CB5-312T-K40U erroneous No network, Out of range message

daibak
daibak Member Posts: 1 New User
edited March 2023 in 2017 Archives

Please don't be scared if and when you see this message!

Being a Chromebook one's instant reaction may be, What the heck, I bought a brick!

Not so, my global friends, as I discovered all on my own after spending 24 hours seeking vainlessly for a solution on the 'Net.

 

BACKSTORY

Paranoid about the Windows PC WannabeCry virus May 2017 I decided to avoid the Internet on both my Windows 10 PC and Chrome OS 58 computers for about ten days. Once this hullabaloo died down I first fired up my Windows PC on my home network without any issues, followed by an attempt to do the same with my ACER Chromebook R 13 model NX.GL4AA.003 64GB running Chrome OS 58 which - for some unfathomable reason - presented the message "No network" then "Out of range" after reinserting the password for my home Wi-Fi network. Switching the router AC/DC wall plug on and off, which had solved this same message issue in March 2017 achieved no result. All the POWERWASH achieved in quick succession was to leave me with a bricked Chromebook, understandably as I had not access to the Internet. My Recovery USB was useless for the same, exact reason.

 

I was about to cart my Chromebook off to test another network when I thought, why not switch FTTH 300Mbps modem cable from Ethernet port 3 to a different port (I switched it to router port 2) and see if the home network appears. This worked 100%.

Immediately I went into Chrome OS Network W-Fi settings to purge my Home network Wi-Fi to be double-certain all was well, which it was after restarting, as well as ensure all critical updates were installed. Oh the beauty of Chrome OS but it was scary!

 

CONCLUSION

Don't POWERWASH if you're confronted with a No network - Out of range message.

I'm no techie but it's probably a router reset level issue rather than anything related to Chromebooks and Chrome OS.

I'm merely intrigued it doesn't seem to impact my (2015 purchase) Windows HP Stream 13 PC/Windows 10 HE with a REALTEK RTL8723BE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapater in a similar fashion to what, apparently, affects my Acer Chromebook R 13 Wi-Fi.