With versions of the  Intel^® Pro Wireless 3945 ABG Wi-Fi driver prior to 11.1.0.86, the Wireless Network Connection Status utility (see screen shot below) may not correctly indicate the status of the Wi-Fi connection.

To start this utility, click the Windows Start button, then Control Panel, Network and Sharing Center, then Wireless Network Connection Status.

With the older driver, Signal Quality is always indicated by either two or three green bars, and the connection Speed is always shown as 54.0 Mbps. These indicators do not change, regardless of the actual signal quality and speed of the connection -- even if the connection is lost because the computer has been moved too far from the wireless router or access point.

Download and install the Intel Pro Wireless 3945 ABG Wi-Fi driver, version 11.1.0.86 (or newer) to correct these problems, per the instructions below.

Follow these instructions to download and install the Intel Pro Wireless 3945 ABG Wi-Fi driver, version 11.1.0.86:

1. Click the following link to download the driver file driver_wifi_intel_v11.1.0.86_os2007146a.exe.  Follow your browser's instructions to save the file to the Windows Desktop.

2. On the Windows Desktop, double-click the downloaded file driver_wifi_intel_v11.1.0.86_os2007146a.exe to start the installation.

3. Click Setup. The installation will take a few a minutes, display a completion message, and then close.

4. Restart the computer.

The Wireless Network Connection Status utility should now display the actual status and performance of the Wi-Fi connection.

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