Wireless Connectivity

[ajmacca]

I am trying to fix an issue with the on-board Wireless on an HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b052sa Laptop, running Windows 8 x64. (The Laptop is not mine, I am just trying to resolve this issue).

The Laptop was purchased some time ago, and as far as the owner can remember, everything worked OK regarding Wireless Connectivity to the Network and Internet. Then, the Wi-Fi seemed to stop working about a year or so ago. The Laptop was not dropped or damaged in any way.

The Laptop is currently back to its original state (Factory Restore through the Recovery Center app), although all Drivers are up-to-date, and the relevant Updates have been installed (downloaded from HP and Microsoft respectively).

The Wi-Fi Key (F12) has a continuous, solid Amber light on. When I press the F12 Key, either Flight Mode is Enabled, (thus disabling Wi-Fi), or the reverse whereby Flight Mode is Disabled and Wi-Fi is Enabled according to the On-Screen Message that is displayed.

The On-board LAN is registered in Device Manager as a Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller, and there are no Conflicts. (The "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" Check Box is unticked). However, on the underside of the Laptop, there is some text that implies the Wi-Fi Adapter may be the Ralink Radio Model RT3290LE Chip.

I have tried installing all available Drivers from the HP Support Site, I have also tried the Support Assistant App, been through both the HP and Microsoft Network Troubleshooting Wizards etc, all to no avail.

My question is therefore two-fold, and as follows:

Is there a way to directly test the Wi-Fi Adapter for a "Hardware Failure" (although if Wi-Fi is not shown in Device Manager, that implies that the Wi-Fi Chip is not being discovered), and if not, does anyone have any suggestions as to the next step?

While I appreciate that the Laptop is "old" now, if the Wi-Fi were to become functional again, the Laptop could still be used by the owners young daughter. (Everything else on the device is still functional, but the owner is loath to spend money on getting a faulty Wireless Adapter fixed when one could buy a cheap USB Receiver I guess).

I would like to thank all who read this post, and hope that there is a solution to this problem.

Kind Regards,

Andy

[Riddle_Decipher · Accepted solution]

@ajmacca

Welcome to HP Forums, 

This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips, 

Thank you for posting your query, I'll be more than glad to help you out 🙂 

As I understand you want the wireless connectivity issue resolved,

Don't worry as I'll be glad to help, however, to provide an accurate resolution, I need a few more details: 

Did you know the latest hardware diagnostics program includes a component test for the wireless card?

That said, if you don't have it installed already: Click here to download it,

For more information: Click here

Alternatively, as you said, the wise choice is to simple get an external USB receiver for wireless access rather than replacing one, although, that's entirely your call as the owner of the PC.

Keep me posted,

If the information I've provided was helpful, 

give us some reinforcement by clicking the solution and kudos buttons, 

that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Good Luck.

[ajmacca]

Hi Riddle_Decipher.

Thanks for the advice. I downloaded and installed the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI Software, and ran the Wireless Module Component Test which returned a "NOT INSTALLED" value.

This leads me to conclude the following:

Either, there was never Wireless capabilities on the Laptop, or, there is indeed a "Hardware Failure" relating to the Wireless Adapter.

Given the findings of the Hardware Diagnostics, and the fact that there are no "Additional Settings" pertaining to Wireless in the BIOS, I am inclined to advise the owner that the Wireless Adapter is "FUBAR", and that a USB Receiver is the way forwards.

Thanks for your assistance/advice in this matter,

Regards,

Andy

[Riddle_Decipher]

@ajmacca

Thank you for the update,

I appreciate your time and efforts, 

I'm glad I could contribute towards identifying the issue and leading you towards the solution to this concern.

Thanks for taking the time to let the community know that you accept my suggestions,

You've been great to work with and it has been a genuine pleasure interacting with you.

I hope both you and your product works great and remain healthy for a long time 😉 

To simply say thanks for my efforts to assist you, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos.

And select Accepted as solution to help others find the same solution as you have.

Take care now and do have a fabulous week ahead. 🙂