Question Intel Wireless N 7260 "Code 10" on VAIO PCG-61411L

[JustHaven]

I found this laptop in my step dad's junk bin, he was just unable to charge it but otherwise everything worked perfectly after getting a charger for it. I was going through and doing some minor upgrades, one of which was swapping out the unbranded WLAN card in the machine with a newer Intel Wireless N 7260 so that I could have hopefully faster internet speeds as well as Bluetooth support (since I plan to use this laptop for travel). However, after installing the drivers, no option to turn on WiFi or Bluetooth was available and in device manager it showed "The device could not start (Code 10)". This laptop came out the same year as another laptop I was originally using this WLAN card in, and it worked fine in there with some BIOS tweaks. Do I need to do the same with this laptop? Or is there another fix I can try? I want to point out this laptop has a physical "Wireless" switch on the front of the laptop, I guess like a built in airplane mode of sorts? The laptop's LAN connector works fine as well.

Edit: After a reboot, Bluetooth is now working. WiFi is still not available, though.

 

[Ralston18]

On the laptop run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt.

You should be able to copy and paste the full results into a post here without needing to manually retype it all.

How were the drivers installed? Source?

 

[JustHaven]

On the laptop run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt.

You should be able to copy and paste the full results into a post here without needing to manually retype it all.

How were the drivers installed? Source?

IPconfig only gives me info regarding my ethernet adaptor and my home internet (which for privacy reasons I won't send), nothing about the WLAN card.
I was originally using the driver that had worked on the previous laptop the WLAN card was used in, when that gave me a Code 10 I then installed a driver archived by the Wayback Machine from the official Intel site where the issue persists.

 

[Ralston18]

There is nothing in "ipconfig /all" that can personally identify you barring such things as your computer and network somehow revealing your identity with some actual name.

Home networks use private IP address ranges that are used by thousands of small networks - including mine.

Here is my "ipconfig /all" and my redactions are shown by using XXXX.

= = = =

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Install the latest PowerShell for new features and improvements! https://aka.ms/PSWindows

PS C:\Users\XXXX> ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXX
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : hsd1.XX.comcast.net

Ethernet adapter XXXX:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : hsd1.XX.comcast.net
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 8C-EC-4B-7E-7E-D4
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.117(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, October 26, 2024 8:04:56 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, November 3, 2024 8:04:56 AM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 74-40-BB-D5-2D-BE
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

= = = =

Recommended reading (and you can easily find other similar links and tutorials):

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-private-ip-address-2625970

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-public-ip-address-2625974

It is your public IP address that should not be posted. You can find your public IP address via "What is my IP".

Some people are concerned about device MAC's (physical addresses). However, the MAC can be used to help identify installed hardware. Such as a WLAN card.

"ipconfig /all" is a commonly used troubleshooting tool that can reveal any number potential problems.

That all said: Do you see the WLAN listed in Device Manager?

Does the WLAN show up via Powershell's "Get-NetAdapter"?

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/p...pter/get-netadapter?view=windowsserver2022-ps

There are other related cmdlets listed as well.

 

[BFG-9000]

While most laptops featuring a whitelist will refuse to POST with unauthorized hardware installed, Dells and Toshibas will boot fine but give the Code 10. That indicates Windows is unable to communicate with the hardware.

 

[JustHaven]

There is nothing in "ipconfig /all" that can personally identify you barring such things as your computer and network somehow revealing your identity with some actual name.

Alrighty, just wanted to make extra sure.

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DESKTOP-MUA9A3J
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : ---

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : ---
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Marvell Yukon 88E8057 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-24-BE-B0-F9-72
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::c1b8:8fcd:2a75:dfba%3(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 28.14.99.77(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : September 20, 1888 6:03:02 PM
   Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : October 28, 2024 9:31:27 PM
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 28.14.99.1
   DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 28.14.99.1
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 134227134
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-2E-B0-F5-21-00-24-BE-B0-F9-72
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 28.14.99.6
                                       1.1.1.1
                                       46.166.189.67
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix Search List :
                                       ---

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 2C-81-58-BF-C1-E7
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

I just censored the only real private stuff with ---, all the other goodies should be there.

 

[BFG-9000]

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 2C-81-58-BF-C1-E7

This Bluetooth device is not on the Intel card. It's a Foxconn made device somewhere else in the laptop.

The Intel Wifi and Bluetooth MAC addresses are printed on its sticker.

 

[JustHaven]

This Bluetooth device is not on the Intel card. It's a Foxconn made device somewhere else in the laptop.

The Intel Wifi and Bluetooth MAC addresses are printed on its sticker.

Still, the wifi card it came with is unbranded and from 2009, which is why I'd still prefer to use the Intel card instead. I'm not seeing anything regarding whitelists for the BIOS this laptop uses (version R0170Y7), so I'm stumped on what is causing the issue.

 

[kerberos_20]

id try few different driver versions
do you know from which OEM vendor this card came from? as intel doesnt make wifi adapters directly, they are OEM only

 

[BFG-9000]

Still, the wifi card it came with is unbranded and from 2009, which is why I'd still prefer to use the Intel card instead.

Draft-N cards started to come out in 2006, so if that card is N or Draft-N, I don't see how the 2.4GHz-only Intel Wireless N 7260 would be faster, since it's just N300. There was also a Dual-Band Wireless N 7260 and of course a Wireless AC 7260 to provide 5GHz if your laptop has dual-band antennas (Intel must really have liked the number 7260 to reuse it for so many different products).

It doesn't appear VAIO laptops had whitelists, but googling shows many people with 7260 cards on the Intel forums could only get them working in Sony laptops by taping over pins #20 (on the back of the card) and #51 (on the side with the antenna jacks), after which both wifi and Bluetooth worked fine.