After EE switch-over one device won't connect

[#1]

I had to accept being booted off Plusnet onto EE to retain my home phone. Switch-over was today and it mostly went smoothly BUT - sod's law - my principal desktop workstation won't connect.

8 devices (two android phones, two android tablets, two Windows 10 laptops, a smart tv and a pvr) all connected without issue but my Windows 7 main pc won't. It doesn't pick up the EE network name in the list of available networks. If I select 'Other network' and enter this manually followed by the passcode it eventually reports it's unable to connect. Doesn'y say why, of course. If I hotspot my phone it sees that and connects straight away.

The Windows troubleshooter can't resolve the problem. It just suggests rebooting the hub. This, predictably, doesn't help.

I've been noticing more and more stuff becoming incompatible with Windows 7 and wonder if this is yet another example. I have the intention to upgrade the PC to Windows 10, having recently done that successfully with another desktop PC, but I really need to keep this one going for a bit longer if possible.

Has anyone any idea why it can't detect the network name? Any insights would be gratefully received.

The hub is an EE Smart Hub Plus SH31B. The wireless card in the PC is an Asus PCE-N15 11n. The PC is running Windows 7 Professional SP1 with 8GB RAM.

[#2]

Probably a question for the EE forum.

On the hub look at >Advanced settings >Wireless

Try turning on the Compatible 2.4Ghz WiFi

[#3]

Moderator's note(s):

Thread moved from Broadband to Tech Help.

[#4]

As mention by @Dan_the_Van you may be better off asking this in the EE Community Forum.

[#5]

Hi, thanks for the suggestion. I went into the hub settings to turn on the compatible wi-fi but after receiving the attached warning I chickened out.

Can you offer any reassurance that I won't brick everything?

I have now set up an account with the EE forum.

[#6]

@Buggwrit 

It's a standard warning message for changing the setting.

There is always the Factory Reset hole at the back if you are worried.

[#7]

Asus PCE-N15 11n is a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi 4 (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) device.

Some Wi-Fi adaptors from this era can fail to connect when faced with either Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax or with WPA3-SAE encryption.

To improve compatibility for older Wi-Fi 4 cards like the Asus PCE-N15 11n :

1) it may be possible in the Wi-Fi Router to disable Wi-Fi 6 aka 802.11ax mode,
2) also switch the 2.4GHz band from offering both WPA2 / WPA3 encryption, to just WPA2-PSK

[#8]

@PhilipHeyes 

This will be of interest to you https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/manage-use/how-to-set-up-compatible-wifi 

[#9]

Thanks @Dan_the_Van  and @PhilipHeyes . After reading the link on setting up compatible wi-fi I really thought that would be the answer.

Unfortunately it hasn't made any difference. I first enabled the compatible 2.4GHz wi-fi but that didn't help. I then tried turning the non-compatible 2.4GHz off but again no difference. I've tried restarting the PC and then finally resorted to trying the 'Manage wireless networks' in the Network and Sharing Centre and manually adding both the standard and -Comp network names to the list, with the -Comp at the top which Windows will try first.

Still nothing. When I open 'Connect to a network' neither of them appear in the list, just neighbouring networks. Very frustrating.

[#10]

@Buggwrit 

If a wired connection is available I'd try that or consider buying a USB WiFi dongle which your legacy PC will support, it is likely to only have USB 2 port.

I can not really help any more as I don't have one of these EE Hub to check stuff out. Maybe time to ask on the EE forum.

Have you checked the PC has the latest drivers for this Network Interface?

[#11]

@Dan_the_Van 

I suspect you're right. The PC is not in a location that would allow a wired connection (the one I'm currently using is). I do have a pair of BT broadband extenders that I haven't used for years that create a wired connection via the mains. I'd long forgotten how to set them up but after a lot of faffing about I managed to get them to appear - briefly - in the list of networks but after I entered the passcode Windows reported it couldn't connect, they disappeared from the list and I haven't been able to get them back.

I'll probably look for a dongle or possibly a newer PCI card. The system is quite old, I built it over ten years ago.

[#12]

@Buggwrit 

A USB dongle is cheap, won't bother spending lots any cash on this old PC as it really is time to say goodbye to it as a Windows PC

You should be able to repurpose it using a Mint or Zorin linux.

[#13]

@Dan_the_Van 

I dabbled with Ubuntu Linux for a while some years back but to be honest my ancient brain probably can't cope with such an upheaval now 😄.

I think if I could update it to Windows 10, which I did to the one I'm using at the moment, it could potentially go a few more years and see me out.

[#14]

@Buggwrit ZorinOS  is a Linux distribution so like Windows even I (after 30+ years) mastered it in a couple of weeks, and they have an unbelievably helpful forum.

How much memory does the machine have?