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#1
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WiFi hell
I have finally found myself in WiFi hell, despite using all name-brand
components and the "latest and greatest" drivers, utilities and firmware upgrades. My equipment: Toshiba Tecra M1 laptop (Centrino blah blah blah with an Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 LAN 3B Mini PCI Adapter 802.11b WiFi card built in, latest driver = 1.6.0.46 from Toshiba's web site) running WinXP Pro SP 1 Linksys BEFW11S4 ver 2 Wireless Access Point Router with 4-port switch, upgraded to latest firmware (1.45) The problem: Initially, no problems. I configured the WAP to use 128-bit WEP, enabled MAC filtering and turned off the SSID broadcast (all three steps recommended by knowledgeable wireless folks). I also setup the laptop for my "preferred" network with the WEP key. The laptop connected quickly and maintained the connection all day long. In the last 2 months, more and more of my neighbors have been installing WAPs, and as so many newsgroup posts indicated would be the case, my laptop started trying to connect to other non-preferred networks, despite the massively stronger signal strength of my WAP (sitting all of 3 feet away from the laptop). I learned that MS advised that disabling SSID broadcast was pointless, so I reluctantly turned it back on. My laptop then started to connect to my network again for a little while but then stopped for no apparent reason. I'd get the infinite loop of "One or more wireless networks is available"-- click on my network -- "One or more wireless..." Frustration builds. As so many folks have complained about the Zero Configuration Wireless features of XP, I downloaded and installed the Intel PROset for Wireless utility. It actually worked for a while, but now when I open it up, the "Network connections" tree is completely blank, and the signal strength meter that initially appeared in the system tray is gone, too. WTFO?? I've tried disabling WEP on the WAP, disabling MAC filtering (though the MAC of the laptop WiFi card is listed in the table), uninstalled and reinstalled PROset, scoured for other utilities to see if the laptop WiFi is working (Boingo could see the WAP but not connect, and other posts in the NGs have indicated this is common for the Intel 2100 Mini PCI card). For no reason I can see WiFi has simply stopped working. My calls to Toshiba (answered apparently by someone on the other side of the world since he kept saying "morning" when it was night in the USA) were pointless and he blamed the WAP. My calls to Linksys (answered by someone less conversant in English but very adept at reading a pre-programmed script) were even less helpful. Both MS and Intel direct me to go to the laptop OEM for help. Great, mass fingerpointing across multiple continents and my wifi simply doesn't work. Does anyone have any useful suggestions before I lose my noodle? Is there any hope of MS every fixing XPs moronic wifi software? Thanks, Chris |
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#2
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WiFi hell
Thanks, Joe, I jacked the power up to highest and checked for the WPA patch.
It wasn't installed. Still no luck. I'm in an infinite loop between the "one or more wireless networks..." and the wireless network connection dialog. Chris |
#3
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WiFi hell
Thanks, Joe, I jacked the power up to highest and checked for the WPA patch.
It wasn't installed. Still no luck. I'm in an infinite loop between the "one or more wireless networks..." and the wireless network connection dialog. Chris |
#4
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WiFi hell
Thanks, Joe, I jacked the power up to highest and checked for the WPA patch.
It wasn't installed. Still no luck. I'm in an infinite loop between the "one or more wireless networks..." and the wireless network connection dialog. Chris |
#5
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WiFi hell
Thanks, Joe, I jacked the power up to highest and checked for the WPA patch.
It wasn't installed. Still no luck. I'm in an infinite loop between the "one or more wireless networks..." and the wireless network connection dialog. Chris |
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