Bizzaire wireless network problem on IBM a/b/g card

[MrBeta]

I'm a happy owner of two new T42p Thinkpads, 14.1" SXGA and 15" UXGA. Had the first one for ~2 weeks, the second one for just a few days now.

Everything was working on the new 15" just fine, until yesterday. All of a sudden it will not connect to my wireless access point. I mean, it connects to the access point, says excellent connection, 54mbps, but it dies negotiating the IP address from the DHCP server. I've reset and rebooted everything, re-did all the settings on the wireless acces spoint and the Thinkpad - no go. The strangest thing is that even if I manually hardcode the correct IP addresses into the profile, it says it has it, shows the IP settings in "ipconfig", but I can't get access to the internet or to the local network.

At the same time, the 14.1" Thinkpad connects happily to the access point every single time, with identical settings (DHCP and/or static IP).

The bizzaire part is that I can connect to other access points in the area without ANY problems - it negotiates the IP address from THEIR DHCP instantly. But when I select my own - it just dies at the "Waiting for IP Configuration..."

I think I've checked everything there is...

Any ideas?? This is driving me absolutely bonkers; I can normally troubleshoot just about anything, but this one just doesn't make any sense to me.

HELP!

[dpb]

What are your TPs' model numbers? Are you sure the 15" doesn't have the Intel card? Having the IBM a/b/g card operate differently in different models would indeed by mystifying.

[MrBeta]

What are your TPs' model numbers? Are you sure the 15" doesn't have the Intel card? Having the IBM a/b/g card operate differently in different models would indeed by mystifying.

It's a 2378-DYU (though I upgraded it to 1GB RAM, 60GB 7200rpm hard drive and 3 year warranty). The original box it came in says the wireless card is "IBM HR WL 802.11 a/b/g". The Device Manager shows "Manufacturer: Accton Technology Corporation" (does this sound right? Is Accton the maker of the Atheros cards??) And finally, the specs for the machine originally said "Atheros AR5001X+ WLAN"

Does this help? I'm still pulling my hair out - it worked fine the first couple of days and stopped working just last night. OCCASSIONALLY it connects for no rhyme nor reason, but if I turn off the antena and try to re-connect, it comes up with the same symtomps.

[dmcgibbo]

What are your TPs' model numbers? Are you sure the 15" doesn't have the Intel card? Having the IBM a/b/g card operate differently in different models would indeed by mystifying.

It's a 2378-DYU (though I upgraded it to 1GB RAM, 60GB 7200rpm hard drive and 3 year warranty). The original box it came in says the wireless card is "IBM HR WL 802.11 a/b/g". The Device Manager shows "Manufacturer: Accton Technology Corporation" (does this sound right? Is Accton the maker of the Atheros cards??) And finally, the specs for the machine originally said "Atheros AR5001X+ WLAN"

Does this help? I'm still pulling my hair out - it worked fine the first couple of days and stopped working just last night. OCCASSIONALLY it connects for no rhyme nor reason, but if I turn off the antena and try to re-connect, it comes up with the same symtomps.

i posted another thread kinda like this with connection problems with the a/b/g - all of a sudden it stopped connecting to the preferred network even though it should be. i right clicked on the connection and clicked "repair" and that seemed to fix it even though I tried everything else. It's almost like the connection gets confused. Try reinstalling the a/b/g card and doing the repair connection thing. good luck

[MrBeta]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've already tried that. No difference - the "repair" actually didn't do anything at all (though I have used it in the past on other machines so I know what it's supposed to look like).

Something odd, though... SOMETIMES when I view the network properties through different tools, before I try activating the wireless antena, it shows my wireless access point IP address as the DHCP server. Sometimes it shows 255.255.255.255. And sometimes for no reason at all it tries to connect to my access point, but picks up an IP address from somebody else's access point (seems in my neighborhood I have between 4-7 access points active at different times of day) which is definitely different than my own local private network.

Completely bizzaire.

My next test is to install WinXP Service Pack 2 and the latest Atheros drivers. It's a brand new machine so you'd think I wouldn't need to do this, but who knows. I've installed SP2 on my other T42p without problems so this should hopefully be a snap, too.

