# Where is my Wifi
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-wifi/405162
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 23, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-wifi/405162 "2007-05-23T01:02:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-wifi/405162/1 "2007-05-23T01:02:25Z")
After a hard drive failure, I just reinstalled all the Dell software on my Inspiron 6000. It doesn’t seem to know it has a wireless card. I cannot find it (or maybe just recognize it) in hardware, device profiles. It certainly does not connect to the internet wirelessly. Any ideas?
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### Author:  [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-wifi/405162/2 "2007-05-23T01:29:46Z")
What make and model is it? Because you can probably find drivers for your OS on [DriverGuide](http://www.driverguide.com) (Free registration required) if not from the manufacturer’s own website’s support section. If it’s built-in, you can probably grab the drivers right from Dell’s site.
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### Author:  [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-wifi/405162/3 "2007-05-23T02:00:08Z")
Get the Service Tag number off the sticker on the bottom of the laptop.
Then go to this page:
[http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen](http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen)
on Dell’s site put your Service Tag number in and click the Go button.
You should get a page showing software and drivers that shipped with the laptop.
Assuming you’re still running the wireless card the laptop shipped with, you should find the driver there.
Good luck!
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### Author:  [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2007, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-wifi/405162/4 "2007-05-23T05:33:36Z")
[QUOTE=dauerbach]
After a hard drive failure, I just reinstalled all the Dell software on my Inspiron 6000. It doesn’t seem to know it has a wireless card. I cannot find it (or maybe just recognize it) in hardware, device profiles. It certainly does not connect to the internet wirelessly. Any ideas?
[/QUOTE]
On my Acer , there is a little switch that allows me to take the wireless offline, check that yours is switched to the on position.
I only mention this cause I was reading someones trials of getting wireless to run in linux, doing various things , only to find that it was turned off by the little switch.
Declan
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### Author:  [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2007, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-wifi/405162/5 "2007-05-23T12:01:32Z")
Check the local **C:\Windows\Drivers** folder. If you used the Dell recovery disc it will probably stick all your basic drivers in that folder. Go in there and run the setup for whatever you don’t have.
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### Author:  [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2007, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-my-wifi/405162/6 "2007-05-23T12:17:52Z")
Thanks for the advice. After spending a couple hours, I called Dell and spent a couple more hours reinstalling everything. It is up and running fine now. And I must say Dell support was on the line with me the whole time, and were very very good. Most of time was spent reinstalling everything. It seems I mixed up the order of two of the discs when I originally installed them and that screwed everthing up. My bad.