I have a Acer Extensa 5620z that came with Vista. I wiped clean and loaded XP. Every driver from Acer's website works except the Wireless driver. I've tried loading it 10 different times and 5 different ways to install the driver. It's a Broadcom card I looked at it myself. Acer claims they are not responsible if it's not in Vista. Please help :(

ok there are two diffrent wireless cards that come with that laptop which one do you have

 http://us.acer.com/public/page133.do;jsessionid=2430F91442741C9068E7DD5097B73606.public_a_us003?link=oln55.redirect&dau321.oid=30778&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=25&CountryISOCtxParam=US&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+States&crc=799208601

Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection supporting 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN, Acer® SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency, WI-FI CERTIFIED™
or
Acer® InviLink 802.11b/g wireless LAN, Acer® SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency, WI-FI CERTIFIED

How do I find out. I used device manager and I don't recognize either driver in the details. I opened the laptop up and it's a Broadcom.

Is there also a number that resides with that Boradcom, there are over several thousand made through out the years all are different.

Broadcom
BCM94312MCG
FCC ID: QDS-BRCM1028
IC: 4324A-BRCM1028

The LAN drivers work but no Wireless so it has to be a driver issue with the card. The laptop recognizes the card but no go.

I have the same problem. Once I formatted my Extensa 5620Z the Wifi disappeared. 

Can anyone help me.Thanks in advance.

By the way my Lan Driver is: 

80211abg\Broadcom

CiscoDude5SIX1:

Broadcom
BCM94312MCG
FCC ID: QDS-BRCM1028
IC: 4324A-BRCM1028

The LAN drivers work but no Wireless so it has to be a driver issue with the card. The laptop recognizes the card but no go.

Some people have said this driver will work Atheros WiFi Driver  for the Broadcom BCM94312MCG in XP. If that does not work try this one here http://www.mediafire.com/?cfdzj3eaizt

How ever after looking on Broadcoms website that particular Wi-Fi is Vista only so these drivers are called modified and or hacked drivers. Use at your own discretion.

Hi CiscoDude5SIX1, I had the same problem. Following a "downgrade" (upgrade) to XP and hours of trying everything, the wireless adapter STILL didn't connect (just sat there flashing and not detecting anything) Just before throwing it out of the window I remembered I had another (newer) access point in the cupboard, plugged this in and it was detected within a few seconds! Now works a treat! The original AP that didin't work was a Belkin and the one that did is a cheap Homeplug one!

Hope this helps, Dave

 

Tried both.
Start>right click my computer, Manage>Device manager
>Network controller>driver tab>update driver>install from specific location
 browse for the "driver", next

Here is a site I just stubled upon for that Acer.

http://www.drivershq.com/Drivers/Acer/Extensa/5620Z/23419/23647/37403/Drivers.aspx

Available Driver Download Specific to Acer Extensa 5620Z

The following is a list of the Acer Extensa 5620Z drivers that were found and are available for download using Driver Detective. Download the trial version of Driver Detective to automate your search and download of driver updates for your system

Acer Atheros Wireless LAN Driver	5.3.0.45	5/2/2007 12:00:00 AM	XP
Acer Atheros Wireless LAN Driver	5.3.0.45	5/2/2007 12:00:00 AM	XP

$30 to register and I don't wanna buy it to find out it doesn't work :/

I think I'm gunna put Vista back on it. As much as I wanted a XP machine

Well that’s the only ones that I can find, for some reason Broadcom made that Vista, 2000 compatible but not XP.

Which completely makes no sense. But yes that is the same thing I've found out. Well thank you for the help I'm putting Vista back on it for now I have class tomorrow 7am so I cna't waste any more time. Again Thanks!

Well in a way it does make some sense. The structures of the XP32/64 driver, Windows 2000 is universal now, and Vista structures differ from each other. Its easy to write a driver for Windows 2000 today, where as XP and Vista both 32/64 bit are more troublesome to write at times, especially for wireless cards. Also Vista is being fazed out by Microsoft next year.

I run a shop and sell these things. Today I ran into the same issue, yet on other laptop the downgrade installed the driver fine.

At any rate, here is what I found:

On the working laptop Extensa 5620z the "network controller" is a Braodcom 802.11g

Version: 4.170.25.12 

Date: 20/09/2007 

Did a search in Google and found this: 

http://drivers.softpedia.com/get/NETWORK-CARD/OTHER-NETWORK-CARDS/Acer-TravelMate-4320-Broadcom-Wireless-Driver-41702512.shtml 

or http://tinyurl.com/5cec3l

Told Device Manager to update the drivers, pointed to the folder where I expanded the Zip.  Worked like a charm.

Hope this helps. 

 

 

Running the netsh wlan show commands can sometimes uncover some types of configuration errors that result in connectivity problems.

Tallon41