This post is more than 5 years old
5 Posts
0
104435
wireless adapter missing
i have a latitude d620
i did a fresh install
i have loaded all the drivers in the order specified.
when i tried to load the wireless network driver i get an Adapter Error
under Device Manager> Network Adapters>
it only shows the Broadcom ethernet adapater; NO wireless adapter
How do i install the wireless adapter????
thanks
HB
jackshack
6.4K Posts
1
August 30th, 2009 09:00
There are two things you may wish to review. First is the order of installation of your drivers following the reinstallation of the OS. Dells insist on having the Notebook System Software and the Intel Chipset drivers loaded first and in that order. The remainder is a bit more forgiving, but Dell recommends installing the drivers for video, network (the Broadcom device), and sound in that order following the first two because of the resources they require. The wireless card should follow those.
The second thing is that Dell laptops usually have a control in system setup that turns the wireless port on or off. You might wish to use F2 during the self test to examine the system setup pages to see whether the card is still listed as being present or has been switched off.
This advice is based on your statement that Windows has nothing, to include an unknown device, listed in the device manager that might correspond to your wireless card. For the card to be completely undetected you would need to be missing the chipset driver, the card would need to be turned off in BIOS, the card may not be physically connected to the computer (you need to re-seat the card to correct this), or the card has failed.
jackshack
6.4K Posts
0
August 30th, 2009 01:00
We need a bit more description of the problem. Did you have a working wireless adapter before you did the reinstallation of the operating system? If so, do you now have an unknown device in your hardware manager?
If you have an unknown device, and the driver you tried to install failed and returned an error, you might have used an incorrect file. Do you know for certain the model of your wireless adapter and what type it might be?
harryberman
5 Posts
0
August 30th, 2009 04:00
yes i did have a working wireless adapter prior to the reinstall
there are no unknown devices in Device Manager
based on the service tag - i have a Network minicard 3945ULD Dell
I tried installing driver R202964 from the Dell drivers and support website - again based on inputing my service tag - it installs but at the end i get an "adapter error"
i can remove the driver if i try and install it again - i've done that once already
thanks for the help
HB
harryberman
5 Posts
1
August 30th, 2009 10:00
Got it. I owe you one.
One of the places i work does not allow any wireless devices to be active so i have to go into the BIOS and turn it off at boot up each time i'm in that office. I failed to consider that the fresh install of the OS did not do anything to the last BIOS setting.
I went in. turned Wireless back on; installed the driver and i'm on the home network in no time.
You gotta love it when a plan works out.
HB
jackshack
6.4K Posts
0
August 31st, 2009 09:00
Excellent! I'm very happy I could help. Best of luck to you.