Laptop problem - ideas?

therealzuppy

Hi Lads,

I have my laptop since Jan 06. It's a Dell 6000 (I think), bought for about EUR900 back then. Lately, the broadband has been randomly disconnecting and I've had to reboot to get the computer working again. Sometimes, when I reboot, it still doesn't connect. I sometimes see an error when I hover on the wireless icon in the bottom corner saying something like no wireless device found. Also, it's frozen on me completely a couple of times. I have McAfee but this was unrenewed for a few weeks. Any idea what's going wrong here or suggested course of action?

Bit of history, about a week after I bought the computer, I splilt a cup of tea on it and it wasn't very healthy and wouldn't connect to broadband. Using dell customer support, without mentioning the tea incident, I took the computer apart, cleaned it all up and it's been fine since then. Until now.

Advice: Be careful with the aul drop and the laptop lads.

Any thoughts on what I should do?

Soundman

It sounds like one of two things. Either:

1) Your wireless card is fried and would need replacing
2) Problem with your router. Any way you can borrow someone else's laptop to check what the wireless is like on their's? Would narrow down the problem.

therealzuppy

Thanks Soundman. I don't think it's the wireless router but I'm heading home from Sydney this week and will check the computer against another router there. If it's the wireless card, how would I would I go about getting that checked and replaced? How much we talking?

Tom Dunne

therealzuppy wrote:

If it's the wireless card, how would I would I go about getting that checked and replaced? How much we talking?

Personally, I would not bother with the internal wireless card, but simply buy a USB model. Much more straight forward, and a helluva lot cheaper.

Does the wired internet connection exhibit the same problem?

therealzuppy

Hi Tom, I don't actually have a wired box to check here at the moment. Does it def sound like a wifi card problem rather than a virus or something? Only reason why I'm asking that is because the screen has just frozen a couple of times also.

How much for the USB?

Tom Dunne

therealzuppy wrote:

Does it def sound like a wifi card problem rather than a virus or something? Only reason why I'm asking that is because the screen has just frozen a couple of times also.

It's impossible to say from this angle.

therealzuppy wrote:

How much for the USB?

No idea. Can't be more than €30-€40 I would imagine.

matt-dublin

before you go replacing any hardware, i would suggest trying to update the drivers for your wireless card, could be something as simple as that

extra-ordinary_

therealzuppy wrote:

Hi Lads,

Also, it's frozen on me completely a couple of times. I have McAfee but this was unrenewed for a few weeks.

Does this mean you've got outdated definitions or you've got no protection at the moment?



( atheros wi-fi card would cost < €30 off ebay)