Vista problems

Hey everyone, quick question:

I am running an HP Pavilion dv9000 on Vista Home Premium.

As of late, my computer has not registered any network connections... Meaning, it will still connect to a server automatically, but the computer itself (through network icon on taskbar) says it's not connected to the net. When I opened "Network Options" or whatever it's called to investigate further, it freezes Explorer (windows, not internet) and subsequently stops me from trying to fix this. Any suggestions?

Also, I am looking for a good firewall for vista (I know this is software related but I thought I'd throw it in )

thanks in advance for help

 

Try uninstalling your network card using Device Manager, locate the card right-click and select uninstall.

If I remeber right the steps to access device manager is:
1. Start
2. Right-Click Computer
3. Select Properties
4. Select Device Manager on left panel
5. Click plus sign next to "Network Adapters"
6. Right-Click on Card and select Uninstall.

Restart your PC after that and it should reinstall them once you start your computer again.

I've done this several times and usually it fixes the issue, but not always.