What happened to my wireless signal?

A client’s laptop has recently had its internal mini-PCI wireless adapter card replaced. Although the drivers for the card load without any errors and the Windows Device Manager shows the card working properly, the wireless card management software shows very low signal strength. The wireless card keeps dropping its wireless connection and will not maintain a consistent network link. What is the most likely reason for this problem?

A) The mini-PCI card isn’t compatible with the laptop

B) The operating system doesn’t support the wireless card

C) The wireless adapter antenna cable isn’t connected

D) The wireless card is administratively powered off

The answer: C) The wireless adapter antenna cable isn’t connected

If you’re installing a wireless adapter inside of a computer, you’ll need some type of external antenna or built-in antenna to get the best reception. Many laptop computers include built-in antenna wires that connect directly to the mini-PCI card, and if you don’t properly connect the antenna wire you’ll have problems with wireless communication.

The incorrect answers:

A) The mini-PCI card isn’t compatible with the laptop
Mini-PCI cards are standardized, so you won’t usually find an incompatibility between a mini-PCI card and a laptop with a mini-PCI adapter slot.

B) The operating system doesn’t support the wireless card
Since the driver was already loaded properly in the operating system, we can be relatively sure the operating system is supported.

D) The wireless card is administratively powered off
If the wireless card was turned off, you wouldn’t have any wireless connectivity. In this case, our performance is degraded but still operational.

Want to know more? Watch “Diagnosing and Troubleshooting Laptops and Portable Devices.” When your portable device starts having problems, where do you start the troubleshooting process. Unlike traditional desktop personal computers, laptops and portable devices have additional steps for diagnosing troubles. In this video module, we’ll troubleshoot the boot process, video settings, stylus and digitizer issues, keypad problems, and antenna wires.