Intel Dual Band Wireless N 7260 fails to detect 5GHz links on Dell M6500 laptop.
Intel Dual Band Wireless N 7260 fails to detect 5GHz links on Dell M6500 laptop.
I just received this wireless card to swap out the aging 2.4GHz base card that came with my computer. However, I’m not able to detect my 5GHz home network in Device Manager—it appears as dual-band, but I’ve set it to prioritize 5GHz connections via the advanced settings. Still, it doesn’t show any 5GHz connection in Windows 10. Even when using a USB wireless AC card, I can connect to 5GHz networks easily. Is there an issue with the 7260 chipset? I’ve had one of these older models before, and they did support 5GHz connections with the original hardware. What’s going on here?
I verified the card and confirmed its presence on the motherboard. I also checked the Device Manager to see if the drive is installed.
It seems unclear what's causing the issue, but you might attempt a system restart or reinstall drivers via Device Manager.
I just added the optional updates in Windows Update and restarted, but the issue remains. Really disappointing.
To reinstall drivers, open Device Manager, right-click your device, select Uninstall Device, then use the scan button to detect changes. Once detected, the device should reappear and drivers can be installed through Windows settings.