Just set up my gateway… working fine for the most part, but it doesn't appear in the list of available networks on my Windows 10 laptop. Phone, tablet, another laptop elsewhere in the house… the network shows up just fine on all those devices.Any idea what would cause this? TIA!

PROBLEM SOLVED. I was having the same issue with an older Asus laptop. When I had the 4G LTE router/modem from T-Mobile the network would show up on my laptop but once I got the 5G one the network wouldn't show up on my laptop but it would show up on all other devices. The work around I found was purchasing the TP-Link RE300 range extender. You connect the range extender to the 5G router/modem then connect the problem device to the range extender. In my case it was my laptop which is now connected to the range extender and working fine. This range extender is 2.4ghz and 5g compatible. Not sure if other range extenders would work as this is the only one I own and have tried. Also, I just ran a speed test and there's no noticeable difference in speed due to being connected to the range extender instead of the T-Mobile router/modem directly. The range extender I bought was only like $30 or $40 dollars and was very easy to set up.

I hope this helps someone experiencing my scenario where Laptop WIFI Adapter Driver is old...After installing the T-Mobile Gateway Gray Kit I was unable to see the SSID name in the list of available networks on my 2017 HP Laptop running Windows 10, but everything else in the house connected, since I renamed Gateway to the previous router SSID name. I searched the type of wireless adapter I have in laptop, Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265, and visited Intel site to update Wireless adapter Driver to the latest for my device, 19.51.33.1. After the update I am able to see the Gateway SSID and laptop connects.To find WIFI adapter name: Right click internet icon in Task Bar > Open Network & Internet Settings > select 'WIFI' > 'Harware Properties'. Look for Manufacturer Name an Model. Go to manufacturer site and search for driver download; mine was an executable file, which installed and updated after a few prompts.One may access the T-Mobile Gateway Settings by connecting Laptop directly to Gateway via LAN cable into back of Gateway and enter 192.168.12.1 into browser. One may view and modify the 2.4GHz and 5GHz WIFI Networks Settings. Username: admin > Password: (Is what you determined during installation, or the default listed on bottom of Gateway.) I'm using my laptop on the 2.4GHz network, so I changed the Gateway Channel from default 1 to 11, this didn't affect the other devices already connected. None of these changes had any affect on laptop SSID discovery until after I updated the Driver.

All this is a common issue because of the age of your client device(laptop, phone etc). This is because the wireless card in the device does not support the newest 2.4ghz bands that the T-Mobile devices comes defaulted to. You do not need to buy an extender or any other piece of equipment, only change one setting on the router. You will want to log into the router settings, theses are found on the bottom of the T-Mobile device. Navigate to:Network Wi-Fi Network 2.4ghz Change Transmission Mode from "Auto(AX/G) Start with N/G - if your device still cannot see the Wireless Network - go to next step Change to B/G Due to the age of the device it is not a big deal to have a lower transmission speed on the 2.4ghz channel - all modern devices will connect to the 5ghz channel or WiFi 6 if your device supports it. Hope this helps! If you need any other IT Services feel free to reach out to us! www.cloudITaustin.com

Do you have both 2.4 and 5ghz broadcasting? I think some older laptops can't see both

alarmguy wrote: Which TMobile device are your talking about? Is this the New Nokia Gray Tower? If so, how did you set up the Wifi network in your home, did you set your own SSID's or are you using the TMobile WiFI name? Did you select your own channels? Or do you have it on "Auto"? The reason for my questions is because of this; The Nokia Tower offers a wide selection of Wifi Channels which is fantastic. These channels are used world wide meaning not all channels are used in all countries. Its a global device. The Channels offered to us in the USA includes some channels with restrictions and not commonly used in typical routers. In this respect the Nokia router is superior, as you can truly set a channel in a crowded wifi area that no one else uses. The down side is, since these channels are not commonly used in the USA some devices are not programmed/capable of seeing them. So if you set your own channel you may have selected channels your device can not see, change it to a commonly used channel or simply set it to "Auto" and let the device choose your channel for you. More or less, it is something with your computer and not the Nokia Tower. Try refreshing your network on the computer because no matter what, its should be seeing the 2.5 network at the least, no matter what settings on the router. How do I change set it to "auto"? I have the nokia gray tower. I changed the name it with and it works on all other devices but on my laptop's list of network does not show. I don't know what you mean by select your own channel.

Windows laptop can't find T-Mobile Home Internet network... but all other devices can

Join_Mirabella_
Roaming Rookie
Hace 3 años
Cristina wrote:

Do you have both 2.4 and 5ghz broadcasting? I think some older laptops can't see both

Is this done via the computer device?
Join_Mirabella_
Roaming Rookie
Hace 3 años
fireguy_6364 wrote:

you can take that same laptop and connect it to any other wifi source just fine though?

