Dell I5 5577 lost all hope with WIFI

[FlpDaMattress]

I've just about had it with this Dell i5 5577. Today my trusty laptop was hit in the screen by a soccer ball, screen survived but damaged the hinges, nothing too urgent. Now here I am several hours later trying to figure out why after a restart my wifi has suddenly died. I've tried 3 networks now (including my phone Hotspot, what I'm writing this on now). I can't even get into my router webui, Wifi card hasn't died since Bluetooth still works. Everything still up in device manager. Thoughts? 

[GDRRiley]

if you got a spare wifi card try it. It may be that the card finally said na.

[FlpDaMattress]

2 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

if you got a spare wifi card try it. It may be that the card finally said na.

None of my scrap-tops have one small enough. Still still connects to networks, just doesn't act like it. Also isn't it a wifi-Bluetooth combo? If it died, would it all die? 

[GDRRiley]

1 minute ago, FlpDaMattress said:

None of my scrap-tops have one small enough. Still still connects to networks, just doesn't act like it. Also isn't it a wifi-Bluetooth combo? If it died, would it all die? 

no, i've had wifi cards that only part of it worked. 

Well they are cheap on amazon if you want to try that fix.

[FlpDaMattress]

1 minute ago, GDRRiley said:

no, i've had wifi cards that only part of it worked. 

Well they are cheap on amazon if you want to try that fix.

Really don't want to buy parts if I can avoid it. Guess I don't really have a choice.

 

Also really gotta up my scrap top game. This is the newest card i could salvage

[GDRRiley]

1 minute ago, FlpDaMattress said:

Really don't want to buy parts if I can avoid it. Guess I don't really have a choice.

 

Also really gotta up my scrap top game. This is the newest card i could salvage

 

I think I paid like 10 or 15$ for a decent intel one.

[29famous]

16 minutes ago, FlpDaMattress said:

I've just about had it with this Dell i5 5577. Today my trusty laptop was hit in the screen by a soccer ball, screen survived but damaged the hinges, nothing too urgent. Now here I am several hours later trying to figure out why after a restart my wifi has suddenly died. I've tried 3 networks now (including my phone Hotspot, what I'm writing this on now). I can't even get into my router webui, Wifi card hasn't died since Bluetooth still works. Everything still up in device manager. Thoughts? 

You can get USB wifi sticks that are small and convenient for cheap 

[FlpDaMattress]

3 minutes ago, 29famous said:

You can get USB wifi sticks that are small and convenient for cheap 

"small and convenient" I use all 3 of my USB ports daily. Also don't get good coverage in my school, really need the bigger antennas already in the laptop. 

[FlpDaMattress]

4 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

I think I paid like 10 or 15$ for a decent intel one.

Guessing this is what I need then. Anything else I should be looking out for? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00STV5UKW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fICPBbA8E63WS

[GDRRiley]

1 minute ago, FlpDaMattress said:

Guessing this is what I need then. Anything else I should be looking out for? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00STV5UKW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fICPBbA8E63WS

nope, it looks to be the correct size. 

[FlpDaMattress]

2 minutes ago, GDRRiley said:

nope, it looks to be the correct size. 

OK but last question before I do. Is it odd that I can't use USB Teathering from my phone either? I mean, that doesn't even use the WIFI card and I'm getting the same effect. 

[GDRRiley]

2 minutes ago, FlpDaMattress said:

OK but last question before I do. Is it odd that I can't use USB Teathering from my phone either? I mean, that doesn't even use the WIFI card and I'm getting the same effect. 

I've never used tethering from my phone, so I got no idea.

[markr54632]

You said a ball hit the screen and damaged the hinge. The antenna is built into the frame of the screen and the coax wire travels through the hinge. My guess is that the wire snapped or stretched or pinched. The usb tethering I've never had great luck with.

 

If you have a scrap top rip its antenna out and snap it to the network card and see if that helps.

[FlpDaMattress]

On 9/22/2018 at 12:24 AM, markr54632 said:

You said a ball hit the screen and damaged the hinge. The antenna is built into the frame of the screen and the coax wire travels through the hinge. My guess is that the wire snapped or stretched or pinched. The usb tethering I've never had great luck with.

 

If you have a scrap top rip its antenna out and snap it to the network card and see if that helps.

Newest scrap top I have had connectors at least twice as big. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

although after today's chain of events I found this rather therapeutic:

(Lenovo G580. My first laptop ever. Traded for a galaxy S4 and lost it one month later to rain) 

[FlpDaMattress]

Sadly, this is the closest thing I have to Rice. Still no luck.

 

[FlpDaMattress]

32 minutes ago, markr54632 said:

The usb tethering I've never had great luck with.

