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WiFi connectivity issue with Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN

jPoli1
Beginner
16,108 Views

Hello. My Dell Studio 1555 laptop will not wirelessly connect with my FioS router though available WiFi networks are shown. This is a sudden development, having previously worked. Other wireless devices are working well off the same router. (Using router now via Ethernet cable). Laptop network diagnostics state there is a Network Adapter issue. I am running Windows 10, and the Network Diagnostic utility has tested and reset the network connection to no avail. The Intel download assistant/diagnostic agent tested the device and stated it is working properly. The Intel site states support is no longer provided for my wireless network adapter - the Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN (hence this outreach to this esteemed community). I have scanned the computer for errors, and rebooted. I have rebooted the router. All my drivers are said to be updated. I have removed the router from list of available connectivity options and re-entered the key/password. This is confounding! Would love to get a solution. Thanks in advance for your time and inputs.

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7 Replies
idata
Employee
10,684 Views

Hello JPTex,

 

 

As you're already aware, the Intel® WiFi Link 5100 AGN has been discontinued and is no longer applicable for support.

 

 

While you can find the latest drivers available linked under our https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000006507/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Customer Support Options for Discontinued Intel® Wireless Products article, this adapter only supports Windows XP*, Vista*, 7*, and 8* (it only has partial support on 8.1, using Windows 8* drivers). Your adapter does not meet the Microsoft* requirements for a Windows® 10 driver.

 

 

- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005602/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Supported Operating Systems for Intel® Wireless Products

 

 

We understand that you were able to use it for a while thanks to the Windows® 10 generic inbox drivers. However, it's not uncommon for unsupported hardware to start presenting issues after further OS updates have widened the preexisting compatibility gap.

 

 

You could try the built-in network reset tool to see if it returns your connectivity:

 

 

1. Open the start menu and access your Windows* Settings (gear icon).

 

2. Open the Network & Internet menu.

 

3. On the main area, look for and select the "Network Reset" option.

 

4. Make sure to close any open programs and save your work, then select "Reset now" and wait for your PC to restart.

 

 

If this does not help, you could try reinstalling your operating system or purchasing an USB dongle for WiFi.

 

 

Windows® 10 has a very simple way to reinstall the OS back to factory settings (first install) without having to dive into any advanced installation. See the "Reset your PC" section in the https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12415/windows-10-recovery-options Recovery options in Windows® 10 Microsoft* support article.

 

 

NOTE: Any links provided for third party tools or sites are offered for your convenience and should not be viewed as an endorsement by Intel® of the content, products, or services offered there. We do not offer support for any third party tool mentioned here.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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Vegan
New Contributor I
10,684 Views

The Intel 5100 AGN is a false 802.11n wireless network adapter. Intel never provided any firmware to fix the device as it was far to distant from the final standard.

Technically this means Intel made false claims over functionality which today the adapter can achieve. With modern 802,11ac infrastructure the 5100 AGN can get a 54 megabit 802,11g connection at 2,.4 GHz and 802.11a at 5 GHz.

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idata
Employee
10,684 Views

Hello vegan,

This legacy adapter was always advertised as being "802.11Draft-N" capable (802.11a/b/g/Draft-N), this is why it does not carry all the features that can be expected from a fully 802.11n certified model.

It's also very important to make sure to operate on a supported operating system using the latest drivers, link on earlier response. Relying on Windows* inbox drivers for these adapters is not recommendable.

Please refer to it's https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/product-briefs/wifi-link-5100-brief.pdf product brief.

All the same, you should be able to get a connection rate of ~150 Mbps if connecting using Wireless-N in the 2.4 GHz frequency (using 20 MHz channels), or ~300 Mbps if your router supports legacy devices connecting to 5 GHz frequency (using 40 MHz channels). Some newer routers limit all legacy devices to the 2.4 GHz band. You can check this connection rate by opening Command Prompt, running NETSH WLAN SHOW INTERFACE , and looking at your radio, channel, and receive/transmit rate outputs.

Best regards,

 

Carlos A.
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Vegan
New Contributor I
10,684 Views

All I see with 802.11n and 802.11ac access points is a slow 54 megabit connection and slow overall performance

I am waiting on a replacement as I have found a BIOS with the whitelist removed so I can finally fix it

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SGeek1
Beginner
10,684 Views

Hi vegan, I'm having the same problem with my Dell Studio 1555 with this Intel Wifi Link 5100 AGN network adapter installed. I've tried a lot of troubleshooting, no luck. Still getting "can't connect to this network" error message. My Dell was originally with Windows 7, upgraded to Windows 10. Please let me know if you were able to resolved the issue. Thank you so much in advance!

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qnomb
Beginner
10,684 Views

Acutely since late 2018-November or early December, my wifi card appears to receive normally but ceased transmitting with much power. (5100AGN, winXP SP3 32bit, Intel driver 14.3.2.1 (2012) h/w version 1.1.52, no settings enabled for power saving other than, perhaps, roaming which offers me no functionality with a single router at home)

 

When I bring the ThinkPad X200 near the wifi router, I can connect in either band (2.4 or 5 GHz). Third party utilities show router signal strength changes with my location (thus, reception is functioning). However, I need to find clear paths to allow my laptop's transmissions to reach the router. One peculiar symptom is receiving an IP address from my router (MAC-reserved IP address via DHCP) yet failing to ping my router.

 

Unsuccessful attempted solutions: (1) Open and blow dust from laptop. (2) Re-seat wifi card & wiggle antenna plugs on card to renew physical connection surfaces.

 

Proposed solution to test: Obtain a nano-usb wifi adapter.

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Vegan
New Contributor I
10,684 Views
Look for a no whitelist BIOS for the X200 which should be available somewhere. Then you can replace the Wi-Fi card internally with something better like the Intel 7260 which has 2T2R capability and can connect way better. I have a USB WiFi unit with an antenna which is another route. That one is 802.11ac and it’s also very good for connections.
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