WiFi with Dell Inspiron 1525

Hi asdfghjkl----,

Please check in Safe mode with networking if you are able to go online.

To check in Safe mode with networking follow the below steps:

1. Restart the computer.
2. Keep tapping F8 on the Dell Logo Screen.
3. Once the computer enters Advanced Boot Option, select Safe Mode with Networking.
4. Press Enter.

Check if the computer is able to go online wirelessly in Safe mode with networking.

If you are able to go online using the wireless network in safe mode with networking reboot the computer normally and run MS fixit. Ensure the system is connect wired connection and use this link: http://dell.to/1bMgd0E

Click the link above and select Run now.

Please post the results.

Hi DELL-Nikhil D,

thanky you for your quick reply.

I have tried to connect wirelessly in safe mode but it didn't work, too.

I should add the info that the device manager has four devices listed with the yellow "!". One of them is a network controller. The hardware IDs for that one are:

ven_14e4&dev_4315&subsys_000b1028&rev_01

ven_14e4&dev_4315&subsys_000b1028&rev_01

ven_14e4&dev_4315&cc_028000

ven_14e4&dev_4315&cc_0280

I was unable to find a proper driver on the dell website.

What can I do now?

Hi asdfghjkl----,

Please click this link: http://dell.to/15FA9Ui

Click Download file and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation. Restart the system and check the Device manager.

Please post the results.

Hi DELL-Nikhil D:

i have downloaded the file and installed it on my system. The installation seems to have worked correctly as it says: "Setup has finished installing ... and has started the Dell Wireless WLAN Card. However, after restarting the system nothing changed. The device manager still says that the network controller is not working because there is no driver installed.

So I think there has to be another driver for this card!? I really appreciate your assistance. Thank you once again!

Hi asdfghjkl----,

Please check if the wireless card is listed under “Other devices” in “Device manager” screen.

If it is not detected, please check in” BIOS” if the “Wireless” is “Enabled”. To enter the BIOS screen, switch on the computer; tap F2 at Dell logo screen. Use the Up/Down arrow keys and select the option “Wireless”. Ensure Internal Bluetooth, Internal Wi-Fi, Wireless Switch, Wi-Fi Catcher are Enabled. Press Esc key, select Save and Exit”.

Restart the system and check for wireless card in device manager again.

Please post the results.

Hi DELL-Nikhil D:

The wireless card was as you said listed under "Other devices", so I checked the settings in "BIOS" and in fact everything was enabled except for the WiFi Catcher. So I changed the setting to "enabled", saved the settings and restarted the system. Once again, nothing changed, i.e. the network controller is still listed under "Other devices". So I checked the BIOS again to make sure the settings were really saved and they are saved. I also tried to install the driver you suggested a few posts ago one again, however, with the same results as in my first attempt, i.e. the install-manager says everything is working now, but in fact the card isn't working and is still listed under "Other devices" as not working because there are no driver installed.

Is there anything else we can do? I really hope this doesn't turn out to be an endless story. Thank you for your efforts so far!

Hi asdfghjkl----,

I suggest you to manually update the drivers for Wireless card. Please follow the below mentioned steps:

1. Open the Device Manager.
2. Select the Wireless card displayed under “Other Devices”.
3. Right Click on the device. And select "Update Driver Software".
4. Choose "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer". A list of "compatible drivers will be listed, and a "have disk" Button. Click the Have Disk Button and browse to the folder where you saved your driver. When you open the driver folder, the list will be populated with a list of the drivers it has found.
5. Pick a device. Pick the proper device and click Next. The driver will load.
6. Restart the system.

After the system restarts please check in Device manager if the drivers are installed and post the findings.

Hi DELL-Nikhil D,

I followed your instructions with the following results:

I tried to update it manually. I chose "have a disk" and selected the folder containing the driver files which you recommended a view post earlier. When I was prompted to pick a device from a list i chose "DELL WLAN Mini Card 1390". After the installation the system said: "The driver was installed but an error occurred. The card was not started". I restarted the system and the situation is as before with a minor difference: The device is now listed in the device manager under "Network adapter" (not as "network controller) but still with the yellow "!". The name of the device now is "DELL Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card". However, still not working. The properties of that device say: "The device cannot be started (Code 10)."

I hope you have any other ideas? Thanks again!

Hi asdfghjkl----,

I suggest you to uninstall the WLAN card drivers from Device manager, restart the computer and download and install the latest WLAN drivers from this link: http://dell.to/15Yv8q1

Check if that helps and reply.

Hi DELL-Nikhil D,

sorry for the delayed reply. Unfortunately I have no good news as it's still not working. The results were as follows:

I did what you said and uninstalled the driver from the Device Manager. After restarting the system prompted me to install drivers for the new hardware. I skipped that part and unpacked the downloaded file from that link manually and tried to install that. However the install manager says: "No compatible hardware found! The software you want to install is not supported. The software will not b installed. Installation aborted."

I really hope you still have alternatives? Looking forward to your reply.

Hi asdfghjkl----,

I would like to know if the drivers were installed in right order after Windows was reinstalled. Please use this link which shows the right order: http://dell.to/YHndJF

If the drivers were not installed in the right order, please uninstall the drivers, restart the computer and install the drivers in order by following the list from above link.

Please post the results.

Hi DELL-Nikhil D:

Sorry for the delayed reply. I didn't know that you have to install the drivers in a special order and I'm pretty sure that I didn't follow the order on that list. To make a long story short I decided on an easy solution and performed the Factory Image Restore which was still there on one of the partitions. Although this is not my preferred solution (as I wanted a "clean" operating system) everything works out fine again (including the WiFi).

Thank you anyway for your support!