Suddenly lost all wireless detection

I have Dell Latitude D610 with XP home SP3. AVG anti virus and various spyware/malware detectors.

I have been having problems with browser hijacking that was a pain but didn't stop me from using the internet. virus checkers and spyware tools couldn't find anything. Then suddenly one day I was unable to see any wireless networks. This happened about 1 hour after turing on the computer and surfing successfully for a while.

I have other computers in the house able to connect so it isn't a router problem.

I searched online and tried everything I could find for 2 days then gave up and formatted the laptop and reinstalled XP. Still nothing.

The wireless card light is most definately on.
Wired LAN is working fine.

When using windows to manage the networks sometimes I can see the network but won't connect then I refresh the page and can no longer see any networks.
When using the Dell wireless card utility the site monitor tab shows the network but the wireless tab shows nothing.
I have tried manually adding the network but it still can't see anything

ipconfig/all shows the following......
Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : dell-laptop
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : domain.invalid

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1350 WLAN Mini-PCI Ca
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-7D-1E-D2-CD
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.142.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : domain.invalid
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Con
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-43-53-E9-85
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.64
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
192.168.1.254
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 20 July 2009 22:16:55
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 21 July 2009 22:16:55


Any ideas?????

 

Either use the Windows application or the Dell application.
If you want to use Windows, go to Add/Remove and remove the Dell wireless software. If you want to use the Dell app, go to Windows services and Stop the WZC service.
(Start > run > type services.msc > enter, stop the service and then right click the service, Wireless Zero Configuration, choose properties, general tab, Startup Type and choose Disabled.)

The 169.254.142.101 IP address indicates the wireless card is not communicating with the router. The 2 wireless apps are probably causing a conflict between them.

 

What type of router is it? Are you picking up any other wireless networks just not your own?

Try disabling the wireless card and re-enabling it after you have done what lbmest has suggested with either removing the dell utility or disabiling WZC (Wireless Zero Configuration).

Good luck.

Tell us what happens so we can offer further advice.

 

I removed the Dell software but that uninstalled the actual wireless card. I have tried using the Dell software with the WZC service stopped but nothing. The site monitor tab on the Dell utility shows the wireless network so I know the WLN card is working but the network status tab is blank????

 

I have a siemens router as supplied by my phone company which is broadcasting the public network (beaverview) for my customers to connect to. Then I have a Netgear access point connected which is not broadcasting the SSID. I use that for my private network. I can connect to neither, but my other laptop can and so can my customers.

 

Personally, I would not use the Dell wireless utility.
Go to Dell support, use the service code assigned to the laptop and download and install only the latest drivers for the wireless card and use the Windows service to connect.

 

I can't seem to find only the driver files, I keep getting the complete utility application installed.

 

Here's the driver file from Dell. Is it the same file you have downloaded? Also in the installation, is there a choice to load drivers only?
If it is, you can go into services and stop the Dell Wireless utility from starting up. (Use the same procedure as I outlined in post #2.)
Once you reboot you can check Task Manager for the Dell Wireless starting. (Or it may be "bcmwltry.exe" which is the process designation.)
See if that can get you straightened out to use the Windows app.

 

Yes, that is the file I have downloaded. I can see no option to install only the drivers so I have uninstalled the app and run the hardware wizard which I think has installed just the drivers. So I no longer see bcmwltry.exe in Task Manager.
Still no networks detected in the Windows app?????

 

Hi gwf,

The domain.invalid entry is not right. some others on google searches have been experiencing the same problem.

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : domain.invalid

as an example, mine shows

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : dslextreme.com

First, disconnect the ethernet cable from the laptop.
go to start/run type in cmd click ok.
in the cmd window, type ipconfig /displaydns and hit enter. This will display windows dns resolver cache.
next, type ipconfig /flushdns and hit enter to flush the cache.
power down the laptop completely.
disconnect all other pcs from the router.
reset the router back to its factory default setup.
reconfigure router.
power up the laptop and Attempt to connect through the windows utility.

Techsent

 

You do not need to remove the Dell Utility simply disable it at start up in msconfig and in services start WZC ie set to auto & start. Or within the Dell utility select let windows manage this connection.
Removing the Dell Utility can remove needed files

Windows is unable to get an IP address from the DHCP server and allocating the default IP address.

Re-install the Dell Utility software and through the cp of the Dell utility select let the Dell Utility manage the connection. WZC should still remain on Automatic but the service not be Started.

What I would suggest is that you -->start>settings>control panel>Network connections> right click the wireless card [check that it is enabled] & select properties>In the box select the TCP/IP entry and hit Properties button.

The tabs will be set for automatic ie IP address and dns.

1. Select use the following IP address and input an IP address. You seem to be in the 192.168.1.1-253 range so choose one out of the way say 192.168.1.100

2. Subnet mask 255.255.255.0

3. For default gateway IP address yours seems to be 192.168.1.254. So input that value.

in the bottom box for preferred DNS servers type in the gateway address 192.168.1.254.

Reboot the pc and open a dos window start>run>command at the prompt type ping 192.168.1.254 four packets will be sent and hopefully 4 packets received.

I would also advise you to reboot the wap also prior to rebooting pc and make sure that your laptop is initially close to the WAP.

Not broadcasting ssid has now become a security flaw allowing someone to hack into your connection. Amongst others, MS have put a report explaining this , search for it.

FYG, I have Dell laptops with onboard card [one has a Dell Wireless 1350 WLAN Mini-PCI card same as yours] on which I only use the Dell Utility rather than WZC, the wireless connections are very stable. The set up as regards WZC is as I stated above. I guess horses for courses as they say.

Good Luck