spuriusfelix

9 Posts

211288

September 14th, 2012 15:00

Alienware M17X-R3 unable to connect to wireless networks

I have an Alienware M17X-R3 and I’ve been experiencing several networking problems with it recently- most importantly that I can’t connect to any wireless network. It detects all the networks in the area, but when I select and try to connect to one nothing happens. I can still use a wired Internet connection, though. “Troubleshoot problems” or “Diagnose” just tells me that I have no preferred wireless networks. When I go to the Network and Sharing Center, the “Set up a new connection or network” button doesn’t do anything. When I go from there to “Manage Wireless Networks” the “Add” button doesn’t do anything.

I’ve tried disabling and enabling my DW1501 Wireless-N WLAN Half-Mini Card, and reinstalling the drivers. I’ve disabled the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” option on all my network devices. I’ve used a system restore. I’ve run a scan with Malwarebytes and my computer had crashed by the time I looked at it again thirty or so minutes later; it had tried to restart but was unable to because there was “No bootable device”. I powered it off and started it up again and it worked fine. I also ran a Superantispyware scan that completed successfully without finding anything and immediately crashed, but restarted normally.

A few other things that may or may not be related:

-When I boot I get a message that says “Could not reconnect all network drives”

-When I booted I used to get a message from GoogleCrashHandler64.exe that said “C:\Windows\system32\dbghelp.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error.” When I went to msconfig and disabled all non-Microsoft processes under services and startup I no longer got the message.

Responses(15)

PudgyOne

9 Legend

•

30.3K Posts

0

September 14th, 2012 16:00

spuriusfelix,

Did this recently happen?

Can you run Finding System Information REMOVE YOUR PRODUCT ID and post the information back here.

Rick

spuriusfelix

9 Posts

0

September 14th, 2012 17:00

Thanks for your quick response. This happened recently, when we got a new combination modem-router. It's a Netgear DGND3300 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router. I was able to connect to a school wireless network that was still listed under my "Manage Wireless Network" tab but can't connect to the new wireless router or the school network now since I removed it from the list as part of a troubleshooting procedure.

Here's the system information:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]

C:\Users\Michael>systeminfo

Host Name: MICHAEL-PC

OS Name: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

OS Version: 6.1.7600 N/A Build 7600

OS Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation

OS Configuration: Standalone Workstation

OS Build Type: Multiprocessor Free

Registered Owner: Michael

Registered Organization: Microsoft

Product ID:

Original Install Date: 5/27/2011, 2:46:07 PM

System Boot Time: 9/14/2012, 5:26:18 PM

System Manufacturer: Alienware

System Model: M17xR3

System Type: x64-based PC

Processor(s): 1 Processor(s) Installed.

[01]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 42 Stepping 7 GenuineInt

el ~2001 Mhz

BIOS Version: Alienware A04, 3/28/2011

Windows Directory: C:\Windows

System Directory: C:\Windows\system32

Boot Device: \Device\HarddiskVolume2

System Locale: en-us;English (United States)

Input Locale: en-us;English (United States)

Time Zone: (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)

Total Physical Memory: 8,140 MB

Available Physical Memory: 6,299 MB

Virtual Memory: Max Size: 16,278 MB

Virtual Memory: Available: 14,389 MB

Virtual Memory: In Use: 1,889 MB

Page File Location(s): C:\pagefile.sys

Domain: WORKGROUP

Logon Server: \\MICHAEL-PC

Hotfix(s): 230 Hotfix(s) Installed.

