Loss of wireless connectivity

Hi Thrain,

It does not appear to be only a wireless related issue. Since the wireless card in laptop is detecting the network, it indicates that the adapter functions and its drivers are installed; moreover you are unable to connect to the internet when hard-wired to the router as well. Since the internet does not work both ways (wired and wireless), the internet issue may occur due to many possible reasons. you may try the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Try 'Safe Mode with Networking': Please try to start the laptop in the diagnostic mode to see if we get the internet access. A corrupt firewall setting or any other third party software application may be blocking the 'Internet access'. Please follow these steps:
- Power off the laptop
- Power it back on and repeatedly tap (If Windows logo appears, please restart your laptop and repeat the steps)
- Use arrow keys on the keyboard to highlight 'Safe Mode with Networking' option (Mouse is not functional on this screen)
- Tap
- Desktop screen appears (Icons may look bigger as laptop functions only with the basic drivers)
- Check the wireless internet access and report

2. Try to disable the firewall of anti-virus that is installed in the computer and check the result. This laptop is generally shipped with mcafee anti-virus. If Mcafee is installed on your laptop, please follow the steps listed below to disable the mcafee firewall temporarily:
- Locate the 'McAfee' icon on the taskbar. This is located in the lower right-hand side of your screen next to the clock
- Right click 'Mcafee' icon and go to 'Settings'
- Click 'Firewall' (Following screen appears)
  

- Click 'Settings'
- Turn off the 'Mcafee firewall' (Select 15 minutes)
- Click 'Done'
- Re-check the 'internet access'
- If 'Internet works, repeat the same steps to launch Mcafee firewall' interface
- Click 'Turn On' (following screen appears)

 
- Click 'Restore Defaults' and re-check the Internet access

3. Maximize the performance of 'Wireless Card' installed in the laptop:
- Right-click the 'Computer' icon on the desktop or from the 'Start menu'
- Click 'Manage'
- Click 'Device Manager'
- Click the + sign to expand the 'Network Adapters' entry
- Right-click the wireless adapter (Dell wireless) and click 'Properties''
- Click the 'Advanced' tab to configure the advanced settings
- Select Power Management, un-check Default / Auto, and move the slider to Highest / Maximum Performance
Note: If the slider is already at Highest / Maximum Performance, move the slider to another setting and then back to Highest / Maximum Performance.
Please ensure that the wireless card configuration is set as below for best performance; these options may vary depending upon the wireless card installed in the system.
- Bluetooth Collaboration is set as 'Enabled' by default. Please 'Disable' it
- Set value of 'Roam Tendency' as 'Aggressive'
- Save the settings and re-check wireless performance

You have also referred to an error message while installing a driver. Please tell if you were installing drivers for the wireless card or the network card.

Hope this helps. Do reply if you have any further questions. I would be glad to assist.

Thanks for your assistance Saurabh A. Unfortunately the problem still persists. Your first suggestion: Starting in the safe mode with  networking did not reslove the problem. Going to your 2nd suggestion disabling the McAfee firewall - the firewall was already off and actually doesn't allow being started. Selecting "turn-on" will activate the firewall only momentarily before it automatically switches back off again. I tried the "restore defaults" selection but had no visible results.  On your 3rd suggestion maximize the performance of 'Wireless Card' I was unable to find the options you referred to. Under device manager/network adapters/dell wireless/properties, the advanced tab gave 2 windows 1) Property and 2) Value.  Neither of these windows allowed choices similiar to what your described. The power management tab had 3 selections: 1)allow the computer to turn off this device, 2) Allow this device to wake the computer and 3) only allow majic packet to wake the computer. This tab as well had no selections similiar to what you described.

The error message I received was related to the dell support page/downloads/network - recommended driver update for the dell wireless 1395 mini card. I downloaded it to a flash drive and then uploaded it to the 1525. I received the error message when I ran the executable with the update.

I appreciate any assistance you may be able to provide.

Thrain,

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. Change the antenna diversity from Auto to Aux 

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

Rick