Thinkvanatage Access Connections Or Windows Wireless?

[CRSO]

Do you use the Thinkvantage Access Connections or Windows Wireless Connection Configuration Utility to manage your wireless connections?

I want to just use windows but for some reason I'm always having trouble with the IBM software connecting...

Any tips to connect to a wireless network? I have a T43 with built in Wi-Fi.

[Steevp]

I wanted to use the IBM manager, but it seems a little overkill for what it does, I uninstalled it and use the windows manager. My T43p moves between 4 locations, one wired and 3 wireless and I don't have any problems at all. Why run something that's in the OS already? save your processor cycles

[jdhurst]

<snip> save your processor cycles

Use what you wish, but to suggest AC uses cycles is wrong.
... JD Hurst

[1fastvx]

I prefer using AC...especially since it will turn off the wireless radio when it is not using it.

John

[CRSO]

I just uninstalled it and LOVE it!!!

No more interruptions or trouble connecting...

[Ken Fox]

I don't think you can give a fixed answer. The problem is that while you might have good results with AC for a period of time, even for a long period of time, they can and do upgrade it and after some upgrades problems will develop. I used AC for a couple of years on two machines with no problems whatsoever. Then, after an upgrade a number of months ago, I had continued problems with AC, up to and including having one system grind to a halt and having AC take up 100% of my CPU cycles.

I never did fix the problem on that PC, which has been sold in the interim.

Presently, I have 4 thinkpads. At the moment I am using AC on all of them with good results, but for a period of time, a couple of months, I had difficulty using it on 3 of them.

If problems develop you are supposed to uninstall the wireless card driver, uninstall AC, then reinstall the new wireless driver, then AC, with reboots in between. This should work most of the time but never did work with my T42. In order to get the T42 to work with AC I think I would have had to use regedit and delete all registry entries to AC, after which I'd hope that it would have worked. But I never bothered doing that.

I think that AC does offer some additional functionality over Windows wireless, but at a cost of some finickyness and potential hassles down the road. If you are able to use AC without difficulty you have to cross your fingers and hope that this remains so, for the future.