T60p Widescreen & "[Unknown]" wifi AP

[adamaronson]

Hi all!

First post here...

I have been working with Lenovo's "Executive Repsonse/SWAT" team in NC on a problem with my T60p widescreen that they are unable to solve. So, I am turning to the experts...

I wont get into all the sordid details about my experience with the T60. Suffice to say... three months and three T60 replacements later I am battling yet another issue in a string of them (inability to wake from hibernate, so if a note of frustration is detected please forgive.

I have two T60s here side by side. One, a Lenovo supplied loaner 15" (non-widescreen, Centrino, Intel 3945 a/b/g, etc.) and my T60 15" (widescreen, Core 2 Duo, Intel 3945 a/b/g, etc.). The loaner sees my Wifi AP (a Cisco 851W) in Access Connections as "Fullcity" the SSID on the router. It connects without a problem. The widescreen sees the AP as "[Unknown]" and cannot connect no matter what I try. Additionally, the T60 widescreen sees the AP with a slightly lower signal even though both laptops are side by side on my desk 7 feet from the AP.

Both laptops are using the factory OS build, same Intel 3945 a/b/g card, same driver version and same version of Access Connections. The engineer at Lenovo I spoke to even had me swap the cards... still same results. I then sent the T60 down to NC... They are reporting that there is no problem whatsoever when they test at their location using a Linksys router.

So, I am flummoxed. Any ideas...?

[Harryc]

Does your T60's WiFi work at another access point? Take a ride to Starbucks if a neighbor doesn't have wireless.

[adamaronson]

Does your T60's WiFi work at another access point? Take a ride to Starbucks if a neighbor doesn't have wireless.

Harry,

I have two APs in my home/office... The router (the Cisco mentioned above) and a Linksys WAP54G downstairs. Both are on channel 1 and both use the same SSID "fullcity". The T60 will connect to the Linksys and it will connect to the Cisco if I use Windows' Wireless Network Connections.

Odd... one of the other ongoing problems I was having (with this and the other two T60s) was the Advanced Mini Dock not recognizing the laptop when it was placed in the dock. About an hour ago I took the T60 off the dock to verify that it wasn't using the ethernet connection. When I reseated it the dock failed to recognize it (also about an hour ago). The eject light stayed lit. When I just went to wake the T60 from sleep the dock immediately recognized it when it re-emerged. Now the Access Connections is showing only one AP named "fullcity" with a signal strength of 100% (a first!).

Strange... What the...????

Adam

[Harryc]

Hmm, maybe you're having some sort of a dock problem. Keep it out of the dock and let it run for a couple of days, multiple power-ups and downs, sleep, etc. Then try the dock.

[adamaronson]

Hmm, maybe you're having some sort of a dock problem. Keep it out of the dock and let it run for a couple of days, multiple power-ups and downs, sleep, etc. Then try the dock.

Harry,

Good suggestion and indeed one I would take had I not been told repeatedly by someone at the Lenovo SWAT team that there is no problem with using the T60 on the advanced mini dock (which I also had replaced 3 times by Lenovo).

Having been through three of these T60s (with both Atheron and Intel wi-fi cards) since February and having had various iterations of problems relating to docking, wi-fi and hibernate I keep coming back to this being some hardware related design problem. What else could be responsible?

Keep in mind that the T60 loaner I described above is not experiencing any of these problems. That machine purrs.

I just tried the T60 off the dock... When I first undocked it the wi-fi card powered off and would no power back up. I tried the switch, I tried the Fn+F5... nothing. I rebooted (off the dock) and the machine connected to the wi-fi perfectly!

I now just redocked it and it was fine. I then powered down (in the dock) and after 3 minutes powered back up. Upon boot the T60 wss back to only finding one AP with my SSID. I undocked it... the same... for about 3 minutes. Then the machine completely froze. Mouse not responding... no status lights changing.

Does this sound like a design problem to anyone else...?

Adam

[adamaronson]

• 1) Rebooted T60 from freeze in dock. Wireless connected instantly. AC sees both APs as “fullcity” (at 100% and 40%) and a third “Linksys-G” router which I have never seen before (at 20%)
  2) Noticed that Symantec Firewall (installed as part of default build) was “on” in system tray. Right clicked on system tray icon and set it to “Disable…”. In next dialog set firewall to be off until restart… Wireless radio instantly powers off.
  3) Try “Find Wireless Networks” (after telling radio to power back on) AP of Cisco is “[Unknown]” again and cannot connect.

Should I try uninstalling the Symantec Client Security…?

Adam

[Harryc]

I never tried to use (2) access points in the same location on the same channel, same SSID. I'd guess that there might be some contention/interference in that scenario, but am not sure. What happens if you power down the Cisco as a test and just use the Linksys?

[adamaronson]

Thanks for your help, Harry!

I never tried to use (2) access points in the same location on the same channel, same SSID. I'd guess that there might be some contention/interference in that scenario, but am not sure.

I would think the same if it weren't for the fact that the Lenovo T60 loaner, my Tivo, my employee's Dell 1505 and my wife's Mac Book can all function 100% in the same environment.

What happens if you power down the Cisco as a test and just use the Linksys?

The Linksys is a range expander (aka repeater). It doesn't connect to the internet on its own.

Adam