Intel® WiFi Link 5100 Randomly Stops Working

plaintastic

New Member
This has been happening for the past three days. I just recently bought a laptop, the Toshiba Satellite A305-S6898, with Intel® WiFi Link 5100.

I would be just surfing on the internet and then the WiFi link would randomly just stop working. I would go to the available connections window, and the network i'm connected to would say 'Connected with limited connectivity', and then it would disconnect and then it would not be able to detect any networks, even though it previously did before. I know it's not a network problem because the same problem occured on two different networks I have set up in two different places. The device manager does not report anything wrong with it, and I did not randomly turn off the wifi for any reason. I would have to reset my laptop in order to fix the problem.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Owner>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : ******-PC <---i personally blocked that out.
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link 5100
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-5D-74-13-0E
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::2d9b:2e89:e0b8:2d2a%11(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.3(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, December 07, 2008 2:19:10 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, December 08, 2008 2:19:09 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : access.bestbuy.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8102E Family PCI-E Fast Ethern
et NIC (NDIS 6.0)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1E-33-69-17-D3
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 6TO4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.access.bestbuy.com
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 13:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{84AFA9BD-6C1D-490A-915C-0F060A6DE
130}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

C:\Users\Owner>
 

My Computer

I have a HP Pavilion dv4 with the Intel Wifi Link 5100. I have the same problems that you have with the wireless conection. I think that the problem begins with a windows update. Yesterday I had 4 windows updates to download, I install them and then when I restart my computer the problem with the wireless began. I had to restore my computer and download the updates one by one and the problem seems to be " Definition Update for Windows Defender". Is the same for you? or you don't have the problem with the update?
 

My Computer

I have the same issue with my Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402. Since I got this (11/26/08), I lose wireless on this laptop as well as the other 3 in my home. I have replaced my wireless router and cable modem per Geek Squad and the cable company. I need help
 

My Computer

No answer but similar issues:

Dell M6400 running Windows 2008. Connects fine to some WiFi networks (e.g. the one here at well known computer company). Connects intermittenly to 2 networks I own (Devolo power line based WIFI device and [old] Linksys). Connects very intermittently to network in a Mercure hotel I use in Munich (always worked before getting the WiFI 5100 based computer). Wouldn't connect at all to BA lounge in Munich (loads of others could - I am a networking enginneer and did a lot of trouble shoooting over a 3 hour flight delay and a week in the hotel. Tried every setting and several driver versions - no luck. Odd things like only seeing broadcast traffic e.g. DHCP offer but noe repsonse to ack etc.). [of course Intel and Dell would say they don't support Windows 2008 server].

I also have an Acer Aspire 8930 - which has the same card running - this is running Vista Ultimate 32 bit. It hasn't left home - but guess what? - unreliable on both my home networks. Needless to say my Toshiba M400 and my Computing in Motion panel (and various unbranded WiFi cards) all work fine - as do my Slim Devices players, my Sony VAIO T1400 (forgot number). Common factor - they don't use this card.

(The Toshiba also works in the BA loung and the hotel...)

Weirdly the card works fine with some access points always.

Can anyone report mobile happiness with this card? It seem to work, not work at all, or hang up depending on your AP.

So that's 2 computers, different OSes, same card, same problems
 

My Computer

YES!

The post above is exactly the problem!

This also goes with wireless hardware (IE mouse) plugged into the and my SD host card reader. All affected by 'power saver' mode

Just change it so that it stays on all the time so that there are no conflicts.

man I wish I cam back to this forum earlier instead of having to figure out everything on my own =P

Hope it helps!
 

My Computer

I had same problem with Intel WiFi 5100 intermittent signal lost on my Acer Aspire 4930G laptop . Solved with downgrade to driver version 12.4.0.21 , now everything is ok with my wireless network .
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 4930G
    CPU
    T7350
    Memory
    4 GB DDR2
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS
After spending all day today trying to fix this same problem on my Sony VAIO Laptop. I finally figured out what was wrong.

I used to have AVG anti-virus installed on my computer, however after a while it started to drive me insane with the stupid "updates" and for some strange reason the uninstall program wouldn't work I decided to delete all AVG files from my computer manually. Shortly after this my Network adapter began acting up (often times it would stop working or I'd have a "Limited Connection". Most days I shrugged it off as nothing, since it usually fixed itself after a few minutes and i could go on my marry way. However today I could not get it to work. I spent all day downloading and installing drivers for my network adapter, but had no luck with any of them.

While looking at my Wireless Connection properties I noticed something. In the box titled "this connection uses the following items" I saw something that said "AVG...blah blah...". I simply unchecked the box and uninstalled it and my wireless adapter immediately began working again. :cool:

I have no idea if that's the only thing that was causing me problems, however it obviously had something to do with it. Just thought I'd share this bit of info. Hope it helps. :)

BTW as of right now, my driver version is 13.1.1.1 and i got it from Sony's support site. (I would post a link, but each installer is for different models/series). I also restored to before I installed the windows 7 Service Pack 1.
 

My Computer

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