Network card replacement help needed

Hello,
I've been dealing with a connectivity issue for a while now because my laptop won't pick up any Wi-Fi networks unless I am standing right next to the router, within about a foot. Even then, I can only catch that specific signal, and even then it’s only showing two or three bars—otherwise, I just get a red X. I've already tried messing with the drivers, running the built-in troubleshooter, and all the usual first steps, but nothing works. Eventually, I wiped the OS and did a clean reinstall, yet the problem persisted, which leads me to believe the network card itself is shot.
So, I have a few questions regarding what to look for in a replacement. Are all network cards compatible, or is there anything specific I need to watch out for—like the manufacturer, physical dimensions, or certain model specifications?
The laptop is a Dell Latitude

Thanks,

It’s possible the antenna cable just popped loose.
The easiest fix would be grabbing a small USB Wi-Fi adapter and connecting through that...

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy using Reddit

ruggedcyclist7 said:Maybe the antenna cable just popped loose.
The easiest fix is to grab a small USB Wi-Fi adapter and just connect through that.

Sent from my iPhone 11 using Reddit thanks

Thanks for the quick reply.
I actually opened up the laptop and pulled out the card, but I didn't see anything obviously wrong—though there are two identical slots and only one is being used... I doubt that's the issue, though, since this happened out of nowhere. Everything was working perfectly a month ago.

I already ordered a USB Wi-Fi adapter on Amazon, but it's not arriving anytime soon because of the current situation with the virus😵, so I figured it might be easier to just find a local network in my city and solve the problem that way.

Lawrence Ward8 said:Thanks for getting back to me so fast.
I actually popped the laptop open and pulled out the card, and honestly? I didn't see anything sketchy—except maybe they have these two identical slots and only one is being used??? Though, I really doubt that's the culprit since this whole mess just hit me out of nowhere; everything was working perfectly fine just last month.

I already placed an order for a USB Wi-Fi adapter on Amazon, but it's gonna take forever to show up because of this whole mess with the virus situation😵, so I figured it’d be way easier to just find a local shop here in my city and get this sorted out immediately.

One of them that connects to the receiver disconnected—they always come in pairs.

🙂

Paul Bailey98 said:One of them snapped off on its way to the receiver. They usually come in pairs.

There isn't a second one. I only have one, though it seems like they usually arrive in pairs. That’s actually how I caught the issue—the antenna wire was actually severed right at the bend where it enters the top of the display. Thanks anyway...