Network connection drops intermittently

Hi,
I recently had occasion to re-install Windows Vista on my Dell Inspiron 1525, after which I found that my wireless network connection drops every few minutes or so. I am using an Intel(r) Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN network card and an attempt to update the driver - installed from the driver cd that came with the machine - tells me that it is the newest available. When the connection drops, Network Sharing Center shows that the connection is still up, as does Network Connections. If I disable and re-enable the network card the connection comes right back. When it is down I cannot ping the router from Vista and all attempts to ping the machine from others on the network fail. The machine is within two feet of the router and other devices in the home do not drop connections. SFC /scannow ran normally. The Windows Firewall is off and the only change I made was to make it so that Windows does not shut down the adapter when it goes to sleep. The problem does NOT occur when I boot into safe mode which indicates to me that I do not have a hardware problem.
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
s660117

Have you installed both SP1 and SP2 plus all updates? Try connecting a Ethernet Cable to do the updates then remove once all are done.

Hi,
After numerous problems getting Windows Update to work, I have finally updated the Inspiron 1525 Vista laptop to where Windows Update says that all fixes have been applied.
I also updated the driver for the NIC.
Where I am now with this is that the connection stays up when the PC is near the router and I am able to access shared folders from a Windows 7 desktop.
When I put the Vista PC where it belongs - upstairs - however, I still maintain a connection but am unable to access shared files from the desktop. The Vista PC does not appear when I click on Network. I am still able to ping the Vista machine from the desktop,

You are saying if the computer is physically close to the Windows 7 desktop, you can see the Vista computer in Network Connections and can ping it, but when you move it upstairs that is no longer true?

Yes, that is what I am saying. But before the install this used to work and a second laptop works fine in the same room.
But it is actually a little stranger than that --
If I initiate a host connection on the Vista laptop that is upstairs, I have yet to see the connection fail. Not only does the Internet work fine, but I can also ping the Windows 7 desktop downstairs. I am running ping network address -t and it has been going successfully for days. I can also access shared folders on the desktop from the laptop. The connection has five bars.
If, however, I ping the Vista laptop from the Windows 7 desktop, it works for a while and then the request times out and I see Destination host unreachable. Needless to say, I am unable to access shared folders on the Vista machine. The only way out of the problem that I see is to recycle the network card, which works for a while and then things revert to the situation described above.
Regards,
s660117

Did you try the Intel driver from the Dell website here.

Intel Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection, (R) Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN, v.11.1.1.3 (TIC146561), A05
(Driver)
Recommended
1/4/2008

11.1.1.3 (TIC146561), A0

Thanks again for your reply, Ztrucker.
Actually, my driver is later than you one you suggest. I have Intel 13.4.0.139, dated 10/7/2010, installed.
s660117

Might be worth trying the older driver, just to see if it makes a difference.

I think the problem has something to do with the sleep mode settings on the Vista machine. It is as though the network card fails to "awaken" properly when the PC is revived.
Is this possible?
I will set the laptop to never sleep today and see if the ping from the Windows laptop fails.
s660117

Hi,
With the power settings set to "Never", the ping from the Windows 7 Desktop to the upstairs Windows Vista laptop has not failed once all morning.
s660117

According to everything I've read, unclicking "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" under Power Management in the Device Manager profile for the network card should have fixed this problem.
This is not the case for me, however.
In the meantime, I am having a problem downloading the latest driver from Intel. I use the find button on the download center, looking for 4965agn vist32. That takes me to a download search results screen where I am prompted to search by operating system. I select vista 32 bit. That, in turn, takes me to a screen that lists 3 drivers. I click on the latest and am taken to a download details screen with a url. But when I click on the url, all I see is a message that flashes Waiting for Intel Download Center in the bottom left of my browser. I see nothing in my download folder.
I know this is basic, but any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
s660117

I have the same problem with my Toshiba laptop. Wireless device doesn't wake up coming out of sleep. Had this with Vista, Win 7 and now Win 8.

Ztrucker....
Where my problem seems to be unique is that it affects Lan traffic only, and only in one direction. Once again, when I wake the Vista laptop it reconnects to the Wan and I can ping the Windows 7 desktop, but the Windows 7 desktop on the workgroup cannot ping the Vista PC.
s660117

All I can suggest is to not use sleep. I've disabled it on my Laptop. I use Hibernate or let the screen saver kick in, no sleep.

And to install the older drivers requires that the newer, current driver, be uninstalled, which is not a process I'm familiar with.
s660117

I don't believe it's necessary to uninstall the newer driver. Just download the older version and install it.