I can for sure, but not T-Mobile, which is my own network.
Join_Mirabella_
Roaming Rookie
Hace 3 años
DaveI wrote:

Just confirming that my problem is fixed by doing what has been said here in this post:

My Lenovo YOGA/Flex 15 laptop (pretty old, from about 2014-5 or so) running Windows 10 needed a driver update for its Intel wireless chip. I have an Intel N-2760 wireless chip. Previously I had a driver from 2015. The latest I could find was a 2019 driver. Installing the new one fixed the issue of:

1. not seeing the SSID of the T-Mobile Gateway

not being able to connect to the T-Mobile Gateway and get internet service

thank you

Where and how do you install it?
mdf
Newbie Caller
Hace 3 años
JaimieCF wrote:

PROBLEM SOLVED. I was having the same issue with an older Asus laptop. When I had the 4G LTE router/modem from T-Mobile the network would show up on my laptop but once I got the 5G one the network wouldn't show up on my laptop but it would show up on all other devices. The work around I found was purchasing the TP-Link RE300 range extender. You connect the range extender to the 5G router/modem then connect the problem device to the range extender. In my case it was my laptop which is now connected to the range extender and working fine. This range extender is 2.4ghz and 5g compatible. Not sure if other range extenders would work as this is the only one I own and have tried. Also, I just ran a speed test and there's no noticeable difference in speed due to being connected to the range extender instead of the T-Mobile router/modem directly.

The range extender I bought was only like $30 or $40 dollars and was very easy to set up.

Thank you so much. This is what worked for me, and my 10-year old laptop...which worked fine on every other wireless device, prior. I read this last night, Amazon delivered the TP-Link RE300 ($30) 25 minutes ago, and I am typing this connected, as you describe. I really appreciate your efforts to not only solve, but to share.
ranbunctious
Roaming Rookie
Hace 3 años
If you have the round gateway, Etherphreak's post will work every time. It worked for me. If you have the newer square gateway, your older network adapters won't get wifi. I had to buy a USB network adapter. I wasn't happy about it.
suzukilovee
Newbie Caller
Hace 3 años
justrick1701 wrote:

Just set up my gateway… working fine for the most part, but it doesn't appear in the list of available networks on my Windows 10 laptop. Phone, tablet, another laptop elsewhere in the house… the network shows up just fine on all those devices.

Any idea what would cause this? TIA!

Quick fix:

Buy a USB adapter (Amazon $17 value) and hook it up to computer (5 minutes to do) and it will pick up the new T-Mobile Modem. I had the same issue with my old computer -- now I no longer have to use my unreliable phone Hot Spot.
suzukilovee
Newbie Caller
Hace 3 años
Quick fix:

Buy a USB adapter (Amazon $19 value) and hook it up to computer (5 minutes to do) and it will pick up the new T-Mobile Modem. I had the same issue with my old computer -- now I no longer have to use my unreliable phone Hot Spot.
jabstl
Network Novice
Hace 3 años
i was unable to connect an older microsoft surface pro to the t-mobile wifi, but all my other devices could connect. the network name was visible, but when i tried to connect i got an error stating that i could not connect to that network. i have a t-mobile black tower model FAST 5688W. first thing i did was insure that my wireless network adapter was up to date. i then disable and then enable the network adapter. i then tried connecting again and got the same error. i then logged into the t-mobile internet app and created a second wifi network. i set new network's frequency band to “2.4 GHz” and the WPA Version to “WPA2”. i used this new network name to connect to my surface pro and the connection was successful. i left all my other devices connected to the original network.
Goldenram
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
Hi everyone, I had the same issue with my computer not seeing the SSID. in order to solve this problem in my windows 10 laptop computer I went to device manager looked up my network adapter name. then I went to the maker of the WIFI card on my laptop. In my case it was intel. (When i ran the update driver in windows it said that i had the latest driver) don't listen to that, i went to intel's site downloaded the exact driver that my device manager said i had, installed it and viola it saw the SSID. I am now connected. The intel site said that the card was discontinued but i still downloaded the latest driver which was from 2019. Try this it worked for me. Apparently windows only uses parts of the full driver.
scratch_dresser
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
This is how I fixed my issue with an old Dell Notebook PC with the following network adapter:
Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160
I simply went to Device Manager, located that network adapter in the device manager, uninstalled it by right-clicking on that device, and then go to ACTION, “scan for hardware changes”, and then the WIFI network came up immediately!
Hope this helps!!!