ArthurDent123,

Please use the service tag to help find the wireless network card driver.

This is the recommended  security settings for your router, and wireless card.

How to login to your wireless router

 

Recommended Wireless Router Settings

 

Actually WPA2-PSK(TKIP) Personal Security is the way to go but not all wireless devices will work with WPA2. So this is why we are currently sticking with WPA-PSK(TKIP) Personal Security.

Mark,

 

In addition to what ctalia4000 mentioned, I think this is one of the cards that you need to go to device manager, network adapters, your wireless card, antenna diversity and change it to Aux.

 

 

Rick

OK - I appreciate anyone who takes the trouble to try to help me, and please don't take this the wrong way, but...

Please use the service tag to help find the wireless network card driver.

If you read my post you'll see that I said that I did try to use the service tag method. It always used to work - right up until a couple of weeks ago - but now, putting in my service tag brings up "Other_486 V486/__S Rev. 2 FS" as the Product Model (which is clearly wrong) and the only OS's on offer are Win 2000 and earlier. So I HAD to resort to selecting the driver download page by using the model number.

Having done that and carefully checked that I had the right model number / OS I am offered a variety of driver updates. Perhaps someone could try it for me..

Product Family -> Laptops

Product Line -> Inspiron Laptops

Product Model -> 6400

The default OS on offer is Windows XP. I change this to Windows Vista 32 Bit.

I am offered 7 "Network" driver updates, one of which applies to the 1390 Wireless WLAN minicard (described as version 4.170.25.17 / 4.170.25.12, A17 dated 5/15/2008)

Downloading it takes me to  this page and dowloads a file called "Dell_multi-device_A17_R174292.exe"
 This WON'T install on my Dell Inspiron 6400 machine.

This is the recommended  security settings for your router, and wireless card. How to login to your wireless router Recommended Wireless Router Settings Actually WPA2-PSK(TKIP) Personal Security is the way to go but not all wireless devices will work with WPA2. So this is why we are currently sticking with WPA-PSK(TKIP) Personal Security.

Well thanks, but I should have pointed out that I have configured and am running quite happily, many other wireless devices on this router. Specifically I also have a wireless printer, an Internet radio, 2 x Apple iPod touch, 2 other Dell (more recent) laptops (one running Vista one running XP), My Linux server and my linux desktop machine.

I am running WPA2-PSK and all of the above machines have no problem with this router.

I have tried firing up  this Inspiron 6400 with an Ubuntu Live CD and that fails to connect to the router too - so at this point I can only assume that it is indeed a hardware problem with the 1390 WLAN Minicard - or at least with the drivers for it... Unless anyone can tell me otherwise?

So I am left with the problem of finding the correct updated drivers ...sigh...

Checking the driver through Vista's hardware / driver update utility says that it has the latest available version...

Hmmmm....

Thanks for your help so far....

 

Mark

 

 

 

In addition to what ctalia4000 mentioned, I think this is one of the cards that you need to go to device manager, network adapters, your wireless card, antenna diversity and change it to Aux.

Ahhh! Thanks Rick, I really though we might be on to something here, but sadly not. I set antenna diversity to "Aux" as you suggest, but still no joy I'm afraid. I didn't come across that in my earlier googling and perhaps that should have been the first thing I tried?

I am now worried in case that was the answer and something else I've done has messed it up.

Is there anything else in there that needs to be changed / set?

What should the registry settings be for this card / router combination? (I have tried DhcpConnEnableBcastFlagToggle set to 1 and I have tried DhcpConnForceBroadcastFlag set to 0 ) What do you think the right combination should be?

The thing is - this is SO frustrating because, as I said earlier, it WILL connect properly about 1 time in every 10...

Any other ideas?

 

Thanks - Your help is much appreciated...

 

Mark

 

Mark,

 

The Broadcast Flag issue is described by Microsoft.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233

 

I updated the firmware in my wireless router.

 

I broadcast my SSID.

 

I use WPA-PSK(TKIP) Security (Personal)

 

I use channel 11.

 

I use mixed mode as I have a wireless print server and I think it needs the mixed mode feature.

 

I have been using these settings for years and haven't had a wireless device that didn't connect. I have connected a 8 different computers, different brands and operating systems, two iPod touch, and a wireless print server.

 

Also try WinSock XP Fix (Yes, it does work on Vista machines)

 

 

Rick

Rick,

I have no idea. I'm just using whatever came out of the box with the Vista install that was shipped with the machine c. 2 years ago...

