Dell 1704 wireless card

Gabe,

Changing the Antenna diversity from Auto to Aux, xhanges the antenna lead and for some strange reason, gives better reception.

Did you try using these Recommended Wireless Router Settings and tweaking the settings from there?

Some virus programs and firewalls also try blocking communications

You can also try...

Go to Drivers & Downloads enter your service tag number, then select your operating system. Under Network, download and install the latest drivers.

Try these tweaks....

Start, control panel, device manager. Click on Network and then right click on your wireless adapter, left click properties, power management. Uncheck the box, allow computer to turn off this device to save power.

Go to the power options, and changed the Wireless Adapter Setting, from Maximum Power Setting to Maximum Performance.

Rick

after testing with all various Advanced Parameters of 1704 wireless --- i tried to fetch the BASE OEM Driver Package - i.e. Broadcom 43142 --- below is Link to download the same - and after installing - all bandwidth and low range related issues are resolved (in the Default installed state  - so we neither need to alter any Advanced Parameters of Driver Module nor Disable Bluetooth integration on this STA)

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/detail.page?DocID=DS033286

Lastly - I must appreciate the PATHETIC JOB that Dell Driver Developers do while simply modifying an OEM Driver Package SDK  --- Kudos to  LOL DELL Drivers.

Regards

Harmandeep, did this work for you or not?

                           why are you downloading a driver from Lenovo?

RockSt☆r-Rick K: which network driver in particular should I download, there are multiple ones listed and they all appear to be related to bluetooth. They are dated from the first half of 2012. I bought my laptop in late November this year so I would expect the latest and greatest to be installed already....

glfeisser,

Your network adapter should show in one of these...

Can you run Finding System Information REMOVE YOUR PRODUCT ID and REGISTERED OWNER, if using XP, run an ipconfig /all log and post it back here.

Rick

Hi Rick,

Running windows7.

Output below

Host Name:                 XXXXXXXXX-PC

OS Name:                   Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

OS Version:                6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601

OS Manufacturer:           Microsoft Corporation

OS Configuration:          Standalone Workstation

OS Build Type:             Multiprocessor Free

Registered Owner:          XXXXXXXX

Registered Organization:   Microsoft

Product ID:                xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Original Install Date:     27/11/2012, 18:20:37

System Boot Time:          20/12/2012, 14:57:20

System Manufacturer:       Dell Inc.

System Model:              Inspiron 5520

System Type:               x64-based PC

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

                          [01]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9 GenuineIntel ~2501 Mhz

BIOS Version:              Dell Inc. A09, 13/08/2012

Windows Directory:         C:\Windows

System Directory:          C:\Windows\system32

Boot Device:               \Device\HarddiskVolume2

System Locale:             en-ie;English (Ireland)

Input Locale:              en-gb;English (United Kingdom)

Time Zone:                 (UTC) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London

Total Physical Memory:     6,006 MB

Available Physical Memory: 3,833 MB

Virtual Memory: Max Size:  12,010 MB

Virtual Memory: Available: 9,258 MB

Virtual Memory: In Use:    2,752 MB

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

Domain:                    WORKGROUP

Logon Server:              \\xxxxxxxxxx-PC

Hotfix(s):                 131 Hotfix(s) Installed.

