Intel Wifi, Suddently stopped getting signal

[Timinator]

I have a T30 with the Intel 2100 3B PCI Adapter, with the 1.2.5.37 driver.

The wifi worked perfectly yesterday. As of today, it refuses to see a signal. The OS (XPPro) sees the card, the drivers are working fine. I reseated the card and the antenna cables. Reinstalled the drivers. I also did a "repair" on the network connection. Even did a roll back (restore) to yesterday. Still no go.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[doctor bloomquist]

Has someone been fiddling with the laptop & set the wifi card to off or low power under device manager?

My penny's worth: To check if your card is kaput, download netstumbler or Inssider. On my BG2200 netstumbler only works if device is set to NDIS instead of the default PRISM option.

If it does find an access point then at least you know the hardware is working (and your router) and you can start fiddling with windows.

[Timinator]

Thanks for the reply Doc! I ran Network Stumbler and its not seeing anything. Bottom of the screen says No APs active.

I did check the power settings in Device Manager and they're on full.

Networking works fine when I teather via my Blackberry through USB. Just no wifi.

[doctor bloomquist]

Hmm. Did you try changing device in netstumbler to ndis (top line)?

[Timinator]

In Device, I only have 2 options:
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter NDIS 5.1

and

Use any suitable device

[doctor bloomquist]

I dont have a blackberry, are you saying the blackberry can use your router's wifi fine, but the laptop cannot?

If so, and if netstumbler isn't seeing any APs, and you've tried NDIS, I reckon the pci card could have gone faulty. You say the drivers are fine - under device manager, there's no exclamation mark, it says the device is working properly?

I'm leaning towards a faulty card based on the above but I'm no expert!

[Timinator]

Actually, the Blackberry is treated like an external modem, not wifi. I have data broadband service to my Blackberry.

Yep, no errors on the card. WinXP sees the card just fine. It's as if the antenna got disconnected. But I've checked the connections, and I've even disconnected and reconnected the leads. I'm just thinking that the card itself is out to lunch and I'll need to get a new one.

[Harryc]

Run PC-Doctor network tests.

[doctor bloomquist]

Is the T30's wifi card under a little door on the underneath of the laptop, like the t23? If you feel it's the antennae take off the pci door cover and hold the laptop close to the router's aerial, it should pick up a lousy signal.

I think its the card tho

[RealBlackStuff]

Did you change your router's settings, in that it is now transmitting on the G band?
Or are you leeching someone else's wifi, and 'they didn't tell you that they changed their settings'?

[Timinator]

No changes to the router. And I usually see around 5-6 other wifi networks in my area. (Apartment building) Not seeing anything. I'm now assuming that it's the card. I'll be purchasing another card in about a week.

Thx for all the recommendations. I'll post the results here once I get the new card.

[doctor bloomquist]

Here's a paranoid thought after reading realblackstuff's post.

Maybe some leecher changed *your* router settings, having got fed up leeching at wireless b speeds? Your router's not on the manufacturer's default password is it?

[Timinator]

Fortunately, the router is highly secured. Plus, if that was the issue, I should still be able to see it and the other ones in the area.

[T23FUN]

Yes you should see other signals in your area. I assume you unistalled the driver and maybe pulled the card, rebooted and reinstalled the drivers?

[Timinator]

Yes you should see other signals in your area. I assume you unistalled the driver and maybe pulled the card, rebooted and reinstalled the drivers?

Yep, several times. I'll be ordering a new card next week.