Public wi-fi and wilful laptop

[Mosaic]

I wonder if any of you can help with the following. I was using two of my laptops in a public library recently, where free wifi is availbale. One connected like a dream (XP netbook), the other could not even 'see' the connection, let alone connect to it (windows 7).
I can't understand this. Can anyone help?

[hc4361]

Did you have the wifi turned on in the Win7 machine?

[Mosaic]

I normally connect to my own wireless network with it, so I'm assuming wifi must be turned on. Or is this a false assumption?

[Mosaic]

Forgot to mention I could use 3G successfully on said machine, but it just would not see the free network at all.

[MarkRae]

Laptops typically have a button or somesuch which turns wi-fi off completely - e.g. on my Toshiba it's just under the space bar. Might you have knocked this off accidentally...?

[Mosaic]

That's a good suggestion Mark - thing being it wouldn't suggest why I could use 3G on same machine in aforesaid location.

[hc4361]

You turn both wifi and 3G on at the same time, or off, or one on and the other off.

[MarkRae]

http://www.pcworld.co...ween_3g_and_wifi.html

[Mosaic]

Thanks for the link Mark - I'm still not getting it though. Sorry HC, I just don't understand your point.
I have a 3G option on both machines. Normally both machines happily attach themselves to any network - the 3G is for when there'a apparently no network.
The netbook did the decent thing without a hiccup. The laptop did not even show that this particular wireless network existed anywhere near it. It showed other networks, but not the one I could connect to for free.
This phenomenon puzzles me deeply.

[hc4361]

You didn't say that your laptop was picking up other wifi networks.

My point was that just because you are receiving 3G broadband it doesn't mean your wifi is switched on. They are two different things.

[MarkRae]

> It showed other networks

You didn't mention that before!!!

[Mosaic]

mark, I've found the 'ejector button' for wifi and on this machine it's shift+f3. This changes the connectivity icon quite distinctly - and this wasn't what was happening, so i know I didn't go all girly on the connectivity.
I'm just completely foxed as to why no such free wifi was visible in the wireless options on this very wilful laptop.

[Mosaic]

Soz mark....it's a me thing.

[Mosaic]

and ditto HC, mea maxima culpa

[Mosaic]

So....that's lunch out of the way. Now does anyone have any idea why this laptop screwed up its eyes and refused to look at a free wifi network?

[Mosaic]

Number 1 son wonders if this issue is caused by newer laptops and wifi-N.....any thoughts, anyone?

[hc4361]

Should be backwards compatible - both router and network adapter

[Mosaic]

So that leaves it as a mystery then!

[hc4361]

Did you try rebooting the laptop?

[Mosaic]

No - good idea HC, I will do that next time.
I'm still no nearer the why......I would love to understand the issue.