reply