Laptop oddity/frustration ?

[Jethro_uk]

Inherited our lads old laptop (he's "gone mac" ...)

Now I am pretty certain it should have WiFi and Bluetooth. But Windows(7) is steadfastly refusing to suggest it has that capability - no disabled interfaces or hardware of any description.

Model is an Acer V3-551-84504G50, which a couple of spec sites say does have WiFi/BT.

Trying a Linux LiveCD doesn't reveal anything :(

There is a "func" F3 button with a WiFi symbol that seems to do **** all when pressed. (Both in Windows and Linux).

Is there something obvious I am missing ? I'm thinking an old style DIP switch ? The BIOS is untouched from new.

Plugging in a USB dongle works perfectly. As does the wired LAN port.

One wrinkle is a smashed screen (why do you think I got it :) ) but I am pretty certain that wouldn't cause any issues ?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Have you tried going through the internet setting up procedure? Should give you the choice of cable or Wi-Fi.

On my Acer, the Wi-Fi aerial is part of the screen assembly. Sure that's intact?

[Jethro_uk]

Ah ! possibly not. I had to plug in a monitor to get it on the network and install NoMachine to remote in.

So a f***ed screen or screen assembly could conceivably knock the WiFi (and BT) out ????

As I said, Device Manager shows everything working - all drivers up to date. Just no WiFi adapter(s).

[Clive Arthur]

I know nothing of that laptop, but an old Dell one I use occasionally had a problem with the WiFi having stopped working. Eventually I saw there was a WiFi on/off switch on the side which I must have occidentally operated.

Cheers

[Chris Hogg]

Try a wi-fi dongle?

[Andy Burns]

The aerials tend to be in the screen so that could make the wifi/bt card "deaf" but the miniPCI/USB part with the guts on it should still show up as a device.

[Jethro_uk]

Works perfectly - as does a BT dongle.

[Jethro_uk]

I'll have a really good look ...

[Jethro_uk]

Aha !

Having scoured it carefully, I've found a PCMIA slot on the front edge (which has been hidden since I got the wired network going).

Which makes me wonder if the laptop came with a removeable card to provide Wifi/BT and little Herbert son has removed it just before he forgot all about it ??????

If so mystery solved :(

So quick Q - would it have been unusual/usual for Acer to have implemented WiFi with a removeable card ?

[Andy Burns]

unlikely, far more likely to be internal, or under an access flap

[Jeff Layman]

Speccy will tell you everything you need to know - and a lot more you don't - about any Win7 machine. I haven't used it for years, so watch out for anything hidden in the download!

[Jethro_uk]

Tx for that. I'll have a further dig - and quiz LHS when he's around ...

A quick scan on Acer V3-551 PCMCIA Wifi suggests there are cards for it.

Although given it's got a quad core CPU, it seems a little c'and'n ?

[Bill]

I've looked at the last Acer I bought, much older than any V3, and it has no physical switch. I think it's most unlikely that wifi would be on a pcmcia card. Acer were one of the best manufacturers in the early days and maintained an ftp site with service manuals etc., but I suspect they have gone downhill since then. Certainly the machines built before their factory fire were better than the later ones built( I think) in China.

I changed to old Lenovos of about the same age as your Acer. The one I'm typing on has an internal wifi card that you have to dismantle the case to see, the aerial is in the screen, and there is a proper wifi/BT switch as well as the function functions.

Weirdly, if I switch the switch off, bluetooth disappears from device manager, but the wifi adapter doesn't. Both wifi and BT do go off, though.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Jeff Layman used his keyboard to write :

Seemed OK, apart from the default offer to install Chrome. Just untick the option on the Speccy splash screen.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Harry Bloomfield used his keyboard to write :

Oh, and it correctly identified my Acer has both Bluetooth and WiFi interfaces.

[Theo]

Unless the laptop dates from 2001, it's unlikely to be on an external card. If it's like this one:

Picture 3 shows the wifi/bluetooth card under a flap on the bottom. It's possible it's loose or been removed.

Theo

[Bob Eager]

Try pressing in conjunction with an 'Fn' button or similar.

[Brian Gaff]

You could probably get a new or second hand screen at a reasonable price. It does seem a little strange if a scan of the hardware does not show anything up. Could it have been a special model without the bits for a company or something?

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Even if the aerial is busted, the actual hardware should show up in one of those third party port scanners or even in the device manager of windows 7. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Yes I have a dell like that but it still failes to work though the system claimes its operational. I use a dongle instead. I can only assume that its died on the rf side. Brian