Also plugged it directly into my router and it wouldn't recognize it at all. Just FYI. 

[Alex Atkin UK]

If you are replacing the card anyway then its worth going for a 2x2 MIMO model as that will likely improve your speed and reception.  That one you found seems to meet that description.

 

Its possible the antenna were damaged by the ball hit though, Bluetooth being shorter range might be why it still works when WiFi does not, but hopefully not.

[FlpDaMattress]

12 hours ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Its possible the antenna were damaged by the ball hit though, Bluetooth being shorter range might be why it still works when WiFi does not, but hopefully not.

What's weird though is it shows all my wifi networks around me with the normal amount of bars. It's not a reception issue, it's a data transfer issue. I don't think ethernet has anything to do with the wifi card but thet didn't work either. Same result on two separate switches.

 

If i can sell it for ~$550 i can have enough to buy an Acer Nitro 5 (Really goddey looking but it's good for the price) and make it someone else's issue. If you look thru my old threads you'll see i've had nothing but issues with this god forsaken laptop. 

[FlpDaMattress]

So the antenna for the wifi/Bluetooth don't even go thru the hinges, just around them. No way there damaged. (looks dirtier than it is on camera) 

[markr54632]

Have you considered just reinstalling windows? I don't find it worth it to try and repair. If it's the hard drive only model it is possible the hdd got damaged by impact.

 

Btw love my nitro 5 disliked the 5577 I used for a couple days. The 5577 monitor panel was unusable. The first Nitro I got had a column of dead pixels. Second one has been my school laptop for over a year and actually has enough power to run my external monitors and 5-6 other pieces of software.

 

Edit: My g580 still works great. I use it as a client in my home lab. One of the best laptops I have ever owned.

[Donut417]

@markr54632 has made a valid point. It could very well be Windows. Windows 10 at least the posts I have been reading for the last year suggest it hates WiFi. Ive seen so many people having issue with WiFi on Windows 10 it makes me wonder. You could try unistalling and reinstalling the drivers. OR just say screw it and reinstall Windows. If that dont work then is most likely a hardware issue of some kind. 

[FlpDaMattress]

On 9/24/2018 at 6:53 PM, Donut417 said:

@markr54632 has made a valid point. It could very well be Windows. Windows 10 at least the posts I have been reading for the last year suggest it hates WiFi. Ive seen so many people having issue with WiFi on Windows 10 it makes me wonder. You could try unistalling and reinstalling the drivers. OR just say screw it and reinstall Windows. If that dont work then is most likely a hardware issue of some kind. 

Certrainly windows, wifi works just fine when i boot into Ubuntu. The bigger issue now is the sudden death of my backlight... I get paid tonight so i hope for the best.

[29famous]

On 9/28/2018 at 5:43 PM, FlpDaMattress said:

Certrainly windows, wifi works just fine when i boot into Ubuntu. The bigger issue now is the sudden death of my backlight... I get paid tonight so i hope for the best.

You could of called and see if it was under a warranty coverage but since you opened it, It most likely voided the warranty. Find the model of your laptop and google for a replacement Wifi card pop it in there see if it works. 

 

but if you find the antenna does run there the hinges you may need to find a repair guy or try to repair it yourself 

 

They sell for about 15 dollars on Newegg 

 

LINK: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAA7W53E0131&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-Network+-+Wireless+Adapters-_-9SIAA7W53E0131&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9NbdBRCwARIsAPLsnFZxX89AGbVu2dsLf-s8vrGsrqku7XHUQoXEnfE16PpcEGrDSTfJBAgaAkVcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

If worth the shot to replace and if it doesn't work the antennas may be damaged from it getting hit 

 

[FlpDaMattress]

On 10/4/2018 at 10:30 PM, 29famous said:

You could of called and see if it was under a warranty coverage but since you opened it, It most likely voided the warranty. Find the model of your laptop and google for a replacement Wifi card pop it in there see if it works. 

 

but if you find the antenna does run there the hinges you may need to find a repair guy or try to repair it yourself 

 

They sell for about 15 dollars on Newegg 

 

LINK: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAA7W53E0131&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-Network+-+Wireless+Adapters-_-9SIAA7W53E0131&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9NbdBRCwARIsAPLsnFZxX89AGbVu2dsLf-s8vrGsrqku7XHUQoXEnfE16PpcEGrDSTfJBAgaAkVcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

If worth the shot to replace and if it doesn't work the antennas may be damaged from it getting hit 

 

It was 100% a driver issue. Once got my display sorted out, a free sketchy VPN (Psiphon) Client kicked on and made everything work again, turned it back off and sure enough, everything kept working.

 

Not the fix i expected but if it works it works. i only use it to go on Reddit on School wifi anyway.