How would I find out?

Is there an alternative?

Thanks again...

Mark

Mark,

 

What program are you using to connect? I had an issue a long time back with Intel ProSet wireless and had to use an older version.

 

 

Rick

The Broadcast Flag issue is described by Microsoft. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233

Yup... That's the page I quote in my first post

I updated the firmware in my wireless router.

Me too.

I broadcast my SSID.

Me too.

I use WPA-PSK(TKIP) Security (Personal)

I use WPA/WPA2-Personal(PSK). As I understand it this will allow authentication by either method.

I use channel 11.

Mine's on Channel 6  - The default for this router, though it's predecessor was on Ch 11.

I use mixed mode as I have a wireless print server and I think it needs the mixed mode feature.

Yes. Me too (Specifically 802.11b&802.11g&802.11n)

I have been using these settings for years and haven't had a wireless device that didn't connect. I have connected a 8 different computers, different brands and operating systems, two iPod touch, and a wireless print server.

Well, as I said above, I have lots of other devices working just fine...

Also try WinSock XP Fix (Yes, it does work on Vista machines)

Trying it as we speak...

The encouraging thing is that since I have made the change you suggested above I now seem to be getting more like a 1 in 5 success rate than the 1 in 10 or so that it was before. I have no empirical evidence to support this - it's just a gut feel...

OK - Run WinSockXPFix. First boot after running it - still no Internet I'm afraid...

Thanks again for helping. I do appreciate it!

 

Mark

 

Mark,

 

Willing to experiment? If so, then make a system restore point. This way if this doesn't work, you can go back to what you have at the present time. Not sure this will work with Vista or not.

 

I had issues with Intel ProSet Wireless version 11.5.0.0. It was constantly disconnecting and I kept getting the popup sayint it was connected.. Here's what I did.

 

Download version 10,5,1,0 of Intel ProSet wireless. Make a system Restore point, just in case.

 

Go to control panel, add/remove programs, un-install Intel Proset Wireless.

 

Restart your computer.

 

Install Version 10.5.1.0 or you'll see it as R138747.EXE.

 

Connect to your network now and see if the connection is any better. If not, then use system restore and go back to what you have now.

 

 

Rick

Well I'm always up for a project!

However...

I dutifully created a system restore point.

I downloaded the R138747.exe file.

I went to uninstall Intel ProSet Wireless and... waited for the programs and features screen to settle down and populate its list... and... there's no ProSet wireless app listed!

The only Intel product listed is a Graphics Media Accelerator Driver

The only things with Internet in the name are "Tiscali Internet" and "Internet from BT" which I guess are just "sign up for our service" apps (I use neither of them).

The only thing with "wireless" in the name is the "Dell Wireless WLAN Card" which I guess is the thing I was trying to update without success earlier!

 

Where do I go from here?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Mark

 

 

Rick & Hockeyboy,

 

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I've spent way too much time on this this evening so I'm going to try again tomorrow. I will try the physical re-seating of the card if I have time.

However, the link you gave me for the driver is the exact same file as I have already. When I unpack it, it describes itself as being for the 1370 WLAN card not the 1390 that I have and It won't install (as I posted previously) is this actually the right file? How can I find where the correct one is if not?

Thanks again to all.

I really appreciate this help

Mark

 

Hey Mark!

I would suggest you to reseat the Wireless card once, and then update the drivers. The like for removing and installing the Wireless card is here

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins6400/en/sm/cards.htm#wp1015787

 

The driver can be found at here.

ftp.us.dell.com/network/Dell_multi-device_A17_R174292

Make sure that you uninstall the Wireless utility from Programs and features under contorl panel and then reboot your Computer and insall the driver. I suggest you to save the driver first and then right click on the file, "run it as an Admin"

Thanks and regards,

 

Hockeyboy!!

 

Mark,

 

Just try to install the Intel ProSet Wireless and see what happen or try downloading drivers from Intel's Website and see if it improves.

 

 

Rick

Mark, Type "systeminfo" and hit enter in Command prompt. It will let u know the system info with the NIC wireless card info. The driver will install for sure.

 

Hockeyboy!

What am I looking for?

Systeminfo scrolls past about a million hotfixes but then shows the two Network cards I have:

[01]:  Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller

[02]: Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-card

 

This much I know already. The link you gave me for the driver is the same one as the Dell drivers page gave me, and it's for the 1370 card. I certainly can't install it.

Sigh...

Thanks anyway

 

Mark