I have a Dell Vostro 3460 laptop with Windows 7, 64-bit. My wireless driver is Dell Wireless 1704.802.11b/g/n. I just got this computer in December, and it worked fine for a couple of months, then about a month ago, I started having these problems.
Whenever I turn off or put my computer to sleep and turn it back on, my wireless connection doesn't work. The wireless indicator light on the front of the laptop is not on, and I push the FN+F2 button (which is supposed to turn on wireless), but it does nothing. I checked under the device manager, and the wireless adapter is not there.
I have run the PSA diagnostics twice, and both time it says:
Wireless Switch = On
Wireless LAN = Not Installed
Bluetooth = Not Installed
Wireless WAN = Not Installed
After the first time I ran the diagnostics, I reinstalled the driver. The I restarted the computer, and the wireless was working. However, that night I turned of the computer, and when I turned it back on the next morning, the wireless was not working again.
Other things I have discovered that sometimes work as a temporary fix:
Sometimes, if I wait 5 or so minutes, the wireless indicator light will come on, and then I can restart my computer and connect to a network, but most of the time, I can wait for hours and it never comes on.
If I start in computer into safe mode or the BIOS screen or diagnostic screen, sometimes the wireless will start working after I exit that mode and start into normal operating. For example, one of the times that I ran the PSA diagnostics, the wireless started working afterwards, but stopped working again the next day. Another time, I started the computer in safe mode with networking to see if that would work, and the wireless did not work while I was in safe mode, but then I restarted the computer in normal mode, and the wireless came on.
One time, I went under Device Manager and did "Scan for Hardware Changes." After that, the wireless indicator light came on, and I restarted the computer and was able to connect to a network.
However, all of these solutions were temporary, and some of these solutions only work one time but not again.
I called Dell Support a couple of weeks ago, and they said that my antivirus program might be stopping the wireless driver from starting up. I have Trend Micro, which came with the computer. Does anyone else have this problem with Trend Micro?
Thanks for any help or advice you can give.