Dell Inspiron 3471 Wireless Card Issue

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I am using a Dell Inspiron 3471 and have trouble connecting to 5G wifi due to the Dell Wireless 1707 Card (802.1 1BGN + Bluetooth 4.0, 2.4GHz). Is there a way to upgrade the card? And which cards are compatible with this model?

That card is not dual band so it can't connect to 5 GHz WiFi. ("5G" is cell phone terminology and has nothing to do with WiFi.)

Inspiron 3471 has a M.2 2230 slot for a WiFi + Bluetooth combo card. So you could:

• Replace the existing WiFi card with a dual band 2.4 GHz/5 GHz + BT card, or
• Disable the existing WiFi card in Device Manager and plug in a USB3 dual band WiFi+BT dongle.

If you're not handy around PCs, it's certainly easier/safer to get a USB WiFi dongle. 

There are lots of reviews of M.2 2230 dual band cards and USB3 dual band dongles ("adapters") so Google for them...

I have a new Inspiron 3471 that didn't the dual band card, so I proceeded to upgrade by buying a new wireless card from Dell.   The problem came when I went to snap the antenna wires onto the new wireless card.   Apparently I did good on the first snap, but not so good on the last one.   I damaged both the card and antenna snap.   I have ordered a new wireless card, but can't seem to locate the antenna wire/snap that came with the new 3471.    Can anyone help me?

@Gators Rule  You can contact Dell Spare Parts. 1-800-357-3355. Have Service Tag available.

Probably too late now, but you could have disabled the internal WiFi card in Device Manager, and plugged in an external USB3 WiFi (+ Bluetooth) dongle and avoided the problems.

I have now installed the new wireless card, as well as two new antenna wires.   Still can only see the 2.4 connection.   If I want to see both the 2.4 and 5 connection, do I need to install new drivers?   I installed a dual band card...

thanks,

David

@Gators Rule 

You should have installed the driver that came with the card, if any.

Are you sure your router supports 5G (802.11 ac)?

Have you rebooted the router to make sure it sees the new 5G WiFi card?

Have you configured the PC to allow access to 5G, assuming the router supports it?

I bought the wireless card from Dell, and no driver was received with my order.

Yes, until I bought this Dell 3471 computer, I was able to connect to the 5 GHz with my wifi, so I would make the assumption that it supports 5GHz.

Yes, after your comments yesterday, I rebooted my router.

I have NOT configured my PC to allow access to 5G, primarily because I didn't know that I needed to.   I guess for the same reason I didn't know if I needed to install a driver.

thanks,  David

@Gators Rule 

Exactly which WiFi card did you buy from Dell?

Drivers are listed for two different WiFi+BT cards Dell supplied with the Inspiron 3471. If you got either of those, download and install the right driver.

Do you know the "SSID" (name) of your 5 GHz WiFi network? Open the Win 10 WiFi settings screen and make sure WiFi is turned on at the top. Then click "Show available networks". Assuming the SSID for your 5 GHz network is listed, click it. When the box opens, make sure the "connect automatically" box is checked and click Connect. You may be asked to enter the password for your 5 GHz network.

If that doesn't help, do you have a separate device (eg, laptop, cell phone, iPad etc) that can connect on 5 GHz WiFi to test that your router is still able to connect on 5 GHz?

EDIT: On double-checking, only the Qualcomm QCA9377 is dual band (2.4 and 5 GHz) so hopefully you got that card or something equivalent.

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@Gators Rule wrote:

if I can locate the Qualcomm QCA9377 driver, I will give it a shot.....but it won't show up on the drivers available on my Dell web site for some reason.

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STOP!!!

EXACTLY WHICH WiFi CARD DID YOU JUST BUY? 

Don't be installing any drivers unless you know they're the right ones for the new card.

if I can locate the Qualcomm QCA9377 driver, I will give it a shot.....but it won't show up on the drivers available on my Dell web site for some reason.

I just tried to download the driver you mentioned, and it says it can't be installled on that platform?

I bought an Intel Model: 9560NGW.      That's the card Dell told me I would need to buy in order to connect to 2.4 and 5 GHz.  

Dell Product # is T0HRM, which is an "Intel model:  9560NGW"

(Dell product descrption isCRD, WRLES, M.2 INTEL9560, WW)

On my iPhone, ,it lists the 5GHz as CBCI-B149-5.   the 2.4 is CBCI-B149-2.4.    When I click on show available networks on the new computer, only the second one is listed.   Both show on my iPhone.

10-4     not installing drivers

I'm going to shut down and reinstall that wireless card just to make sure I have it installed right....