                          [01]: 982861

                          [02]: KB971033

                          [03]: KB2393802

                          [04]: KB2397190

                          [05]: KB2425227

                          [06]: KB2459268

                          [07]: KB2475792

                          [08]: KB2478662

                          [09]: KB2479943

                          [10]: KB2482122

                          [11]: KB2484033

                          [12]: KB2488113

                          [13]: KB2491683

                          [14]: KB2492386

                          [15]: KB2495523

                          [16]: KB2496898

                          [17]: KB2505438

                          [18]: KB2506014

                          [19]: KB2506212

                          [20]: KB2506928

                          [21]: KB2507618

                          [22]: KB2509553

                          [23]: KB2511250

                          [24]: KB2511455

                          [25]: KB2515325

                          [26]: KB2518869

                          [27]: KB2519736

                          [28]: KB2519922

                          [29]: KB2522422

                          [30]: KB2529073

                          [31]: KB2529825

                          [32]: KB2532531

                          [33]: KB2533552

                          [34]: KB2536275

                          [35]: KB2536276

                          [36]: KB2539635

                          [37]: KB2541014

                          [38]: KB2544893

                          [39]: KB2545698

                          [40]: KB2547666

                          [41]: KB2550648

                          [42]: KB2552343

                          [43]: KB2560656

                          [44]: KB2563227

                          [45]: KB2564958

                          [46]: KB2567680

                          [47]: KB2570947

                          [48]: KB2572077

                          [49]: KB2579686

                          [50]: KB2584146

                          [51]: KB2585542

                          [52]: KB2603229

                          [53]: KB2604115

                          [54]: KB2618451

                          [55]: KB2619339

                          [56]: KB2619497

                          [57]: KB2620704

                          [58]: KB2620712

                          [59]: KB2621440

                          [60]: KB2631813

                          [61]: KB2633952

                          [62]: KB2640148

                          [63]: KB2644615

                          [64]: KB2645640

                          [65]: KB2647753

                          [66]: KB2653956

                          [67]: KB2654428

                          [68]: KB2655992

                          [69]: KB2656356

                          [70]: KB2656373

                          [71]: KB2656411

                          [72]: KB2658846

                          [73]: KB2659262

                          [74]: KB2660075

                          [75]: KB2660649

                          [76]: KB2661254

                          [77]: KB2665720

                          [78]: KB2667402

                          [79]: KB2676562

                          [80]: KB2677070

                          [81]: KB2679255

                          [82]: KB2685811

                          [83]: KB2685813

                          [84]: KB2685939

                          [85]: KB2686831

                          [86]: KB2688338

                          [87]: KB2690533

                          [88]: KB2691442

                          [89]: KB2695962

                          [90]: KB2698365

                          [91]: KB2699779

                          [92]: KB2705219

                          [93]: KB2709630

                          [94]: KB2709715

                          [95]: KB2712808

                          [96]: KB2718523

                          [97]: KB2718704

                          [98]: KB2719177

                          [99]: KB2719857

                          [100]: KB2719985

                          [101]: KB2724197

                          [102]: KB2727528

                          [103]: KB2729094

                          [104]: KB2729452

                          [105]: KB2731771

                          [106]: KB2732059

                          [107]: KB2732487

                          [108]: KB2732500

                          [109]: KB2735855

                          [110]: KB2736233

                          [111]: KB2739159

                          [112]: KB2741355

                          [113]: KB2743555

                          [114]: KB2749655

                          [115]: KB2750841

                          [116]: KB2753842

                          [117]: KB2756822

                          [118]: KB2758857

                          [119]: KB2761217

                          [120]: KB2761226

                          [121]: KB2761451

                          [122]: KB2761465

                          [123]: KB2762895

                          [124]: KB2763523

                          [125]: KB2770660

                          [126]: KB2779030

                          [127]: KB2779562

                          [128]: KB958488

                          [129]: KB976002

                          [130]: KB976902

                          [131]: KB982018

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

                          [01]: Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller

                                Connection Name: Local Area Connection

                                Status:          Media disconnected

                          [02]: Dell Wireless 1704 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz)

                                Connection Name: Wireless Network Connection

                                DHCP Enabled:    Yes

                                DHCP Server:     xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

                                IP address(es)

                                [01]: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

                                [02]: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

                          [03]: Broadcom Virtual Wireless Adapter

                                Connection Name: Local Area Connection 2

                                Status:          Media disconnected

                          [04]: Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)

                                Connection Name: Bluetooth Network Connection

                                Status:          Media disconnected

regards,

Gabe

Gabe,

Your system has a Dell Wireless 1704 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz) adapter.

I also see that you recently installed or started the computer on 11/27. Was Windows installed by you or was this a new system? If it was installed by you, did you install the drivers in the correct order? How to Download and Install Drivers in the Correct Order

Go to Drivers & Downloads enter your service tag number, then select your operating system. Under Network, download and install the latest drivers.

Try these tweaks....

Start, control panel, device manager. Click on Network and then right click on your wireless adapter, left click properties, power management. Uncheck the box, allow computer to turn off this device to save power.

Click on advanced, look for antenna diversity and change it from Auto to Aux.

Go to the power options, and changed the Wireless Adapter Setting, from Maximum Power Setting to Maximum Performance.

Rick

I changed the Antenna diversity from Auto to Aux at the same time I changed my power settings

glfeisser,

Did you change the antenna diversity?

Rick

I purchased the laptop from Dell a few weeks ago. that is why you see the 27th of November.

I've changed my power settings a few weeks back to Maximum performance.

All drivers listed are from the first half of this year so I should have the latest installed.

Gabe,

Go to start > device manager > advanced > bandwidth capability > change to 20/40mhz.

Rick

Hi Rick,

It already is at 20/40mhz.

Device manager -> Network adpaters -> Dell Wireless - properties -> advanced -> bandwidth capability

glfeisser,

If these tweaks didn't help, then you may have to work on your wireless router settings.

Rick

Gabe,

Using WPA_PSK(TKIP) Security(Personal) Security is just a start, the best channels are 1, 6 or 11, I use channel 11. If your channel is on automatic, some wireless devices do not like to connect, like wireless printers, cells, game systems, etc. Recommended Wireless Router Settings Some issues with some adapter have been noticed using the WPS in the wireless router. I then have the person try WPA-AES, then WPA2-PSK-TKIP, then finally WPA2-AES

I have also see some virus programs create connection problems with some wireless adapters. 

Unless DELL-Harish R has some other information on how to get better speeds for this adapter.

Rick

Hi Rick,

Thanks for all the help but shouldn't this card work out of the box?

I have another laptop and this works fine no matter where I am located in the house....

I'm not too familiar with network settings but if I was a complete novice, I would not want to go messing around with this.

It is disgraceful that the card is not working as expected.

Before I purchased the laptop, I asked the sales person if there was any difference between the dell card and the intel card offered on other models and he assured me there was not difference. This is obviously not true!

I will speak to the sales person in the new year and demand some sort of resolution other than trying multiple best guess solutions!

regards

Gabe