Cannot get any kind of internet connection with 600xthinkpad

[jason herek]

I have a 600x thinkpad and no matter what drivers I install I cannot get an internet connection through the usb or through the roamabout wifi card (which also doesn't work in my dell). I don't understand why the usb connection doesn't work. You'd think it be plug and play but no it doesn't work. I used my dell to download all the drivers for the 600x, installed them, and now I cannot get any kind of net connection through wifi or the usb port. I have a netgear111w2 usb lan wifi that I had working one day but as soon as I powered down the computer it stopped working. If anyone has any idea of how to factory reset this laptop (no I don't have a disc) and its running windows xp pro (I don't know why it has pro) please let me know.

[RealBlackStuff]

That Netgear yoke is USB2.0, won't work in that 'oldie' with USB1.0.
If you use a PCMCIA card, not sure if the 600x has 16-bit or 32-bit ports.

The reset button is on the left side of the Power switch.

[jason herek]

yes it has a PCMIA slot and I have a wifi card that goes into it called roamabout 802.11 DS by enterasys . What happens if I hit the reset button (thanks I didn't know it was there)? I had the netgear wn111v2 working at one point, but as soon as I shut the computer down that was it. I can't figure out how I had it running. I just want this laptop to be able to surf the web as a spare in case mine goes down. When I start the laptop and hold f1 it asks me if I want 8 or 16 bit in the network section and I don't know which one to put it on. Is there a way I can download a free copy of windows 2000 and just rehaul this whole laptop?

[jason herek]

Also, I'm running a usb cable straight from my modem into the usb and that's not working either. Any ideas on that?

[Neil]

IDK. I have used both PCMCIA wifi cards and PCMCIA ethernet cards in my 600X before without issue. Also have used USB wifi dongles of various types without issue. I am not familiar with your hardware, but would think that if you have the proper driver(s), the XP zero config utility should get you going.

As for using the USB connection directly from the "modem", I've never done that, although my Motorola Surfboard has that option, I've always used ethernet to my router.

Guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't think the problem is with the 600X or the OS you are using.

[jason herek]

xp zero config? God I'm lost. I have 2 R51's I know everything about but this little 600x just will not get online. I cannot find the right drivers to get the wifi card to work or to even get the usb wlan to work. the usb netgear111v2 worked one night for a while and when i shut it off it never worked again. I am running xp pro. There are 2 PCMIA slots, does it matter if its in the top or bottom? Maybe is it the PCMIA slot drivers? Once when I had the usb running from the router directly into the laptop on my hardware screen I had a yellow question mark on the usb saying I needed a driver for the usb to run lan but there wasn't one on the lenovo website. I'm lost.

[Neil]

That Netgear yoke is USB2.0, won't work in that 'oldie' with USB1.0.

RBS probably knows what he's talkin' about here, I don't. It's the only real dif between your R51 and 600X with the same network hardware and XP pro on both. R51 has USB 2.0 capability, and 600X only USB 1.1.

BTW, how do you get online with the R51?

[Majestic]

Jason,

I am assuming you have a NetGear WG111 v2 USB wireless adapter. If so, this USB adapter is backward compatible to the USB 1.0 standard. I've got the v3 version and have used it on a variety of older laptops without any problems.

The way I install this adapter is to first have the laptop connected via a wired connection to the Internet. I then plug in the adapter and let Windows detect it during the plug and play setup. I then let Windows do a search on the Internet for the driver and Windows will then install the driver for it. After the driver is installed, I use the built in Windows wireless configuration to get connected. Doing the driver install this way eliminates all the excess software install that the NetGear installation would have added. Since it sounds like you may have done a partial install already. Just leave the adapter plugged in and go into Windows Device Manager and uninstall the adapter. Then reboot the computer and Windows will again detect it as new hardware.

Here is a link on how to use the Windows version of the wireless setup after the drivers were installed. Follow the instructions towards the end of the article on Connect your computers and devices.........

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/usin ... eless.mspx

If you really want the NetGear version of the software, the link below has the v2 drivers and instructions for installing and using.....

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/713