Windows 8.1 and wireless network
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I have a user with a Lenovo X1 Carbon that constantly has issues connecting to his home wireless network. He's not sure what wireless router he has at home, he believes that Cox installed it when they installed his service.
Until recently he's always been able to get it to connect by running through the wireless troubleshooter.
Recently we finally moved to new permissions (and GPOs) that stripped users of local admin rights. The user tried to run the troubleshooter last week - it got as far as disabling the wireless adapter, but then stopped saying that it required local admin rights to enable the adapter.
While I understand that enabling a device should require local admin rights, I find it bizarre that the troubleshooter would even try anything since something in the process requires local admin...
Due to this, my user was unable to use the computer at the office because they had no way to enable the adapter until I returned from vacation today.
I have suggested that the user contact Cox to see if there is an update for the wireless router to make it work better with his laptop (of course he's frustrated since no other device they own have any problems connecting to the wireless router). If that doesn't work I've suggested that he replace the router with another that he would have to purchase.
Thoughts?
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If someone's having a wireless issue, I'll test it against some known good APs at the office. To be impartial, I'd take it to Dunkin Donuts and see if it works there (over a latte, of course). If it works there, it's the user's problem to deal with.
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If he doesn't know where the wireless comes from, is he sure that it is his?
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@alexntg said:
If someone's having a wireless issue, I'll test it against some known good APs at the office. To be impartial, I'd take it to Dunkin Donuts and see if it works there (over a latte, of course). If it works there, it's the user's problem to deal with.
This is the proper method to handle it. It is a work laptop and configured correctly for the work network. Prove it works at a a few random places on open WiFi and then tell him too bad.
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@scottalanmiller said:
If he doesn't know where the wireless comes from, is he sure that it is his?
Generally, the installers leave a little card with a "how to connect" thing, so yeah. He knows what it is. He is a user and has no need to know about the hardware itself.
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@JaredBusch said:
@alexntg said:
If someone's having a wireless issue, I'll test it against some known good APs at the office. To be impartial, I'd take it to Dunkin Donuts and see if it works there (over a latte, of course). If it works there, it's the user's problem to deal with.
This is the proper method to handle it. It is a work laptop and configured correctly for the work network. Prove it works at a a few random places on open WiFi and then tell him too bad.
Well, normally this would be true - but he's an owner and on the BOD so I can't say " uh.. to bad this is your problem because as you already mentioned it works perfectly fine at the office"
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@JaredBusch said:
@scottalanmiller said:
If he doesn't know where the wireless comes from, is he sure that it is his?
Generally, the installers leave a little card with a "how to connect" thing, so yeah. He knows what it is. He is a user and has no need to know about the hardware itself.
I agree with Jared - it's most likely that they are connecting to the correct device.
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I posted this more to see if anyone has seen the troubleshooter disable the card, but not be able to re enable it. This is a show stopper for me right now, as my user will continue to try to 'fix' the problem and leave themself's disabled unable to work even in the office.
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@Dashrender said:
I posted this more to see if anyone has seen the troubleshooter disable the card, but not be able to re enable it. This is a show stopper for me right now, as my user will continue to try to 'fix' the problem and leave themself's disabled unable to work even in the office.
I've never used the toubleshooter.
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@Dashrender said:
@JaredBusch said:
@alexntg said:
If someone's having a wireless issue, I'll test it against some known good APs at the office. To be impartial, I'd take it to Dunkin Donuts and see if it works there (over a latte, of course). If it works there, it's the user's problem to deal with.
This is the proper method to handle it. It is a work laptop and configured correctly for the work network. Prove it works at a a few random places on open WiFi and then tell him too bad.
Well, normally this would be true - but he's an owner and on the BOD so I can't say " uh.. to bad this is your problem because as you already mentioned it works perfectly fine at the office"
If it's the owner, housecalls are fine. Heck, if he wants you to mow the lawn, that's fine too, as long as you're on company time and earning your normal rate.
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@alexntg said:
@Dashrender said:
@JaredBusch said:
@alexntg said:
If someone's having a wireless issue, I'll test it against some known good APs at the office. To be impartial, I'd take it to Dunkin Donuts and see if it works there (over a latte, of course). If it works there, it's the user's problem to deal with.
This is the proper method to handle it. It is a work laptop and configured correctly for the work network. Prove it works at a a few random places on open WiFi and then tell him too bad.
Well, normally this would be true - but he's an owner and on the BOD so I can't say " uh.. to bad this is your problem because as you already mentioned it works perfectly fine at the office"
If it's the owner, housecalls are fine. Heck, if he wants you to mow the lawn, that's fine too, as long as you're on company time and earning your normal rate.
Pretty much how I see it.
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You don't have another laptop on site that you could duplicate that with no local admin rights, the adapter can be turned off but not on? I would be really curious of the results!
