Vista - Broadcom Wireless Card stopped working.

Hello. Well, a couple weeks ago my wireless started acting buggy. It wouldn't work, but if I restarted my laptop it would usually start again. Now it's not working at all. I've tried reinstalling the drivers with the disc that came with my computer and downloading the drivers from the dell website. The device does show up in my device manager. I've tried deleting it, so it reinstalls, didn't work. It is enabled in BIOS. I have tried the little wireless switch and the hotkey.

I have a Dell Inspiron 1521
Broadcom 440x 10/100 Intergrated Controller

Jibby

I have the same computer and my wifi card is the dell 1390. the broadcom is the wired device. could you go into device manager (type device manager in search) and see if there is an "unknown" device? that might be your wifi.

Ken

Edit Im 32bit you 32 or 64?

Thanks for replying Ken.

I'm 32 bit. Nope there is no unknown device at all. So I take it that my wifi isn't there then . But I did download drivers for the 1390, because I seen it somewhere on the disc or website I think that it was on my computer.

-Jibby

jibby

so in device manager you have the broadcom, and a wifi under network?

Ken

Well there is the Broadcom Controller and there's:
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2915ABG Network Connection
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945BG Network Connection

And all those have a /!\ on them.

uninstall all fothe wireless devices from device manager. reboot, might see what it really is

Okay I just tried that and ran the windows network diagnostics. Before it said that it couldn't find any drivers associated with the Intel(R) PRO/Wireless...(even though I did download those too) now it says "Install wireless networking hardware, and verify the correct drivers are loaded."

Do you know for what the network adapter is? Does the device manager see the wireless NIC but with bangs!... if removed them from device manager from pervious step and then it repopulated, then at least the OS is seeing something.

Rt.click the network device under network adapters and select update driver software

The only thing under network adapters now is the Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller and it says the driver information for that is up to date.

do you have a recovery CD.. with the driver install. I have seen some nic's that dont even show up until the install is complete

Another thing to try is to use the system restore