hi. i am trying to help someone out with this model, windows xp home edition all patched with win and lenovo updates, problem is wireless will connect if no encryption but with encryption it won't (using wep 128bit). it always gets bad 169 address and repairing won't work, always see connected with limited or no access. signal shows strong. no problem if wireless is unsecured. is this a problem with home edition or with maybe the wireless card?

seems a pcmcia card works with encryption so it isn't the os. the driver was one version back trying that now, otherwise it has to be hardware, any ideas?

called lenovo and they are working on a new network driver for the wireless. the current one fails more often than it works. issue is known and they are working on, just thought someone else might like this info now that i have it

Hi,

I'm joining this thread with a wireless problem on my home LAN. I have a stock new Lenovo 3000 C200, Win XP home, Broadcom 802.11g internal card.

My home network has five computers, and the Lenovo is the 6th. I use an access point (Linksys WAP54G) on channel 6, and the speed is blazing fast on the other machines, including a Dell laptop with an Intel 2000bg wireless card.

The Lenovo has the latest drivers downloaded yesterday from the Lenovo site.

Sometimes the Lenovo connects immediately and works flawlessly. Sometimes it connects and drops the connection in from a few seconds to a few minutes. Sometimes it doesn't get an IP address from the DHCP server. Sometimes it doesn't even connect at all.

There seems to be no pattern to when it works and doesn't, but it can be sitting right next to the WAP and not get a connection.

Out of the box it seemed to work fine, but on the first reboot after setting up it actived the "Access Connections" software and the problems began. (It could have been coincidental.)

It is also far more sensitive to distance from the WAP than my other machines. I'm working from the Dell right now which is about 40 feet and one floor away with an excellent signal. From this same spot, the Lenovo reads the signal as poor.

So far I have...
* Downloaded all the Windows XP updates (this was before the reboot that activated "Access Connections").
* Installed the new Broadcomm drivers from the Lenovo site (downloaded on the Dell and burned to CD, since it couldn't get them from the Lenovo), and did the same for the "Access Connections" application.
* Changed from DHCP to fixed IP and back.
* Removed and re-seated the Broadcom card.
* Changed the aggressiveness of the roaming to low (to avoid dropping the connection on low signal).
* Turned off and on the Windows firewall (there is a firewall in front of the access point).
* Turned on and off "afterburner" mode (which is compatible with the Linksys WAP).
* Entered the WEP key as both its text and its hex string.

In summary, it works once in a while, but most of the time it doesn't. Is there any known solution to this? Somewhere a new driver was mentioned, but the lastest one (from January) seems to make no difference.

I cannot access Lenovo support because their support website was just redesigned and it will not let me sign in with my username/password (though it will let me change it and my profile).

One poster here has suggested disabling the "Access Connections" software and just using the Windows system. There doesn't seem to be an option to disable it; does it have to be uninstalled?

Many thanks,
Dennis Bathory-Kitsz
Composer
Northfield, Vermont

Just joining this thread to contribute my own findings. I picked up a C200 for a friend after having no issues and being very happy with my C100. I have to say the C200 has disappointed so far. It has a range of software issues and incompatibilities.

When it arrived the audio was stuttering and breaking up when playing DVDs and mp3s. The wireless lan was also dropping in and out or refusing to work at all.

So I went for a full rebuild after checking everything was working using a live Linux CD (Slax). I had an absolute nightmare getting the audio to work again after my clean install, Lenovo don't have the correct driver set on their site, I had to search around to find the Windows UAA hotfix to get it working.

But back to the subject, everything is now working as it should... except the wireless card. I have a great deal of experience with wireless networking and the various chipsets in cards. It is my opinion that these issues are purely driver related, which unfortunately means all we can do is sit back and hope a better driver surfaces.

Another option, which I think I'll pursue, is to buy an Intel ABG PCI-E card and swap them out.

Katch,

Thanks for the info. I may follow your lead and swap cards.

By removing the Lenovo access software, the wireless connection time improved, but the dropping of connections (even next to the access point) and the failure to reconnect has been crazy.

My Dell Inspiron 6000 has been connected for almost exactly seven days, and it's 40 feet from the access point. In the beginning, it was just like the Lenovo, until a software update cured the problem.

I haven't tried the Lenovo outside of the home LAN (we're in a rural area, so no neighborhood wireless to test with). For now, since this is on my home LAN, I've got it wired.

Dennis

I'm writing this on the Lenovo C200 8922 A4U and using a zyXEL usb WIRELESS ADAPTER RUNNING ABOUT 9 TIMES AS FAST AS I EVER GOT the Broadcom mini wireless card running. I believe certain Dell computers used this same mini pci wireless broadcom card and had the same problems. There is also a new security issue out for this model of card. Basically this card and it's drivers are junk. I like the computer and it is relatively easy to install a different mini PCI card. That's what I plan on doing. I'll see what I can get one for, and report back if I remember to do so. I realize now that it is a driver issue, and possibly a hardware issue as well, that can be solved by switching to a different unit.

I actually bought this laptop to learn Vista (Business Edition installed). I have an IBM R52 1.73 Pentium M running XP Pro that is my main squeeze! I didn't expect everything to go smoothly, and was not aware of the wireless card issues on this C200 until after spending several or more hours trying to get a stable and recurring connection. I went to Burger King, and logged on to their Wi-Fi and got my signal dropped, then the Broadcom card wouldn't find it again! I actually logged on to somebody's un-encrypted signal from some houses behind the Burger King. That's when I realized that none of this was my error, or lack of knowledge. This wireless card has problems, period.

they gave me a different card from a different vendor, that card is just garbage

I purchased an Intel Pro 3945 ABG mini wireless pci-e card from Directron.com for 33.00 shipped. Bulk pack, came with driver disk. I'm writing this right now with this wireless card installed. It's only been in here for a few hours, yet it seems to be connecting fine.

I am able to connect without any problems now. I have connected to several different networks without any problem. The Intel mini- wireless card solved the issue.