Wireless Issue(Already contacted TMobile)

[Tiff883]

I am at a total loss of where to start to correct my issue. I just purchased this laptop from an individual. I have TMobile for my home internet and ALL of my other devices can recognize the 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz and connect to them, besides this laptop. The laptop doesn't even recognize either of the networks, but will recognize both my personal and work phone hotspots, my printer's wireless and all my neighbors around me wireless. The neighbors that are around me have Spectrum and Verizon internet, but my phone's run off of my TMobile Internet and through them, using the hotspot, it works. Why won't my laptop directly recognize my TMobile wireless networks?? Please help!

[Raj_05]

Hi @Tiff883,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like your HP Stream 14 is having trouble connecting to your T-Mobile home Wi-Fi, despite recognizing other networks like your phone's hotspot and your neighbors' connections. Since other devices connect to your T-Mobile network without issue, the problem is likely related to the laptop's wireless adapter or settings. Here's a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue.

Check Wi-Fi Frequency Bands Compatibility

• Wi-Fi Band Compatibility: Some older or budget laptops, like the HP Stream 14, may not fully support the 5GHz Wi-Fi band, but should still work with 2.4GHz. Given that your laptop isn't detecting either network, ensure that it supports the 5GHz band (you can check this by looking up your laptop's specifications or the wireless adapter model).

Action: If your laptop doesn’t support 5GHz, make sure you are trying to connect to the 2.4GHz network.

Update the Wi-Fi Driver

• Outdated or Corrupted Drivers: It's possible that the laptop’s Wi-Fi drivers are outdated or corrupt, which could cause it to fail to detect certain networks.

Action:

• Go to Device Manager > Network Adapters.
• Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and select Update driver.
• Select Search automatically for updated driver software.
• Alternatively, visit HP's official support page to download and install the latest Wi-Fi driver for your model.

Forget and Reconnect to Networks

• Your laptop might be having trouble with saved Wi-Fi configurations.

Action:

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.
• Select Manage known networks.
• Forget any saved T-Mobile networks.
• Reconnect to the T-Mobile network and enter the password again.

Check Router Settings

• Router Compatibility: Sometimes, the router may be set to use a specific channel or mode that isn’t compatible with your laptop’s Wi-Fi adapter.

Action: Log into your T-Mobile router settings and check the following:

• Ensure that the Wi-Fi is enabled for both 5GHz and 2.4GHz networks.
• Try changing the channel on the router to a different one, especially if the router is set to automatic. Channels 1, 6, or 11 are recommended for 2.4GHz.
• Set the router to a mixed mode (b/g/n) instead of a single mode (e.g., 802.11n only), which might cause compatibility issues with certain devices.

Disable Bluetooth

• Bluetooth Interference: Sometimes, Bluetooth devices can interfere with Wi-Fi on certain laptops.

Action: Disable Bluetooth temporarily to see if the laptop detects the Wi-Fi networks after that.

• Go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth and toggle it off.

Change DNS Settings

• DNS Configuration Issues: Incorrect DNS settings might cause connection issues, especially with certain networks.

Action:

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Change adapter options.
• Right-click your Wi-Fi network and select Properties.
• Under the Networking tab, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
• Use the following DNS server addresses:
  • Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8
  • Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4