My aspire 5742z 4629 no longer connects to wifi networks

dekrupka

I tried every step I found online and in youtube but nothing worked. I bought it in 2011 and it works great, on Windows 7.

I run out of ideas.

I still connect via ethernet, but I will be very happy if I get back the wifi connectivity.

Puraw

Hi @dekrupka ,

Since your Aspire 5742Z-4629 is from 2011 and still running Windows 7, it’s likely that the built-in Wi-Fi card only supports single-band 2.4GHz. If your router is now broadcasting only on 5GHz (common with newer dual-band or mesh setups), the laptop won’t detect it at all.

✅ Quick checks:

• Log into your router and make sure it’s broadcasting a 2.4GHz signal.
• Try connecting to a mobile hotspot that uses 2.4GHz — if that works, it confirms the card is single-band.

🛠️ Fix options:

• Add a USB Wi-Fi adapter that supports dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz). They’re cheap and plug-and-play.
• Or, upgrade the internal Wi-Fi card — though that may require BIOS whitelist checks and antenna compatibility.

Let me know if you want help picking a USB adapter that works well with older Windows 7 drivers.

dekrupka

Thank you Puraw, i checked my spectrum router (sagemcom rac2v2s dual band) and the specs say 5ghz. i'm writing this answer right now from this computer hotspotting from my verizon LTE phone, so it works, also the ethernet.

So, now i will go to best buy and get the adapter.

But if you have a suggestion about what adapter to get please feel free.

Thanks so much!