Need new wireless wifi adaptor for laptop-RESOLVED

[Bobbo]

OK gurus. DW's Dell 14R (N4010) no longer connects to WIFI. The adaptor has apparently died. I have researched it and can put a Dell K5Y6D half-size card in there.

I am capable of doing the replacement myself.

My question, is there a compatible upgraded card that would be better?

Thanks in advance.

Bobbo

[cleo43]

Welcome to the club..

Count me in.
In life we tend to look for difficult solutions, overlooking the easy ones.

[1492]

This is much more common occurrence with laptops than one might think.

[wa8yxm]

Welcome to the club.. That is a very common problem (Stupid User Error) I would love to tell you I've never done anything like that.. Yes, I'd love to tell you that.. But alas, I can not lie. I have done that very thing.

[Bobbo]

I feel like such a DUNCE!!!!!!!

I bought an OEM replacement card. Took the laptop apart and replaced the card in the computer. Powered up to show DW that it is now working. NO DICE!

Now what?

I go online for ideas. I find a link that says to look in the setup to be sure all the wireless are enabled. OK. Reboot, then press F2 at the proper time to get into setup.

While it is rebooting, I look for the F2 key. Printed on the F2 key is a picture of a wireless antenna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I let it boot up normally, then press the F2 button with the picture of the antenna on it. GUESS WHAT? WIRELESS CAME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The problem all the time was that DW had bumped the F2 key and turned off wireless! All I had to do was hit F2 again to turn it back on!

I AM AN IDIOT!

[Bobbo]

OK, I ordered the same card that is already in there from AMAZON. Thanks guys.

[kjburns]

I just checked and Amazon has some internal wifi cards that might fit. It seems like they have everything and anything I look for now, and generally for less than Newegg.

[KA4EBU]

The factory wlan internal cards are cheap and easy to install. Check ebay.

[Bobbo]

kjburns wrote:
You may want to go the simple route and get a USB wifi adaptor.

This would be viable, if she had more USB ports. She has 2, and 1 is permanently hosting an identical thingy that is for the wireless mouse. That only leaves her 1 USB port, and she uses that for everything else.

ChooChooMan74 wrote:
There should be a mini card inside the laptop that can be changed. Of course, you should not attempt this unless you are comfortable taking apart electronics.

I am very comfortable digging around in the computer guts. I was replacing mother boards in 1990. I have even done mother board repair with a soldering iron. Successfully.

[ChooChooMan74]

There should be a mini card inside the laptop that can be changed. Of course, you should not attempt this unless you are comfortable taking apart electronics.

[bcsdguy]

1775 wrote:

kjburns wrote:
You may want to go the simple route and get a USB wifi adaptor.

X3!

X4

[RLS7201]

As always, antenna size and configuration is an important consideration for any over the air signal. The antenna wire on you OEM card, runs around the screen, where as the USB adapter antenna is confined to a very tiny space. If you can stand the limitation of the USB adapter, go for it.

Richard

[MrVan]

I've had very good luck with the USB model AWUSO36H AlFa Wireless adapter. 1000MW or 1 Watt. Last time I bought one I paid around $14.00

[1775]

kjburns wrote:
You may want to go the simple route and get a USB wifi adaptor.

X3!

[kjburns]

The one I linked on Amazon is only $10 and probably works fine. I have something similar in one of my desktops.