Wifi Problems

[hellyt6]

Hello my friends! So, I'm a half-way average computer tech. I know enough to have passed both my A+ and my CCNA and I can usually identify problems within 10-30 seconds and have them fixed as soon as I have it apart, and then figured out where all the screws go... So, I have a Dell Studio XPS 16, Intel Core 2 Dup 2.0GHz Penryn, ATI Radeon 3670, and yaddayaddayadda. Long story short, the Intel WiFi Link 5300 AGN is acting up and I have no clue why. Windows automatically detects and installs the drivers but they refuse to start, and when I finally get them to, it'll pick up my router but never gets an IP address and just uses the APIPA one. I've reseated the antennae and even reseated the card itself and rerouted them. So it's not a signal problem. Could it just be that the card is dying? Or should I try Linux first and see if it's just a bug with the drivers? Can't find any older iterations and the ones on the Dell Resource CD refuse to load at all.

[hellyt6]

New problem thrown in. It just picked up my SSID, and then dropped it. Now it can't find it. I swear, this is like dealing with a drunk six year old.