"Wi-Fi" doesn't have a valid IP configuration Fixed

[p23185]

This is a new problem on a brand new Win 10 Laptop (2 weeks old). This Laptop was set up originally using a Linksys EA6400 Wireless Router and worked perfectly and consistently for about a week. Then the Laptop was taken to another state and another router (older Actiontec GT701-WG). In this home scenario the Actiontec wireless DSL Modem/Router has consistently provided access to an Apple phone, Apple Tablet, Win 7 Laptop, and a Win 8.1 Netbook. Upon throwing the new Win 10 laptop into the LAN mix, THE WIN 10 LAPTOP ABSOLUTELY REFUSES TO CONNECT TO THE ROUTER UPON EACH NEW BOOTUP. In order to get connected the Win 10 WiFi troubleshooter has to be exercised and sometimes more then once. The current set-up will be criticized by readers of this forum, but I am trying to remotely help this family with their Win 10 Laptop set up issue in another state. The Actiontec set-up menu can only be accessed via the Apple tablet and I cannot teamviewer over the Apple so the frustration level is very high.

They can work around it by constanly hitting the Win 10 WiFi troubleshooter but when you purchase a brand new Laptop you expect it to work at least as well as the older devices - it has to be able to auto connect to the network. The Laptop has yet ventured outside the home and tried to access public open access points.

I have a feeling the first router that it became acquainted with (the Linksys EA6400) is somehow stuck inside some file somewhere. We have spent many hours reading articles on the internet on how to reset the Win 10 machine but with no luck so far. I have attached the detail log from running the "Reset the "Wi-Fi" adapter Completed" details this morning (25 Nov 2015).

NOTE: A secondary issue is the access to the Actiontec modem/router is blocked to three Win OS devices but the Apple tablet can access the menu and setup pages easily - why is this????? I think the last time I was up there in the midwest, I helped him get connected to a XP or Vista machine to the Actiontec without an issue. Newer Win O/Ss seem to be blocked from access anything below the main menu - we get the 404 error screen. We tried the compatiblity mode, turned off the firewall, turned off the Avast antivirus all to no avail. When the Apple iPAD connected via the url address of 192.168.0.1 it never even asked for a user ID or password so that is not the issue with the Win O/Ss blockage.

 

[Trouble]

Is that Actiontec device capable of WPA2 with either TKIP or AES or TKIP + AES?
Have they talked to the ISP to see if perhaps they can upgrade to a newer more robust device?
Will the Wireless Adapter on the Win 10 laptop allow you to change the "Mode" in which it is operating. Sometimes switching it manually if possible from "Auto" to something like "b" "g" or "b" only or "g" only will help.
As to why the apple device is the only one that can administer the device, it is likely a setting in the router where you have to include other network nodes in a list of devices allowed to "remotely" administer the router.

 

[p23185]

Is that Actiontec device capable of WPA2 with either TKIP or AES or TKIP + AES?
Have they talked to the ISP to see if perhaps they can upgrade to a newer more robust device?
Will the Wireless Adapter on the Win 10 laptop allow you to change the "Mode" in which it is operating. Sometimes switching it manually if possible from "Auto" to something like "b" "g" or "b" only or "g" only will help.
As to why the apple device is the only one that can administer the device, it is likely a setting in the router where you have to include other network nodes in a list of devices allowed to "remotely" administer the router.

1) Is that Actiontec device capable of WPA2 with either TKIP or AES or TKIP + AES?
A) The Actiontec is capable of WEP, WEP+802.1x, and WPA. The first thing I would do if I could see the set-up menus is to switch from Open to Shared WEP. Not sure if it even does AES as the manual search yields nothing about AES or TKIP. I WOULD GET RID OF IT WERE IT ME MAKING THE DECISION AND SPENDING THE MONEY.

2) Have they talked to the ISP to see if perhaps they can upgrade to a newer more robust device?
A) ISP was Quest and is now Century Link - on hold forever and with a very hard to understand foreign dialect - this is a last resort. He paid Quest for the modem/router in about 2007 and after spending $600+ last week he will have a lot of push back spending another $200 for a new moden/router access point just so the new Win 10 Laptop can automatically find the router!! That is one of the first things I told him I would like to see is to get off the WEP and regain windows access to a new router but I would be reluctant too if I had just spent a bunch before Christmas on a Laptop and the routers was working just fine for the four other devices. Modem/Routers are out of sight and folk cannot readily see the bang for the buck.

3) As to why the apple device is the only one that can administer the device, it is likely a setting in the router where you have to include other network nodes in a list of devices allowed to "remotely" administer the router.
A) The apple iPad was able to navigate through the menus and as he read them off to me I tried to follow along with a user manual that I had downloaded. All of the menus were NOT in the user manual and vice versa so without me being able to see them it is nigh onto impossible to figure out what is set. I am the type that needs to see it He did read off that the remote administration was turned off.​

 

[Trouble]

He did read off that the remote administration was turned off.

That's a good thing, but there should be an additional list of network nodes that are on the LAN (Local Area Network) that are allowed to administer the device.
What about controlling the Windows 10 machine's wireless adapter's mode settings?
Can you talk him through looking into that.
Right click the start button and choose run and in the run dialog box type
ncpa.cpl
hit enter or click OK
Select then right click the wireless adapter being used and choose properties
Near the top of the dialog box there should be a "Configure" button, click that
Select the "Advanced" tab from the tab bar along the top.
Somewhere in there, there should be a setting to control the wireless radio's "Mode"
It may be set to "Auto"
Sometimes changing that to b,g or b only or g only might help
It may be trying to auto-negotiate ac or n which the router is incapable of and as a consequence times out
Be sure he knows how to change it back to whatever it was or is to avoid any unintended consequences.

 

[p23185]

What about controlling the Windows 10 machine's wireless adapter's mode settings?
Can you talk him through looking into that.

Yes I can remotely walk through that using "TeamView" to control his Win 10 laptop.

We will do that tonight or after the holiday. I do not think we have yet used the ncpa.cpl, unless we have previously gotten there through cmd or another route. We have tried so many things I have lost track!!

 

[Trouble]

Yes I can remotely walk through that using "TeamView" to control his Win 10 laptop.

Sometimes, when adjusting network adapter settings can result in him losing his internet connection (and your TeamViewer connection) it may bounce right back or it may not.
That's why he should understand how to undo it if necessary.

 

[p23185]

Sometimes, when adjusting network adapter settings can result in him losing his internet connection (and your TeamViewer connection) it may bounce right back or it may not.
That's why he should understand how to undo it if necessary.

Got it - we keep the Skype open on the other netbook or the phone.