[01]: KB971033

[02]: KB2079403

[03]: KB2120976

[04]: KB2155311

[05]: KB2207566

[06]: KB2249857

[07]: KB2281679

[08]: KB2284742

[09]: KB2286198

[10]: KB2296011

[11]: KB2300535

[12]: KB2305420

[13]: KB2345886

[14]: KB2347290

[15]: KB2378111

[16]: KB2385678

[17]: KB2387149

[18]: KB2387530

[19]: KB2388210

[20]: KB2393802

[21]: KB2416471

[22]: KB2419640

[23]: KB2423089

[24]: KB2425227

[25]: KB2442962

[26]: KB2443685

[27]: KB2446709

[28]: KB2447568

[29]: KB2454826

[30]: KB2467023

[31]: KB2467659

[32]: KB2475792

[33]: KB2476490

[34]: KB2478661

[35]: KB2479628

[36]: KB2479943

[37]: KB2482017

[38]: KB2482122

[39]: KB2483614

[40]: KB2484033

[41]: KB2485376

[42]: KB2487426

[43]: KB2488113

[44]: KB2491683

[45]: KB2492386

[46]: KB2496898

[47]: KB2497640

[48]: KB2503658

[49]: KB2503665

[50]: KB2505438

[51]: KB2506014

[52]: KB2506212

[53]: KB2506223

[54]: KB2506928

[55]: KB2507618

[56]: KB2507938

[57]: KB2508272

[58]: KB2508429

[59]: KB2509553

[60]: KB2510531

[61]: KB2511250

[62]: KB2511455

[63]: KB2515325

[64]: KB2518867

[65]: KB2522422

[66]: KB2524375

[67]: KB2525694

[68]: KB2529073

[69]: KB2530548

[70]: KB2532531

[71]: KB2533552

[72]: KB2533623

[73]: KB2534366

[74]: KB2535512

[75]: KB2536275

[76]: KB2536276

[77]: KB2539634

[78]: KB2541014

[79]: KB2544521

[80]: KB2544893

[81]: KB2545698

[82]: KB2547666

[83]: KB2552343

[84]: KB2555917

[85]: KB2556532

[86]: KB2559049

[87]: KB2560656

[88]: KB2562937

[89]: KB2563227

[90]: KB2563894

[91]: KB2564958

[92]: KB2567053

[93]: KB2567680

[94]: KB2570791

[95]: KB2570947

[96]: KB2572076

[97]: KB2579686

[98]: KB2584146

[99]: KB2585542

[100]: KB2586448

[101]: KB2588516

[102]: KB2598845

[103]: KB2603229

[104]: KB2604114

[105]: KB2607712

[106]: KB2616676

[107]: KB2617657

[108]: KB2618444

[109]: KB2618451

[110]: KB2619339

[111]: KB2620704

[112]: KB2620712

[113]: KB2621440

[114]: KB2631813

[115]: KB2632503

[116]: KB2633879

[117]: KB2633952

[118]: KB2639308

[119]: KB2639417

[120]: KB2640148

[121]: KB2641653

[122]: KB2641690

[123]: KB2644615

[124]: KB2645640

[125]: KB2647516

[126]: KB2647518

[127]: KB2647753

[128]: KB2653956

[129]: KB2654428

[130]: KB2655992

[131]: KB2656355

[132]: KB2656372

[133]: KB2656410

[134]: KB2658846

[135]: KB2659262

[136]: KB2660075

[137]: KB2660465

[138]: KB2660649

[139]: KB2665364

[140]: KB2667402

[141]: KB2675157

[142]: KB2676562

[143]: KB2677070

[144]: KB2679255

[145]: KB2685939

[146]: KB2686830

[147]: KB2688338

[148]: KB2690533

[149]: KB2691442

[150]: KB2695962

[151]: KB2698365

[152]: KB2699779

[153]: KB2699988

[154]: KB2703157

[155]: KB2705219

[156]: KB2706045

[157]: KB2709162

[158]: KB2709630

[159]: KB2709715

[160]: KB2712808

[161]: KB2718523

[162]: KB2718704

[163]: KB2719985

[164]: KB2722913

[165]: KB2729094

[166]: KB2731847

[167]: KB2732487

[168]: KB2732500

[169]: KB2736233

[170]: KB2741355

[171]: KB958488

[172]: KB971468

[173]: KB972270

[174]: KB973525

[175]: KB973874

[176]: KB974204

[177]: KB974410

[178]: KB974431

[179]: KB974560

[180]: KB974571

[181]: KB975364

[182]: KB975467

[183]: KB975496

[184]: KB975500

[185]: KB975538

[186]: KB975560

[187]: KB975599

[188]: KB975617

[189]: KB975741

[190]: KB975806

[191]: KB976325

[192]: KB976422

[193]: KB976781

[194]: KB976902

[195]: KB976972

[196]: KB977074

[197]: KB977178

[198]: KB977609

[199]: KB978205

[200]: KB978206

[201]: KB978258

[202]: KB978535

[203]: KB978542

[204]: KB978601

[205]: KB978637

[206]: KB978886

[207]: KB978977

[208]: KB979099

[209]: KB979309

[210]: KB979482

[211]: KB979538

[212]: KB979687

[213]: KB979688

[214]: KB979900

[215]: KB979903

[216]: KB979916

[217]: KB980195

[218]: KB980232

[219]: KB980302

[220]: KB980408

[221]: KB980846

[222]: KB981842

[223]: KB982018

[224]: KB982110

[225]: KB982132

[226]: KB982214

[227]: KB982300

[228]: KB982665

[229]: KB982799

[230]: KB983590

Network Card(s): 4 NIC(s) Installed.

