Help Chromebook losing wifi connection & not letting you reconnect

[Cloo]

Anyone got any insights into this? My chromebook keep losing connection to wifi and then it doesn't even give the option to connect to wifi, there's no 'connect to wifi' option to even try, or sometimes it gives the option but just doesn't reconnect. Sometimes restarting makes it work again, sometime Resetting Network Settings seems to do the trick and connects when it restarts, other times it just seems to be on a whim after lots of turning on and off that the connection returns. It's frustrating and also worrying as I'm jobhunting and need to do lots of Zoom/Teams interviews.

It did this intermittently about two months ago, then stopped, but in the last few weeks has started doing it again

While I'm still on gardening leave and have my laptop from my last job for now (which I'm typing this on now), I have to give it back after next week and I need to have a computer that doesn't drop it's connection and sometimes takes several hours to get back online.

 

[editor]

Do you get dropouts on other networks or just this one - in which case try restarting the router.
Otherwise it be a hardware fault - I'd suggest a powerwash.

 

[Cloo]

Oh, and if it helps, sometimes when you go to 'Network and Internet' settings, it says 'You are not connected' and when you click on 'Get help' it says 'You are connected using a virtual network adaptor that we can't test' and all it suggests is restarting

 

[Cloo]

Thanks editor gsv seemed to think it might be hardware - I'm going to try going to cafe where I know it normally connects fine and seeing what happens there.

 

[editor]

Thanks editor gsv seemed to think it might be hardware - I'm going to try going to cafe where I know it normally connects fine and seeing what happens there.

Do try a hard reset/powerwash too!

 

[Cloo]

Yeah, I've gone to the cafe and restarted it but it seems like it just can't even pick up any WiFi networks

 

[editor]

Yeah, I've gone to the cafe and restarted it but it seems like it just can't even pick up any WiFi networks

Damn, it looks like it's dead, Jim.
What make/model is it and how old?

You could connect a USB dongle to get your wifi back: Connect to a mobile network with a dongle - Chromebook Help

 

[Sasaferrato]

My ancient Chromebook does this. It drops the connection, then regains it after a while. It is usually just a couple of minutes though.

Mind you, in computer years it is probably older than me.

 

[Cloo]

Acer Swift1 I think, about 2.5 years old. Haven't tried hard reset yet as there's some audio files on it from when my oldest was using my machine after breaking their 85th laptop and they might need to use again so I need to double check they have them saved elsewhere before I wipe anything.

 

[Cloo]

Having tried to do various things but only achieved restarting it, it's connected again now, but for how long we'll see. I'm also now confused as I was sure it was a Chromebook, but looking online it sounds like maybe it isn't, but I can't find a definitive answer even if I put it model number.

 

[editor]

Having tried to do various things but only achieved restarting it, it's connected again now, but for how long we'll see. I'm also now confused as I was sure it was a Chromebook, but looking online it sounds like maybe it isn't, but I can't find a definitive answer even if I put it model number.

Does it say Chromebook or have the logo on the lid?
What logo do you see when it starts up? Unless it looks like this, it's not Chrome OS.

 

[editor]

Acer Swift1 I think, about 2.5 years old. Haven't tried hard reset yet as there's some audio files on it from when my oldest was using my machine after breaking their 85th laptop and they might need to use again so I need to double check they have them saved elsewhere before I wipe anything.

Oh, then it's a shitty Windows machine. Chromebooks are infinitely better to use than cheap Windows machines.

https://store.acer.com/en-gb/acer-swift-1-ultra-thin-laptop-sf114-34-silver-nx-a77ek-009

 

[Cloo]

Yeah, it's been a Windows machine all along which is odd, as I was sure it was Chromebook but anyway have reset and we'll see if that works.