Very Strange Networking Issue on T30 XP SP2

[paulheth]

I'm doing a fresh install on my Niece's T30. It has been a great computers but at it's age it was time for a new HD.

I've installed fresh XP loads on all of our other Thinkpads (save the x61) at one time or another with limited bother.

This time I am installing from an XP install that a friend put together including SP2 in a unattended format. (We are fully licenced with XP for all our units.)

It loads fine, the unattended part was very nice.

However it starts up with 3 missing items in the Device Manager that require thinkpad specific drivers. Even after making these happy and installing all the other PM and requisite drivers for the T30 none of the network connections work.

The driver for the 100bt connection seems to have loaded fine but it can't get an IP, and reporst limtied or no connectivity. Repair doesn't help.

The PCI wireless card is a bit suspect from other problems I have seen and while the driver for this loads fine it can't see any of my wireless networks. So I installed an old intel 802.11b card that loaded fine, sees the wireless network, get through the WEP process, but ends up in the same state as the 100bt connection, reporting limited on no connectivity.

In technical terms it seems that some core networking bit isn't happy. Never seen this before.

Now I know I could just reinstall XP from my old XP cd and do the nearly an hour of upgrades, like I have done before on this computer but that is no fun, and now I want to know what is causing this problem incase I run across it again.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance for any help provided.

And I shohld note that I have seen the very detailed posts on installing XP on thinkpads (after I was at this point of course) which I will likely follow should someone not come up with a truely insightful fairly quick fix to this neworking glitch.

PS: as an aside the reason I have to do a full new install isn't because I thought it would be fun, but because my restore image complete with full email configuration, desktop setup, etc all finished was store in 2 different hard drives for safety. Both (including the on on this T30) failed in the 6 months since then. Serves me right for not having a DVD copy but jeeeeeesh!

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to our Forums.

What program is controlling your wireless, the XP utility or a specific utility for your wifi-card (which one?).
If XP, make sure that the Wireless Zero Config Service is running.
Click on Start/Run, type in: services.msc and click OK.
Have you installed a firewall which may prevent access?

[paulheth]

Welcome to our Forums.

What program is controlling your wireless, the XP utility or a specific utility for your wifi-card (which one?).
If XP, make sure that the Wireless Zero Config Service is running.
Click on Start/Run, type in: services.msc and click OK.
Have you installed a firewall which may prevent access?

RBS thanks for your quick reply. Wireless Zero Config is handling the load, and is up and working and here is the VERY strange thing, and please let me know if anyone else ever experiences this, the problem has mysteriously disappeared.

I mean the networking, both the wireless card and the built in adaptor now works just fine. I can't understand it. The machine was sitting running overnight, and now it connects fine.

Sorry for the wasted post, I am a bit embarrased, but at the same time happy that the technology elves seem to be working with me today, and not against me.

[RealBlackStuff]

Thanks for letting us know.
Any other problems, just post...