Device Repair Scenario Report: Wireless Network Connection Issues
1. Concern:
Description: An end user reported that they were unable to connect to the guest wireless network despite seeing it listed. They repeatedly encountered an error when attempting to connect. Additionally, they could not find the primary internal staff network, which should have been visible.
2. Troubleshooting Steps:
Identify the Problem:
Connected with the end user and had them share the affected device.
Asked how long the issue had been occurring and if any changes had been made to the device.
The user reported the issue had started within the last day and that no changes had been made.
Establish a Theory of Probable Cause:
Considered two primary possibilities:
Pending or incomplete Windows updates affecting network functionality.
Policy changes that may not have been properly applied to the device or user account.
Test the Theory:
Tested Network Visibility & Connectivity on Other Devices:
Verified with two other nearby devices that the primary wireless network was broadcasting.
Confirmed that both test devices could connect to both the primary and guest networks successfully.
Tested Wired Network Connection on Affected Device:
Connected the affected device to the network via Ethernet cable.
Confirmed a successful wired connection, indicating that general network access was available.
Restarted the Device with a Wired Connection:
Performed a restart while connected via Ethernet to allow any pending Windows updates to finalize.
Logged back in and attempted to connect to wireless networks again—still unable to see the primary network and unable to connect to the guest network.
Checked for Windows Updates & Installed Optional Updates:
Checked Windows Updates and located cumulative and security updates pending installation.
Installed the updates and performed another restart.
After restarting, reattempted wireless network connections—still no visibility of the primary network and unable to connect to the guest network.
Manually Forced Policy Updates:
Opened Command Prompt as Administrator and ran:
gpupdate /sync
Restarted the device and logged back in.
Tested wireless network connections—still unable to see the primary network and unable to connect to the guest network.
Reinstalled Network Adapter Drivers:
Opened Device Manager, uninstalled the Wi-Fi network adapter drivers, and restarted the device.
Upon restart, Windows automatically reinstalled the network drivers.
Attempted to connect to wireless networks—still unsuccessful.
Checked Wireless Adapter Status:
Ran the following command in Command Prompt:
netsh wlan show interfaces
Verified that both hardware and software radio status were active, indicating the adapter was still technically operational.
3. Establish a Plan of Action:
Since all software-level fixes had been exhausted, the issue was likely hardware-related.
Planned to:
Reseat the wireless NIC to ensure a secure connection.
Replace the NIC if reseating did not resolve the issue.
4. Implement the Solution:
Reseat the Wireless NIC:
Powered down the device.
Disconnected the battery cable and held the power button to drain residual power.
Removed and reseated the wireless NIC, ensuring the antennas were securely reconnected.
Powered on the device and tested wireless connectivity—still no visibility of the primary network and unable to connect to the guest network.
Swapped the Wireless NIC for Testing:
To confirm a faulty NIC, removed a working wireless NIC from a fully operational device.
Installed the known-good wireless NIC into the affected device.
Powered on the device, logged in, and immediately saw the primary network and connected successfully.
Ordered & Replaced the Faulty Wireless NIC:
Ordered a replacement wireless NIC.
Upon arrival, removed the faulty NIC and installed the new replacement NIC.
Powered on the device, logged in, and confirmed full wireless connectivity.
Performed additional Windows updates and restarted the device to finalize hardware and software changes.
5. Verify Full System Functionality:
Confirmed that the device could see and connect to both the primary and guest networks.
Verified stable wireless connectivity by checking IP configuration and internal network access.
Performed a restart and ensured all connections persisted.
Ran another netsh wlan show interfaces command to validate proper NIC operation.
6. Document Findings:
The faulty wireless NIC was the root cause, as all software troubleshooting steps failed to resolve the issue.
A working wireless NIC immediately restored network visibility and connectivity.
Replacing the wireless NIC permanently resolved the issue.
Recommended:
Monitoring network adapter health for devices experiencing similar symptoms.
Keeping a small inventory of spare wireless NICs to minimize downtime in future cases.