Wifi no longer connecting on 1.5 year old Inspiron

Question

To start, I have a Dell Inspiron 15 (N5030) that has been up and running since approximately February of 2011.  My only issues with it have been the trackpad going crazy every now and then and having to be disabled and reenabled. I turned it on two days ago after not using it for a few days, and suddenly the WiFi has a limited connection to my network.  My desktop and phones are connecting just fine on WiFi.  When Windows troubleshoots, it claims the Drivers are the issue, so using a flashdrive, I updated the drivers to the latest version.  No luck.  It still says the drivers are the issue. I tried uninstalling the drivers, restarting, letting it install them itself.  No luck.  Rebooted in safe mode, ran a virus scan, nothing.  I'm running AVG because McAfee and Norton kill laptop resources when you run anything fullscreen (games and such). My device has the Atheros AR9285 WiFi adapter, now at driver version 9.1.0.328  I'm running WIndows 7 64bit with all of the latest updates.  I saw the post about the latest updates messing up WiFi and thought it might apply to me, but it deals with a problem with McAfee, and that isn't installed on my computer. I'm about halfbald at this point trying to get my WiFi back.  If someone can save the rest of my scalp, I'd greatly appreciate it.

PudgyOne · Answer

Raiannon,

Did you use the McAfee Removal Tool to remove McAfee? Did you use the Norton removal tool?

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

Rick

PudgyOne · Answer

Raiannon,

Operating system has been installed since March 2011, so don't think the order is an issue.

I would go to Drivers & Downloads enter your service tag number, slect your operating system, then download the Atheros AR9285 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter drivers and save them to the desktop.

Make a system retore point.

Start, control panel, device manager, network adapters, right click on Atheros AR9285 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter, left click uninstall. Tell it to remove the software and drivers.

Restart your computer.

When you log back in, the new hardware wizard will try to install the adapter. It probably won't install. You can check in the device manager. Install the drivers you saved to the desktop and see if you can connect.

Rick

Raiannon · Answer

That was one of the first things I tried.  Even though the driver hadn't changed between working and not working, since Windows was pointing to it as the issue, I upgraded it using the latest Dell install file and the steps you outlined.  When I troubleshoot the connection, Windows still says it's a bad driver with the wireless card.  I'm not quite sure what the right driver is, or if Windows is just falling on that as a backup response when it doesn't know the real issue.

Raiannon · Answer

It was so long ago, but I've been using and working with computers since I was knee high to a grasshopper, so I'm 100% positive I did it properly. The computer actually came with Kapersky from the retailer. Just in case, I'm going to run both the McAfee and Norton removal tools to cover my rear. Here's the system info.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

C:\Users\Sumer>systeminfo

Host Name: XXXXX-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: XXXXX

Registered Organization:

Product ID: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Original Install Date: 3/4/2011, 7:28:04 PM

System Boot Time: 9/30/2012, 5:31:23 PM

System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.

System Model: Inspiron N5030

System Type: x64-based PC

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

[01]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10 GenuineIn

tel ~2300 Mhz

BIOS Version: Dell Inc. A02, 9/13/2010

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-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Total Physical Memory: 4,058 MB

Available Physical Memory: 2,481 MB

Virtual Memory: Max Size: 8,115 MB

Virtual Memory: Available: 6,207 MB

Virtual Memory: In Use: 1,908 MB

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

Domain: WORKGROUP

Logon Server: \\XXXXX-PC

Hotfix(s): 146 Hotfix(s) Installed.

[01]: 982861

[02]: KB971033

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Network Card(s): 2 NIC(s) Installed.

[01]: Atheros AR8152 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller (

NDIS 6.20)

Connection Name: Local Area Connection

Status: Media disconnected

[02]: Atheros AR9285 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter

Connection Name: Wireless Network Connection

DHCP Enabled: Yes

DHCP Server: N/A

IP address(es)

PudgyOne · Answer

Raiannon,

Start, control panel, networ and sharing center, click on your connection, click on properties. Look for TCP/IPv4 and TCP/IPv6 and click on properties for each. Have your settings match mine.

Power cycle your router/modem(s)

Power off your ISP modem/router and your wireless router(if any) for 30 seconds. Then power on the ISP modem/router. Wait 15 seconds, then power on the wireless router(if any)

Restart the computer and try to connect.

Rick

Raiannon · Answer

Those are my current settings.  Doublechecked, and restarted.  Also rolled back any windows updates I had prior to the date on the post warning about a McAfee problem, just incase I had any hidden registry entries that weren't being found, with no help.

PudgyOne · Answer

Raiannon,   The solution to te McAfee problem is listed at Software Updates Causes Wireless Connectivity Issue Or Unable to Connect to Internet     Rick

Raiannon · Answer

The McAfee issue wasn't my problem.

Raiannon · Answer

Any other suggestions?

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

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