IBM Access Connections alternative?

Message

T23_Owner · #1 Post by **T23_Owner** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 8:44 pm

Is there an alternative to using IBM access connections? It causes so many problems I had to delete it. Will other wi-fi utilities work with the PCI A/B/G card?

jsmit86 · #2 Post by **jsmit86** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 8:55 pm

What kind of problems are you having?

I like the utility, but I have also had several times when it shuts down unexpectedly. I have had to reinstall it a few times.

I am not sure it this was caused by some other program on my system.

Working OK for now, but I am curious about what others are experiencing.

T23_Owner · #3 Post by **T23_Owner** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:00 pm

My T23 would hang on shut down. I killed access connections and now it works perfect. I am scared to use it now so I can't use the internal wi-fi card, have to use a pcmcia wi-fi G card (which works beautifully). Got the card from wal-mart for $39. Motorola B/G card.

#4 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:05 pm

I use Access Connections V3.10 without problems. Verson 3.20 had the hang on shutdown (or more appropriately hang on network disconnect) and was quickly superceded by Version 3.21. Some people use the newest version without issue, so try it. I continued to have the hanging problem with Version 3.21. IBM told me to uninstall the Advanced Network Pack. This was a stupid answer. Just how does one remember an endless list of what updates to install and what updates to avoid because IBM can't write well-behaved applications. So I went back to Version 3.10. ... JDHurst

jsmit86 · #5 Post by **jsmit86** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:11 pm

T23_Owner wrote:My T23 would hang on shut down. I killed access connections and now it works perfect. I am scared to use it now so I can't use the internal wi-fi card, have to use a pcmcia wi-fi G card (which works beautifully). Got the card from wal-mart for $39. Motorola B/G card.

You can still use your built in card without access connections. Just go to the wireless tab on your adapter properties and check "use windows to configer my settings"

T23_Owner · #6 Post by **T23_Owner** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:14 pm

You mean in device manage? I didn't see a wireless tab there. Am I looking in the wrong place?

Humpa · #7 Post by **Humpa** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:22 pm

T23_Owner, go to Control Panel > Network Connection > Wireless Network Connections. Then click on Properties, and then you will see the Wireless Network tab (and the "Use Windows to Configure" button)

T23_Owner · #8 Post by **T23_Owner** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:25 pm

Hmm, maybe thats why I was having so many problems with Access Connections, "Use Windows to Configure tab" is already checked.

T23_Owner · #9 Post by **T23_Owner** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:27 pm

So if you don't have access connections installed does XP supply a driver for the built in wi-fi card?

Humpa · #10 Post by **Humpa** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:43 pm

Uninstalling Access Connections should not have removed the driver for your wi-fi card. I unisntalled Access Connections with no noticeable affect (built-in wi-fi working fine).
But you can just get the driver from the driver matrix for your model:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... PAD-MATRIX

Humpa · #11 Post by **Humpa** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:45 pm

T23_Owner wrote:Hmm, maybe thats why I was having so many problems with Access Connections, "Use Windows to Configure tab" is already checked.

Yeah, that would do it. Access Connections and Windows wireless config do not play well together (or so I've read).

I just noticed you posted that message ...

mdarnton · #12 Post by **mdarnton** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 9:53 pm

It works great on my T41--I just came back from a trip where it found a free connection, configured itself, and remembered to connect every time I was there, just as it does on home, with no intervention. When I came home, I just checked to reassign home as the priority connection.

In every one of my 5 computers (work and home) XP's own wireless handling has been inferior to that of the various and different card or computer maker's own in terms of consistently recognizing, and especially, holding on to connections. XP has been particularly bad at reconnecting--At my work, every time the conneciton was dropped (there's an elevator between me and the access point), XP couldn't remember which of the 5 or 6 in the vicinity I used, and would sequentially check them all, and maybe even never get to my own network. It's really stupid (as in, unusually low I.Q. for a computer program), in my opinion.

G-Man · #13 Post by **G-Man** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 7:53 am

T23_Owner,

Access Connections is not a wireless driver, it's a connection utility. It helps you manage your internet connections (wired, wireless). Windows Wireless Zero is another utility, but it only manages your wireless connection. You still need the driver for your wireless card, because Windows probably doesn't have the correct one.

Regards,
G-Man

XCoalMiner · #14 Post by **XCoalMiner** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:55 pm

jsmit86 wrote: Working OK for now, but I am curious about what others are experiencing.

I'm using v3.21 on a T41 with XP Pro, no issues whatsoever. Previous version exhibited hang on shutdown, moved up one rev. and problem went away.

One curiosity, am still trying to figure out how to configure it to have both a wireless and a wired-LAN connection simultaneously. Posted question about that previously, and several people replied, but I never got it to work. I just manually enable the second connection what I want both, ... but I haven't given up yet.

jsmit86 · #15 Post by **jsmit86** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:20 pm

What steps are necessary to upgrade to the new version?

G-Man · #16 Post by **G-Man** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:58 pm

Just download and install it. You can also upgrade your wireless driver by simply downloading the larger file acwlupdate.exe which includes both AC and driver.

Regards,
G-Man

IBM Access Connections alternative?

IBM Access Connections alternative?

Who is online