Good WLAN mini-card can't detect WIFI

I'm working on a Dell laptop for which I now have two seemingly perfectly good WIFI minicards, the original "g" card and a much better "n" Atheros-based card [DW1702]. In either/both cases, no issues with drivers or function so far as Windows goes, but with the antenna leads properly hooked up, it cannot detect a thing. I've tried it with two different AP's that everything else is happy with, but it shows nothing at all period. cannot detect signal.

If I plug a USB WIFI stick in, works like a charm.

I'm literally stumped. Do not know even what to go look for at this point. Obviously I've uninstalled/reinstalled several times, each time with no drama - everything loads right up and the icons show, the taskbar panel looks right, the driver detail, protocol stacks, everything - all looks perfect.

?

 

Did you check to see if the wifi-switch is on?
The wireless switch will be either a sliding switch on the left or right side edge of the computer, a key combination or single key, look for the wireless icon .

For example on the N7110/17R, N5110/15R and the N4110/14R, press and hold the <FN> key and then press the <F2> key to alternatively turn off or turn on the wireless function on the computer.

 

yes , wifi switch on, all looks good, enabled, etc etc.
David it is running XP Media Center Edition with almost all updates [was that one on SP3?] except for a few security patches.
Basically, except for the chipset driver, I did what you're describing. I [again] went through every blasted program I could find that might possibly have anything to do with networking, and removed all. when I put the newer 'n' card in to replace the old intel g card, I unzipped the dell driver pack then used device manrager to install the driver from the folder [there's only one folder with the xp 32 bit drivers]. installed perfectly. no bangs in Device Manager

now that I'm thinking about it, there are three more package thingies I guess do have something to do with net:
- avast
- bonjour
- windows firewall

however the behaviour is the same in Safe Mode with networking, logged in as Administrator - none of the above in play in that case.
and, to repeat, a usb [ralink] stick works like a charm. no issues.
also tried both full boot and safe+networking with the firewire [yes this model has] and ethernet nic disabled. same behavior. of course tried many disable/re-enable and 'refresh network list' - not a peep... it "sees" no networks

I guess it can't hurt to try r/r the chipset driver.

what else?

 

you want that with all the devices enabled? and do you want it plugged in to eithernet cable or sans?

 

gosh I hate admitting this .... I am a certified idiot. howie was on the right issue... I should have googled this topic extensively before posting - as it turns out LOTS of people owning that laptop have been mystified by the wifi switching - it does not have a physical switch NOR does it have an associated LED. it toggles both bluetooth and WIFI together on a function key invocation. it does turn off Bluetooth [the device is powered off apparently] but it does NOT turn off the WIFI adapter: apparently it toggles the radio, but gives no indication other than the obvious one: you ain't got no network :-D ... you're left guessing at the rest.

when the key [fn+f2] is toggled, it takes a good 20 seconds or so for the radio to either go on or off - it appeared it didn't have any effect except for Windows Sound to give the device audible [first time I have been grateful for that annoying sound]. so we got the sound, but nothing else happened for 20 sec or so, then if you're watching closely you see the status in the task bar "network available" ... AND you see the bluetooth indicator, which in this case will always serve as the "green light" though its blue..

so there you have it. works fine now :wave

forever mark me stooopid.

I feel sorry for the people behind the MANY posts I saw on this topic, who never actually got help, in some cases EVEN FROM DELL TECH SUPPORT....:cry

thanks team! I appreciate you both