Network and Internet problem

[lozcart]

My friend has dropped off to me his Dell N5030 laptop for me to look at as he couldn't connect to the Internet.

I know more about Apple Macs but I thought I might be able to help him, I've now completely cocked it up and require a bit of help.

Firstly I deleted the driver for the wireless card hoping it would reinstall and cure the problem. The problem is I can't now locate the card to reinstall the driver, any clues on where to look?

Before I deleted the driver the problem seems to be the computer lists the network as "unidentified network public network" it's currently connected to the router with a ethernet cable and it's displaying the same "unidentified network"

Any help is appreciated but go easy with me on the technicalities as I'm not very familiar with Windows 7.

Thanks in advance.

[Rik]

Check the hardware in Device Manager from Control Panel, does the network adaptor show there?

[Glenn]

The Dell drivers are available from http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&ServiceTag=&SystemID=INSPIRON_N5030&os=W732&osl=EN

[lozcart]

I can't see it Rik, under network devices it lists Atheros fast Ethernet controller and Bluetooth adaptor.

Under other devices it lists a Network Controller and says the driver for this device is not installed, it I click update driver it says Windows can't find driver software.

[Glenn]

Is the laptop in the correct 'Group' You can check in Control Panel > Home Group.

[Rik]

Try Glenn's link.

[lozcart]

Is the laptop in the correct 'Group' You can check in Control Panel > Home Group.

Thanks Glenn I can't try your link because it would connect to the Internet through the router. It now says unidentified network home network.

It says it belongs to the home group in the network control panel.

[Glenn]

This may help http://www.tildemark.com/tips/fix-no-internet-access-in-windows-7.html

[lozcart]

I've tried disabling and then enabling the local area connection but the same happens. When I check the home group it keeps saying it's not available because I'm not connected to the home network. The network and sharing centre then says unidentified network public network.

[lozcart]

It's getting a little better I've got rid of Bonjour and also got the wireless working again it connects to my router but shows a red cross between it and the Internet.

The active network showns my wireless name and states home network, just now need to it to pick up the Internet though the router, any ideas?

[Rik]

I assume the router is in sync, Loz? Have you another cable you can try to a different router port, to eliminate two 'mechanical' possibilities.

[lozcart]

The routers fine Rik is been used as I type by other computers without a problem.

I've tried another cable and port with the same results the computer picks up an ip address from the router by DHPC but the connection goes no further.

[Steve]

Have you tried disabling the Windows firewall?

[Rik]

Or even all security software.

[lozcart]

It's running McAfee security centre I see what I can turn off.

[Rik]

If you start in safe mode with networking support, it might turn off McAfee for you.

[lozcart]

You guys are stars, I've turned off the firewall in McAfee and now every things fine.

So do I now leave it off any rely on the Windows firewall?

[Steve]

It's not uncommon for firewalls to disable wireless internet access

[Rik]

Or yes.

[lozcart]

Turned the firewall in McAfee back on and all is still ok   

[Rik]

  I hate McAfee.

[Steve]

I guess if you install McAfee without an active wireless connection it blocks it.

[esh]

As modern security software goes to show, an unconnected computer is a safe computer! Who needs that dreadful internet anyway? It's all pipes I tell you.

[davej99]

The problem is I can't now locate the card to reinstall the driver, any clues on where to look?

You have probably fixed the problem by now, but it is worth knowing that Dell usually places backup copies of the shipped drivers in c/drivers/network/Rxxxx, for example, for each device. You will have to interrogate the Rxxxxx contents inf or txt files in notepad to work out the device and the driver. If the user has run driver updates using downloaded Dell Rxxxxx executables the files are usually placed in c/Dell/drivers/Rxxxxx. Having identified the Rxxxxx directory for the device, you can download the Rxxxx executable of that name from Dell and run it to automatically install the driver. I generally keep these downloads as a updated backups and run them if I get a problem.

[lozcart]

Thanks Dave 

I sorted the wireless card problem by getting the computer to resort to a previous backup it had saved.

It still seems to work ok today. 

[Technical Ben]

Yep. PCs do not save the driver files anywhere when you install them. So uninstalling may require you to fetch out all the old disks.

[Rik]