[MrBeta]

I previously posted:

The Device Manager shows "Manufacturer: Accton Technology Corporation" (does this sound right? Is Accton the maker of the Atheros cards??)

and I would like someone with a 15" T42p and the IBM a/b/g card to confirm what they see in the Device Manager under "Manufacturer", because I'm searching the net and it APPEARS Accton and Atheros are two different manufacturers and perhaps what I was buying (Atheros) is not what I got (Accton). This is all a bit strange, but I need to verify this and likely have to contact IBM to get this resolved, but before I go ballistic, could someone please look it up in your Device Manager and see if it shows IBM or Atheros, and not Accton?

Thanks!

[dmcgibbo]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've already tried that. No difference - the "repair" actually didn't do anything at all (though I have used it in the past on other machines so I know what it's supposed to look like).

Something odd, though... SOMETIMES when I view the network properties through different tools, before I try activating the wireless antena, it shows my wireless access point IP address as the DHCP server. Sometimes it shows 255.255.255.255. And sometimes for no reason at all it tries to connect to my access point, but picks up an IP address from somebody else's access point (seems in my neighborhood I have between 4-7 access points active at different times of day) which is definitely different than my own local private network.

Completely bizzaire.

My next test is to install WinXP Service Pack 2 and the latest Atheros drivers. It's a brand new machine so you'd think I wouldn't need to do this, but who knows. I've installed SP2 on my other T42p without problems so this should hopefully be a snap, too.

turn SP2 firewall off completely and see if that changes anything. possibly it's blocking one computer and not the other. you just have one router/access point right?

[dpb]

The Atheros driver is a good idea, it should answer some questions. I would hold off on XP SP2, at least until you see what the divers do.

[dmcgibbo]

The Atheros driver is a good idea, it should answer some questions. I would hold off on XP SP2, at least until you see what the divers do.

Do you have a link for this and what will it solve? I assume it's the one for Fujitsu notebooks or something...

[NathanA]

I previously posted:

The Device Manager shows "Manufacturer: Accton Technology Corporation" (does this sound right? Is Accton the maker of the Atheros cards??)

and I would like someone with a 15" T42p and the IBM a/b/g card to confirm what they see in the Device Manager under "Manufacturer", because I'm searching the net and it APPEARS Accton and Atheros are two different manufacturers and perhaps what I was buying (Atheros) is not what I got (Accton).

Umm, right...Accton is the *CARD* (OEM) manufacturer, and Atheros is the *CHIPSET* designer and manufacturer.

This is the way most of the industry works. Although you have a few counterexamples (the way Lucent used to be with its Hermes chipsets and the ORiNOCO line of products, for example, and ATI and their graphics chipsets in contrast to nVidia), for the most part, chipset manufacturers do not make and sell boards with their own chips on them (and if they do, it is for the purpose of making a "reference design" which other OEMs can follow or modify at their own discretion). Instead, they sell their chips to various OEMs who make the actual useable product.

-- Nathan

[jsmit86]

You mentioned interference from another access point.
>> Try another channel. It is possible that one computer couuld be more sensitive to interference. I had some issues early on with my T42. I changed channels on my router, and presto... no more problems.

[MrBeta]

Umm, right...Accton is the *CARD* (OEM) manufacturer, and Atheros is the *CHIPSET* designer and manufacturer.

Hi Nathan, and thanks! That makes sense. I just didn't know if Accton was the actual/correct thing I should have been seeing. Just about everything on this T42p properly reports either IBM or Intel as the manufacturers, while the wireless card is listed as simply "11a/b/g" in the device manager, with no OEM or manufacturer name... other than once you get into properties. Good to know I did get the correct card, then

[MrBeta]

You mentioned interference from another access point.
>> Try another channel. It is possible that one computer couuld be more sensitive to interference. I had some issues early on with my T42. I changed channels on my router, and presto... no more problems.

Been there, done that, didn't make a difference. Yes, I spent almost 2 days testing virtually every possible scenario. All while my other T42p was connecting happily every single time and working like a charm, which was not making me very happy. The other T42p has the Intel b/g card, which some people poo-poo as not quite as good as the IBM Atheros a/b/g card, but in my experience at least, the Intel card works MUCH more reliably and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one again.