[01]: DW1501 Wireless-N WLAN Half-Mini Card

Connection Name: Wireless-N

Status: Media disconnected

[02]: Atheros AR8151 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controlle

r (NDIS 6.20)

Connection Name: Local Area Connection

DHCP Enabled: Yes

DHCP Server: 192.168.0.1

IP address(es)

[01]: 192.168.0.5

[02]: fe80::715b:c1e5:bb9c:79f4

[03]: Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)

Connection Name: Bluetooth Network Connection

Status: Media disconnected

[04]: Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter

Connection Name: Wireless Network Connection 2

Status: Media disconnected

C:\Users\Michael>

PudgyOne

9 Legend

•

30.3K Posts

0

September 14th, 2012 17:00

spuriusfelix,

The DW1501 Wireless-N WLAN Half-Mini Card adapter works ONLY on the 2.4GHz band.

When you setup the wireless router, did you make a spuriusfelix_G network using these Recommended Wireless Router Settings and then make a spuriusfelix_N network?

Start, control panel, network and sharing center, click on your connection, click on properties. Make sure your settings match mine.

Rick

spuriusfelix

9 Posts

0

September 14th, 2012 19:00

We set up all the settings as you suggested and I still can't connect. I should also mention that when I go to "Manage Wireless Networks" there are no networks displayed.

PudgyOne

9 Legend

•

30.3K Posts

0

September 14th, 2012 20:00

spuriusfelix,

Places to look to see if your Connection is enabled

Rick

spuriusfelix

9 Posts

0

September 15th, 2012 07:00

Thanks again for your time. I checked the connection under the BIOS menu and device manager and they said it was enabled. Windows Mobility Center also said it was on, but not connected. I also set up the power plan as suggested and reset the winsock catalog and it still isn't connecting.

PudgyOne

9 Legend

•

30.3K Posts

0

September 15th, 2012 14:00

spuriusfelix,

There was an issue with McAfee a month ago, Software Updates Causes Wireless Connectivity Issue Or Unable to Connect to Internet

Go to Drivers & Downloads enter your service tag number, then select your operating system. Under network, you'll find the drivers for your adapter. Download the drivers and save them to your desktop.

Make a system restore point.

Start, control panel, device manager, network adapters, right click on your adapter, left click uninstall. Tell it to remove the software also.

Restart your computer.

When you log back in, the new hardware wizard will try to nstall the adapter. It may or may not work. Check in the device manager. If it doesn't install, then use te drivers saved to your desktop.

What happens?

Rick

PudgyOne

9 Legend

•

30.3K Posts

0

September 15th, 2012 15:00

spuriusfelix,

Did you log in to your wireless router and set it up?

Can you connect to another unsecured network?

What virus program and firewall are you using?

Rick

spuriusfelix

9 Posts

0

September 15th, 2012 15:00

I don't have McAfee, so that won't be a problem.

I reinstalled the drivers for my network adapter and restarted and I still detect the networks and still can't connect to them.

spuriusfelix

9 Posts

0

September 15th, 2012 17:00

The router is set up and I can't connect to another network. I have SuperAntiSpyware Free, Malwarebytes Free, and Windows Firewall.

PudgyOne

9 Legend

•

30.3K Posts

0

September 16th, 2012 01:00

spuriusfelix,

Firewall in the router is turned off, correct?

You are NOT using Mac address filtering, correct?

Not trying to connect to the 5.0GHz, the adapter will connect only on 2.4GHz

Windows Firewall and Malwarebytes are not a problem. Not sure about the settings for Super AntiSpyware. Check for firewall settings.

Rick

spuriusfelix

9 Posts

0

September 16th, 2012 11:00

The version of Superantispyware I have doesn't have a firewall. I turned off the firewall on the router and it's not using mac address filtering. I'm trying to connect to the 2.4GHz. I don't think the problem is this router's settings though, because I can't connect to any other networks that I used to be able to connect to now.

PudgyOne

9 Legend

•

30.3K Posts

0

September 17th, 2012 09:00

spuriusfelix,

Places to look to see if your Connection is enabled

Take it to a local hotspot and see if it connects. If it connects, then it's a router setting.

Can you connect when next to the router?

If you cannot connect, even at the hotspot, is your system under warranty? If yes, contact Dell Tech Support.

I found this article but you don't have an Intel adapter.

Alienware Mobiles - Intel Wireless 1000, cant connect to an AP or Wireless Router when using security encryption WPA TKIP

Rick

spuriusfelix

9 Posts

0

September 17th, 2012 11:00

Thanks for all your help. My computer's still under warranty so at this point I think I'll contact Dell Tech Support.

spuriusfelix

9 Posts

0

September 19th, 2012 19:00

To whoever had the same problem, they ended up having to reinstall Windows before the wireless worked again.

View All

No Events found!

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Alienware M17X-R3 unable to connect to wireless networks