Cannot detect wireless signal, dropped moments after if is detected

[danteandreams]

I am running windows 7 home premium 64 bit. And an atheros AR5B95 wireless network adaptor.

Two weeks ago I discovered rootkit 0access on my computer, and after much hassle, performed a factory restore to fix the situation. Since then my computer has been mostly unable to detect wireless connections. I say mostly because upon occassion it will see my wifi connection, but be unable to connect to it, and it will soon drop seeing the connection moments after anyway.

I performed a hard reset of my modem with at&t customer service, and walked through every possibility that it could be a modem issue. This was further proven by an additional laptop having no issue with the wifi connection, and that my laptop is having this problem with every wifi connection.

<edit> I can connect with ethernet no problem at all, and currently am.

here is my ipconfig /all

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Matrix>ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Matrix-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : gateway.2wire.net
Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D0-DF-9A-37-6A-8E
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR8152/8158 PCI-E Fast Ethernet C
ontroller (NDIS 6.20)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : B8-70-F4-A0-70-2A
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::dc69:104c:6a24:af7d%11(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.80(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, October 25, 2012 3:18:29 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Friday, October 26, 2012 3:18:29 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 236745992
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-18-1A-7E-1F-B8-70-F4-A0-70-2A
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Tunnel adapter isatap.{0D7C2E0B-61F2-4E3D-BC90-11532EA44A09}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter isatap.gateway.2wire.net:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:9d38:953c:89e:2c2e:3f57:feaf(Prefe
rred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::89e:2c2e:3f57:feaf%12(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
C:\Users\Matrix>

I have been researching this issue for several days, and have been unable to resolve it myself. I'm lost. I need help

 

[bassfisher6522]

After the factory restore, did you update your system with MS updates and look for the latest drivers from your vendors site.

I'm betting it's a driver update that's needed...

 

[bassfisher6522]

If you would fill in your system specs in your user profile area we can assist you in finding the correct drivers needed.

 

[danteandreams]

I ran acer updater, it found nothing to update, and I used slimdrivers to update atheros. and I'll finish my system specs right now

 

[bassfisher6522]

Sometimes those updater's will miss or skip the most current driver....so you have to go to your make and model support page and manually update the drivers.

 

[danteandreams]

I've been having issues with doing that with my athros NA. Evidently a compatability issue with w7 came up and an unofficial driver update was released on some .cz website, and possibly athros came out with a new driver this year But I have not been able to become certain of this. But I couldn't find any new athros update on their website, and I can't figure out how to install the driver from the .cz site that some help forums have suggested.

<edit>Made myself more clear

<<edit>> I also have been to the acer website and used their latest Athros driver. I reformatted my computer again after this because I had been fooling around with A LOT of different things by that point and didn't trust myself completely with what I had done. Going to reinstall the driver from acer right now. It did not resolve my issue before.

 

[bassfisher6522]

What's the exact make and model of your PC...

 

[danteandreams]

Acer Aspire 5250, my bad, I didn't notice it in the profile tab, been googling how to find out what one's PSU and sound cards are lol.

 

[bassfisher6522]

Have a look here....I see it has 3 wireless drivers and all from 2011. To check your current driver date check in your device manager, right click on your wireless adapter, then select driver tab and it will show you the date of driver....

Acer Support: Downloads & Support Documents - Notebook / Aspire / Aspire 5250

 

[bassfisher6522]

There is also a firmware update....and a bios update. I don't know what the firmware update is for.

 

[danteandreams]

In the process of updating my drivers yesterday I....accidentally deleted the driver for my ethernet connection. I had to do another system restore to get it back. And when I did, the wifi worked. I restored to the last section of my hard restore, the first restore(that I mentioned in my first post) did not have the same effect which is confusing.

I went and downloaded the driver's, bios, and firmware you mentioned after the restore, and the connection seemed to grow more firm. However, if I overtaxed the connection it would still drop for a few moments. At this point it was pretty late and I just went to sleep. When I woke up, it's back to exactly like it was in my first post.

I don't understand how this is happening lol.

<edit> clarification

 

[danteandreams]

<update> This is the point my Wireless connection is at now. I'm able to connect occasionally. But I a not "allowed" so to speak to stress the connection at all beyond basic browsing. Here is where my ipconfig goes from one moment to the next, from when I connect to after I stress it.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Matrix>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Matrix-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : gateway.2wire.net

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D0-DF-9A-37-6A-8E
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::85ae:69ed:eb2e:33c8%12(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.70(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, October 27, 2012 1:14:20 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, October 28, 2012 1:14:45 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 231792538
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-18-1A-7E-1F-B8-70-F4-A0-70-2A

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR8152/8158 PCI-E Fast Ethernet C
ontroller (NDIS 6.20)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : B8-70-F4-A0-70-2A
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.gateway.2wire.net:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:9d38:6ab8:248f:2f45:3f57:feb9(Pref
erred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::248f:2f45:3f57:feb9%13(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

C:\Users\Matrix>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Matrix-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D0-DF-9A-37-6A-8E
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : gateway.2wire.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Atheros AR8152/8158 PCI-E Fast Ethernet C
ontroller (NDIS 6.20)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : B8-70-F4-A0-70-2A
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.gateway.2wire.net:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

C:\Users\Matrix>