Not sure what all the great stuff is about the IBM a/b/g card, especially if it won't work just 2 days after getting the laptop (WITHOUT making any changes to the laptop or settings!!), but it seems like it's a lot more finicky and requires more "hugging and petting and loving" time to get it to work.

I ended up installing XP Service Pack 2 and am happy to report that the IBM a/b/g card now works properly every time I boot up the Thinkpad. Go figure. Same channel, same exact settings, same drivers, same access point...

[jsmit86]

Hmmmmm......

One thing SP2 does is make sure that only one program is managing the wireless connection. I'm assuming that you already checked that, ie either Access connections, or XP but not both. In any case it's nice to see XP SP2 actually solved a problem for a change!

[WilsonF]

What is your WiFi security? WEP, WPA or 802.1x?

With WPA and WEP on unccoperative access points, I have fixed such problems by hitting the reset button on the AP and restoring the AP settings.

Witn 802.1x not cooperating (which affords many more points at which problems can arise due to the addition of the radius settings on the server) I have connected first with no security, then with WEP, then WPA-PSK and then radius, changing settings on both the a/b/g card and the AP each time.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Wilson

[dmcgibbo]

does someone have a link for the most up to date drivers to install?

b/c the ones i have are from IBM at this link
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-52527

but they are 6/02/04 3.1.1.5401



edit: btw at http://www.phoenixnetworks.net/atheros.php i found artheros a/b/g drivers but don't really know if they are the ones - it looks like the one i have is newer than the last good one on that site but they have 3 newer beta drivers...let me know if that works for anyone

[gcchatel]

I have had the exact same problem. It connected at the beginning and then never again. Found the router but would just not associate with it no matter what I did. I tested it on other routers and it worked fine. Not sure if it might be an incompatibility with the card and that specific router, I was running a netgear mr814v2, changed to my older router mr814 and everything is lovely with WEP and everything.

Don't know if it'll help, but worth a try, I was tired of messing with it.

Gael

[MrBeta]

I've been using WPA all along.

The kicker is that I've reset the access point back to factory settings, re-entered everything from scratch, tried WEP, tried wide open access point - it would connect to the access point with "excellent" strength at 54mbps, but would NOT negotiate the IP address. And even if I manually hardcoded the IP address into the ThinkPad's wireless profile, it would connect to the access point, but I would NOT have access to internet or local network.

I've also checked to make sure I wasn't using both IBM and Microsoft management tools for the wireless network - only IBM was enabled.

Anyway, everything's working A-OK again - after installing XP SP2 and not doing anything else at all - all settings remain the same. STRANGE...

[dmcgibbo]

where do you check to see if you are using both IBM and windows to control it?

i'm connected at 108mbps right now so I'm going to leave it but I'm sure next time I restart my PC it will have the same problems connecting to the right router and I'll probably get so frustrated I'll troubleshoot the issue and set-up the entire network for all the PC's from scratch to figure it out haha. Hopefully I'll restart and everything will be fine. I only have 64k WEP configured right now and I enabled SSID broadcasting for it to work so I probably need to change that anyway...

[Humpa]

dmcgibbo, what driver did you finally use to finally get connected at 108mbps?

... the "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" checkbox is in the Wireless Network Connection Properties in the Wireless Networks tab. If you are using IBM Access Connections to configure wireless, then this box should not be checked.

[dmcgibbo]

the one from the ibm site 3.1.1.5401 6/2/04 or something like that.

however, i restarted my computer and now it won't connect again. it is really strange b/c in the taskbar the little computer icon says connecting and if i right click and select "view wireless networks" it lists 2 routers - linksys and netgear. the netgear has wep security, is faster, and has a better signal.

the view wireless networks box will show the netgear one connect but then down in the taskbar it says the crap linksys one is connected at 11mbps. the taskbar says one thing and the view wireless networks says the other. it is VERY strange. doing repair connection didn't fix it this time so i don't know what the deal is...