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Is my wireless card about to die?

  • 22-11-2014 1:08pm
    #1
    wet-paint
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭


    Hey folks,

    So I've got an unusual problem with my Packard Bell Easynote TK87 (Windows 7, 4GB RAM, with AVG).

    I was full sure the internet service at home was just patchy, as the laptop would connect to the wifi network, and work for about half a minute or so, then I'd get the little ! Exclamation triangle above the wifi icon in the system tray, and service would drop. I could disconnect, reconnect, and it'd work for about another minute, until it'd drop again.

    But this morning I brought it in to college, and the same craic is happening here. I have a USB Wifi dongle back at home home, that I'll be able to plug in and see if that works, but not for another week or two. Nobody else has problems connecting to the wifi.

    If it is about to die, are wifi cards an easy enough fix? I have no problem takign the case apart and replacing parts, but I've never done the wifi card before, just monitors/ram/hard drives, so I'm wondering how intensive it is.

    I'd try and update the drivers, or google the problem myself, but it's incredibly infuriating trying to google **** when the wifi keeps dropping.

    Any advice welcomed,
    Cheers,
    WP


Comments

  • #2
    ressem
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,426 ✭✭✭ressem


    The hardware card, a mini-pci-e device is often pretty accessible, with it's own access panel under the laptop, or sharing the memory access panel.
    I don't see the service manual for that laptop to confirm though.

    You'd want to check before buying whether it's full or half sized and whether to takes two or three antenna connectors. And possible that it might also provide bluetooth if that matters.


    http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_pg_2?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Amini+pcie+wifi+card&page=2&keywords=mini+pcie+wifi+card&ie=UTF8&qid=1416666606

    Going for a replacement intel card would usually minimise the chance of BIOS incompatibility.

    Regarding drivers, doesn't look like there have been many updates/fixes,
    On the support page, looks like there are 3 possibilities for the currently installed wifi card.
    Which have you got, when you look in device manager?

    for one, Realtek hardware quality seems to be extremely unpredictable.
    Even on new HP so-called 'business Probooks', it can be more reliable to use one of those tiny €6 USB wifi devices.

    http://www.packardbell.co.uk/pb/en/GB/content/download
    Wireless LAN |Atheros |Wireless LAN Driver |9.2.0.439 |11.6 MB |2011/12/22 |Download
    Wireless LAN|Broadcom |Wireless LAN Driver |5.100.82.95 |33.6 MB |2011/10/18 |Download
    Wireless LAN|Realtek |Wireless LAN Driver |2016.2.0521.2010 |17.3 MB |2010/08/26 |Download


  • #3
    wet-paint
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭wet-paint


    Lovely stuff, thanks for that. I've the Atheros one. I'm after borrowing a flatmate's USB wifi dongle, downloaded the drivers, and Robert's my father's brother, job done thanks muchly.

    Strange though, I've never seen behaviour like that, ususally it'd be a straight stop workign scenario from from outdated drivers, for me.


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