Welcome to Just Ask Matt! - The IT industry’s answer to the help column, only slightly more medicated. Today, Mike writes:

I have a work computer that I am regularly hooked up to the internet with. When I go home I have wireless, but the computer will not use the connection though I can see that I am getting a good signal.

It used to be able to recognize the network and allow me to go online no problem, and then one day it can see the network, but will not allow it to be used for internet explorer.

How do I make internet explorer recognize that I am hooked up to a network?

Internet connection setup does not work.

Thanks,
Mike

Since you are having no problems with it at work at all, then your Wi-Fi card must be OK. Sounds like there is a strong possibility that you’re seeing the network, but the actual connection is not taking place even with the strong signal. If you are using lock-down via MAC address, WEP encryption or anything like this, disable them for troubleshooting purposes. Then double-check those router settings as well. Make sure that your Wi-Fi card and router settings match.

This likely has nothing to IE specifically. If you have double-checked your router’s security settings and have also tried another browser (you should switch completely, really) like Firefox and have success there, then it would be the browser.

In reality though, it is almost a login/security setting with the router. If you are lost, disable all security and create a new connection from the router’s user interface. If this is an area that is not your bag, give your router’s tech support a call and they can walk you though the router login method based on the model that you are using.

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