Wireless on Laptop is having real problems

Here's the problem. My girlfriend got a new Dell Inspiron 6000 series laptop (I think it's 6400 or 6800, but that doesn't matter, right?). Anyway, for the first little while, probably two weeks, she could use the wifi in my house, her house and her fathers house. In any case, she came to my house one day and couldn't connect. I played around with my routers settings and added some extra channels (I normally keep it at 2 for a little extra security). She still couldn't connect. So, long story short, it says she is connected with excellent signal strength, we had her sitting right next to the router, and alas, no good. My laptop and her dads laptop connect fine, but hers is a lost cause.

Could her WIFI card have gotten cooked? If so how could this have happened? Thanks in advance!

Reply to
omicron91
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Just an update here, we uninstalled Norton antivirus from her computer when she first got it because we both despise Norton. In any case, after it was reinstalled the internet started working again, what's that about?!

Reply to
omicron91

do you still despise it ????

Firewall settings maybe

Did you use the networking wizard.

NIS in the right hands is OK..........10 bananas may be the problem.

Reply to
Lez Pawl

Yes I still despise it owing to the fact that we never ran an antivirus scan or anything, just installing made the internet work again, leading me to believe that the act of uninstalling led to the problem in the first place.

Reply to
omicron91

Maybe it's a problem with the windows XP security settings?

Reply to
johnny

If I read you right, her laptop can talk out through your wifi to the internet fine if Norton is installed, but can't talk out without Norton installed. (Even though it still connects to your wireless router without Norton installed.)

Its almost definetly something protocol or DHCP related. Her laptop probably isn't getting an IP from your router. Why? Norton must make some changes to protocol settings when installed, but doesn't change them back after being uninstalled. What those changes or remnents being left, I couldn't tell you. I haven't touched Norton since 2002. After 2002, Norton became a bloatfest. I not only agree with you that Norton is junk, but also think Peter Norton should sue the Symantec w***es for defamation of character!

Your easiest approach:

- While you can still talk out onto the internet, go download the most current drivers for the wireless card from the card manufacturer. Save it to your desktop.

- Uninstall everything Norton, including "Live Update" if they still use that. Hand delete the directories they once lived in after they are uninstalled. If you are comfortable with working in the registry, even go through the reg and hand delete everything Norton related as well. Reboot, with the wireless card plugged in, to "flush" all this through.

- Uninstall the wireless card drivers and software. Reboot again, for good measure, to "flush" this through.

- Install the wireless drivers that you downloaded.

- Start reading up on alternatives to Norton AV and Firewall. There are even many free alternatives.

- Enjoy your performance increase without Norton...

Reply to
Eric

I meant, without the card plugged in...

Reply to
Eric

Hi, Firewall?

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Thanks, I'll try this when I go about getting rid of Norton again. I'm glad someone agrees with me about Norton, I think if anything describes it well it's "overzealous".

Reply to
omicron91

On 20 Aug 2006 12:17:58 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in :

??? You can't add channels. What are you referring to?

Reply to
John Navas

What makes you think selecting a different wifi channel will have anything to do with security? It'll only help avoid interference, it will absolutely no effect on the relative security of it.

Reply to
Bill Kearney

~ > (I normally keep it at 2 for a little extra security). ~ ~ What makes you think selecting a different wifi channel will have anything ~ to do with security? It'll only help avoid interference, it will absolutely ~ no effect on the relative security of it.

Actually it will worsen interference - if you are on 2, you'll take interference from devices on both 1 and 6, while if you are on 1, you won't get interference from 6.

Reply to
Aaron Leonard

On Mon, 21 Aug 2006 15:42:41 -0700, Aaron Leonard wrote in :

It's actually possible to get some interference between 1 and 6 -- the cutoff isn't that sharp.

Reply to
John Navas

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