Why won't my computers recognize my mobile hotspot?
Wagmore_Barkless
Enthusiast - Level 2

Searching wireless networks the SSID of the Droid Razr M mobile hotspot does not show up in the list of available networks.

The mobile hotspot is showing and can connect to the 5th computer.

Three of the computers, including the one that can connect, are running windows 8. The other two are running XP and Vista.

The XP machine is my Toshiba laptop, which I've been able to connect previously. The computers have been able to see the SSID and connect since I got the phone in March 2013. They stopped seeing the SSID and stopped connecting on or shortly prior to March 1, 2014. Nothing was changed with the computers.

Verizon store employees say nothing is wrong with the phone since they can see the SSID with their phones.

Have tried updating computer network adapter drivers, changing SSID, rebooting all equipment.

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Wagmore_Barkless
Enthusiast - Level 2

Went shopping for a new laptop. Looked at 10 laptops in two different stores. None would see my hotspot SSID. Called Verizon, and a very good tech named Jimmy spent a couple of hours with me. We finally did a hard reset of the phone. Everything is now working great and all of my computers can see the SSID.

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Not applicable

Are you trying to connect all at once?

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Wagmore_Barkless
Enthusiast - Level 2

No. I have cable wifi at my home office which I normally use.

I normally use the hotspot with my laptop when I'm out at a client's location and need internet access. This past Saturday I was at a client's location and tried to connect but was unable to even see the SSID in the list of available networks. I was able to see the clients wifi network so I was able to connect to his network. When I got back home I was troubleshooting the problems, and that's when I tried the other computers. My wife's laptop could see the SSID but the 3 desk tops could not.

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Not applicable

Are the adapters that can't see the SSID all the same or from the same company? How old are they? Maybe you somehow changed the security for the hotspot.

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Wagmore_Barkless
Enthusiast - Level 2

The adapters are all different and the computers are all different and they all saw the hotspot prior to this past weekend.

Security wasn't changed, but even if it was that shouldn't keep the computers from seeing the SSID of the mobile hotspot on the list of available networks.

All 5 of the computers see the same SSID listing of networks in my neighborhood with the exception that 4 of them can't see my mobile hotspot.

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Wagmore_Barkless
Enthusiast - Level 2

One of the computers is a gateway, 8 years old, and I'm using a Linksys wireless G adapter that is about 7 years old. My Toshiba laptop is 8 years old and uses the factory installed adapter that came with it. The two other desktops are Dells and are 1 year old, using the factory installed adapters that came with them. All four could see the SSID prior to this weekend.

My wife's laptop (the one that sees the SSID) is also a Dell and about 6 months old, using the factory installed adapter.

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Not applicable

Well if you have the security set a WPA2 some older network adapters can't connect to them. Also it's possible that the drivers Windows installed is causing an issue.

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Wagmore_Barkless
Enthusiast - Level 2

I turned off the security on the hotspot, no change.

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
Not applicable

As I said could be a Windows thing. Windows changed my driver for my older network adapter and it wouldn't work. It wasn't until I rolled it back that it got working again, And it wasn't an easy thing to do because Windows was insistent on using the "newer" driver. I had to go into the System folder and manually delete some stuff so it would stop auto updating my driver. Thankfully I knew what to look for.

Off topic but you are aware that all support for Windows XP ends on April 8th,

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Re: 4 out of 5 computers at my home cannot see Android mobile hotspot
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Thanks so much for turning the security on, Wagmore_Barkless. I regret that didn't work. I can imagine it it frustrating.  Let's make sure we get you back in working order! Please go to settings>apps>all>mobile host spot>disable>enable.

The device will need to check for subscription every time with the Verizon Server when the app is launched to make sure that Mobile Hotspot subscription is available for this specific mobile number . This is the only way the app checks for subscription status and based on that would allow the application to start a Mobile Hotspot . I hope that information will help. Please keep us posted.

TamaraH_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport


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