Thinkpads Forum

Hello, I have lurked here for awhile since recently buying a used T60 (8741 W3Y) from someone on Craigslist. The machine has been working fine since I bought it a couple months ago (minus the pirated Win7 install). If there is a similar thread topic please kindly direct me to it. I used the search engine on the site but couldn't find anything exactly like what was going on.

Anyway, the problem I'm having is I recently installed an Atheros AR5008 (FRU# 42T0825) in my machine and now I can't connect to the internet. I have a connection to the router (Netgear WNR3500) with that card but for some reason I can't get the internet to work. I'm currently using the Windows Wireless Service instead of the Access Connections app (I would rather use AC for the profile management but will get that working after I can get the net to work). The machine is running on Windows 7 Pro 64 bit, which is a legit copy I purchased from here --> www. thinkpad recovery cds .com for about 40 bucks. Best way to get a new OS on a Thinkpad IMO and quick shipping too.

The machine is fully updated using the Toolbox app and Windows Update and is running good besides this issue. The original card was the Intel ABG card (forgot the number ATM) and worked fine. I bought the Atheros card from a HK vendor on eBay --> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWNX:IT . It is or looks to be brand new but not quite like in the pics in the auction. It does have the IBM FRU# sticker on it and all so to me it looked legit. Before installing the N card I deleted all wireless profiles and uninstalled the ABG card in device manager, rebooted and then let Windows find the new card and install the drivers. Then I wired in direct to the router after it didn't seem to work right away with newly created profiles and used Windows Update to get a current version of the driver. Rebooted and still no joy. I don't reeally think it's the drivers but I thought that was the likely place to look first. I did install the 3rd antenna in the lid and connected it to the proper terminal on the card (middle) and I tried it without the 3rd antenna but it didn't make a difference either way. The security is just the basic WEP with open security and a 64 bit hex key. I will try to get it to work with no security tomorrow if i get a chance and I will report back.

If anyone wants or needs pictures or any other info, please let me know and I will supply it for you.

TIA,
DOS_equis

EDIT:

Well it seems that it has something to do with the security settings on the router or the card doesn't like the router for some reason. If I set the router as an open hotspot with no security, the card can connect fine and does a really good job bandwidth wise even with all three antennas hooked up. If I configure the router with the basic security settings as it was before, it will allow the card to connect but it doesn't allow the internet connection through. Also, when I'm connected with the security settings, under the "Network and Sharing Center" it sees the connection as a Public, Unidentified network. When the ABG card was in there it had no problem connecting with the existing security setup I had going once I setup a profile.

Another thing I've noticed is that Access Connections seems to hang up randomly when I try to fiddle with the setttings. I will be able to set something and then I switch to another tab and it will lock up, but there is no common task that is causing it. I believe that it did it once when it was connected to the open network too but since it seemed to work right away so I didn't have to go in there much.

I even tried changing the channel selections a couple of times but it didn't seem to help it although I didn't try all of the choices. I do have another computer on the network that uses a wireless N USB dongle (Netgear) and that has no problem connecting as long as I use the WZC app built into XP rather than the bundled app that came with the adapter.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing this to happen? Usually this stuff connects up pretty easily but I'm stumped and the Windows 7 troubleshooter just asks me to power cycle the router. After that it gives up on you but that was to be expected.

Thanks

Well just to update this even though there doesn't seem to be much interest in this at the moment, I decided to try a different security setting and it seemed to work. I changed it from WEP/open/64bit/hex to WPA-PSK/TKIP/alpha using the exact same key I used in the other security type. I don't understand why a higher security setup would work and the lower type would not but I finally solved it. I don't have a way to test to see if it was the router or the security type (other than going to a neighbors house) but at least it's done. Maybe someone could shed some light on why it might of failed using the WEP security.

DOS_equis

DOS_equis wrote:I don't understand why a higher security setup would work and the lower type would not...

If you are using 802.11n for your WiFi connectivity, you MUST either use no security at all (not recommended), or WPA/WPA2 security. Its a requirement of the 802.11n standard.

BTW, I had one of those Atheros cards in my T60 and had significant Bluetooth issues, until I changed it for an Intel 4965AGN (together with a Zander BIOS flash).

Cheers,

Bill B.

bill bolton wrote: If you are using 802.11n for your WiFi connectivity, you MUST either use no security at all (not recommended), or WPA/WPA2 security. Its a requirement of the 802.11n standard.

BTW, I had one of those Atheros cards in my T60 and had significant Bluetooth issues, until I changed it for an Intel 4965AGN (together with a Zander BIOS flash).

Cheers,

Bill B.

Thank You for the reply. I had no idea that you couldn't (or shouldn't) use WEP with Wireless N. The thing is that's funny about that is my son's desktop PC has a wireless N USB dongle in it instead of a ethernet cable and I setup the WZC app in windows XP with WEP and it connected up no problem. That's why I thought it was weird that I couldn't get this Atheros card to work with WEP. The dongle is made by Netgear as well as the router so that might be part of it.

Is the 4965AGN card better than the Atheros card or was it used just to solve your BT connectivity problems?

As far as I know the BT connection has been good after changing the card. I paired it with my Moto w755 to see if it's still working good and it seems fine just streaming music from it to the notebook, even while I was downloading/ watching a youtube vid at the same time. I was considering using another Atheros card (non-whitelist) based on some of the chatter I found on this board before I bought the one I have but I didn't want to mess around with using the hacked BIOS and all. I just need it to work with AC and be stable. If I feel the need for a better Wifi card, i'll get a PCMCIA one with a prism chip in it and go wardriving for some fun.

Thanks again

DOS_equis

DOS_equis wrote:Is the 4965AGN card better than the Atheros card....

For me it is.

DOS_equis wrote:As far as I know the BT connection has been good after changing the card. I paired it with my Moto w755 to see if it's still working good and it seems fine just streaming music...

I have multiple BT devices of different classes connected simultaneously, and it was definitely problematic for me.

Eventually I gave the Atheros card away to Bill Morrow, our esteemed System Owner here at Thinkpads.com.

Cheers,

Bill B.