DELL XPS 400 on Windows XP - Lost wireless functionality

Hi Sara,

You can try a wired connection and see if it works.

Also check in 'Device Manager' under 'Network adapters'/'Other devices' if there is any yellow exclamation or Red Cross.  

Another step is to install the drivers for wireless card of your computer following the steps below: 

• Click on “Start” and right click on “Computer”.
• Click on “Manage”.
• Click on “Device Manager”.
• Under “Network adapters”, you will find the wireless driver listed.
• Right click on it and click on “uninstall”. (Check and make a note of the driver installed on your system and re-install the wireless driver from the below steps accordingly).
• Check the box to delete the software.
• Restart your system and click on the below link: http://dell.to/OukFUO
• Enter the Service Tag of your system and select the operating system.
• You will find the wireless driver under “Network”.
• Click on the wireless driver depending on the wireless card your system has. (Install the same driver which you uninstalled from “Device Manager”.
• Click on “Download File”.
• Select “For Single File Download via Browser”.
• Click on “Download Now”.
• Save the driver on your desktop.
• Once the driver is saved on desktop, right click on it and select “Run as administrator”.
• Install the driver by following the on screen instructions.

Please reply with the findings. 

I forgot to add than I CAN access desktop docs on the Laptop via a network drive (Z:) and am also able to access Desktop photos on my Razr via motocast.  Not sure if that helps any.

Sara

Thanks for your response.  I uninstalled and reinstalled the wireless driver as specified above.  Under "network connections", all I can see is Local Area Connection 2 (the newly installed driver).  Still am unable to view or access available networks.  I should add that the Desktop in question is wired to a modem/router via ethernet cable.  

Sara

Hi Sara,

Thank you for your reply.

I am replying in behalf of Dell_Chinmay_S. Please let me know the following so that I can help you in a better manner.

• Does the desktop system have a wireless adapter? As you mentioned that it is hard wired to the modem.
• Do you want to connect to any local home network which has another laptaop and the Razr connected to it?

Thanks for the reply...

There is a network adapter.  It is an Intel (R) Pro/1000 PL Network Connection.  I have already uninstalled and reinstalled the network adapter (see prior communication from Dell_Chinmay_S.)

Since previous communications, I have been able to see and access the Desktop from the Laptop (albeit intermittently).  While this was visible, I mapped a new network drive as these drives (Z:, X: etc.) have been reliably available.  I can also access shared files from the Desktop on my Razr.  

The Desktop still cannot detect either the laptop or any available networks (ie. neighbors). 

Sara

Hi Sara,

XPS 400 is shipped only with 10/100 integrated Intel Ethernet controller supporting speeds of 10/100 Mbps. In order to detect the wireless networks and connect to it, one needs a compatible wireless card. Desktop computers are not usually shipped with wireless card unless you have specifically ordered it.

Please let me know if you have purchased and installed any wireless card or adapter for your computer.

Please reply in case you have further questions. 

Hi Sara,

You can connect a desktop computer to a home network by connecting it to the router using Ethernet cable. To share files and documents on a network, you would need to create a home group. However, a desktop system does not have a wireless card and would not be able to connect to the network without an Ethernet cable. Moreover, the Neighbor’s network will only be visible to you if they are a part of home group.

For more information on this, you can check the following links: http://bit.ly/T5SDVw and http://bit.ly/S1QUhC 

Please reply for further clarifications.