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kell

Tue Mar 28 2006, 06:11PM

Registered Member #142 Joined: Sat Feb 11 2006, 01:19PM
Location:
Posts: 102

I'm posting this to ask for help.
Since the last couple of days my Toshiba laptop won't connect wirelessly. (I'm using the public library computer to make this posting.)
I have Windows XP/SP2 and an Orinoco Silver wireless card that plugs into the PCMCIA slot.
I've tried quite a few wireless networks around town over the last two days and I always get the "limited or no connectivity" message at networks that always used to connect with ease.
I'm kind of at a loss, because really I'm not all that computer savvy. When there's a problem I need to solve I often have to use a help line or go on a newsgroup or forum to get the answer, but now my internet access is going to be severely limited, which makes it all the more difficult.

Desmogod

Wed Mar 29 2006, 12:44AM

Registered Member #139 Joined: Sat Feb 11 2006, 11:01AM
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 358

Have you removed and reseated the PCMCIA card?
Can you get ahold of another wireless card to try?

...

Wed Mar 29 2006, 03:49AM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

Judging by the fact that you are getting the limited connectivity error, I am pretty sure it is software...

Did you do anything around when it stopped working (like within one reboot)? Like windows update, etc

Also, you can try rolling back the driver. Go to control panel->system->hardware->device manager. From there poke around until you find your wireless card. Double click on it, go to driver and click 'roll back driver'.

Looking on the manufacture site can also give an update.

Have you run the network setup wizard after it died? Sometimes windows decides to change settings on its own

If you right click on the picture of a computer next to the clock that represents your wifi connection and select repair (when connected to the network) that can fix it...

Good luck!

Hellmark

Wed Mar 29 2006, 05:22AM

Registered Member #189 Joined: Thu Feb 16 2006, 07:43PM
Location: Winfield, Missouri, USA
Posts: 46

In XP, goto the control panel, and then pull up the wireless config. Somewhere should be a button to see about repairing the connection. I am not a windows user, so don't remember exactly, but I have had the same problem in the past, and that fixed it.

kell

Wed Mar 29 2006, 03:41PM

Registered Member #142 Joined: Sat Feb 11 2006, 01:19PM
Location:
Posts: 102

I tried reseating the card and I tried the repair thing.
I didn't do the rollback.
This morning... drumroll...
I took out the recovery disk and reformatted the computer.
Now I have an operating system that's about three years old,
and of course the wirless card doesn't work.

Quantum Singularity

Wed Mar 29 2006, 05:05PM

Registered Member #158 Joined: Sun Feb 12 2006, 09:53PM
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 282

I have seen the same error message many times on computers and have had different problems causing them. Usually it is driver / windoze problems. First 2 things I try before resorting to something drastic like a reformat is to reboot the computer in safe mode with networking support and see if it works, and uninstalling service pack 2. I have seen SP2 cause problems with this enough times I dont recommend using it unless there is a specific reason to do so.

Bjørn

Wed Mar 29 2006, 05:21PM

Registered Member #27 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058

I have wireless cards from three different manufacturers and they all have bad firmware, bad drivers and dubious hardware. It takes a significant amount of black magic to get a connection even with identical hardware and drivers at both ends.

My advice is to drop all forms of encrytion until the conenction works reliably. The drivers for my cards tend to get quite confused by encryption if the settings are not 100% correct.

kell

Wed Mar 29 2006, 07:56PM

Registered Member #142 Joined: Sat Feb 11 2006, 01:19PM
Location:
Posts: 102

I posted a reply a few minutes ago but it hasn't appeared.
This is what I finally did:
I went to the neighborhood computer shop, where I had a choice of buying the driver for my Orinoco card for 5 bucks or upgrading to a g card for about $30. I went with the g card. It works now.
Next I have to get the windows upgrades of the last three years that are not on my computer anymore. What's the best way to do that?

Of course, I should switch to Linux, but that's for another thread.

Bjørn

Wed Mar 29 2006, 09:49PM

Registered Member #27 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058

Go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com, grab something to drink and something to read and click yes on everything.

That is usually the simlpest method to upgrade a single machine since you don't have to dig around to get the files.

...

Wed Mar 29 2006, 11:18PM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

what speed can you download at? Usually the updates come in 3 sets, the pre sp2, sp2, and the recent ones. It was about 200mb when I did it 3 days ago; not too bad for any broadband but if you are on dialup it will take forever... Does the library have wifi by any chance? You should be able to complete the upgrades in 2-3 hours...

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