New Intel 2200bg and 2915abg wireless driver from IBM/Lenovo

Message

#31 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:24 pm

bullarded wrote:I don't understand what Lenovo is saying. It sounds as if there is no fix at the moment for those of us with malfunctioning Fn +F5 keys

Click on the link I provided above. The solution is posted in the link.

Wiz · #32 Post by **Wiz** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 9:49 pm

IBM/Lenovo finally released a new driver for Intel WLAN adapters now which is the same version as you can download from the Intel website. The installation from Lenovo include a bit more then the driver, but not the complete Proset client. Not sure if this update will solve the Fn +F5 problem since i never had this problem, but at least it solve some disconnect problems for those using older versions of the driver. I used the driver from the Intel website since i had a lot of disconnect problems and updated to the one released by Lenovo in case it's somehow customized for Thinkpads or include something i don't get by using the one from Intel. Seems like at least the driver is identical as the one from Intel.
Both the one from intel and the latest from IBM works fine on my computer so cannot really see any difference, but as i said i never had that Fn-F5 problem either.

DIGITALgimpus · #33 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:23 am

Seems the driver they have only updates proset not the driver (doesn't update to .13 or whatever the latest is for me), I had to update the actual driver myself.

#34 Post by **bill bolton** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:26 pm

DIGITALgimpus wrote:(doesn't update to .13 or whatever the latest is for me)

It updated my 2915ABG driver from 9.0.4.8 to 9.0.4.13!

Cheers,

Bill

DIGITALgimpus · #35 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:30 pm

Ok cool... well I had to do it manually, not sure why.

Either way, works fine.

DIGITALgimpus · #36 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:57 am

I reverted back (then updated just the driver itself to 9.0.4.13). I was getting disconnects with the new version (presumably the result of the upgraded ProSet software).

With 9.0.4.13 and the older 9.x ProSet software it seems rock solid, with the exception of enhanced Throughput causes disconnects (so I have it turned off).

Perhaps next time they will get it all right. Either way, this setup isn't to bad.

johnthedebs · #37 Post by **johnthedebs** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 7:31 pm

I'm new to the forums but found it because I've been having a similar problem. Between the time I found this and finally got registered, I've done a bit of playing with this myself. Besides trying virtually every method here, I called IBM tech support and got an Intel WLAN Driver Cleanup tool, with instructions on how to fix this problem. It didn't help, but I hosted the files so anyone else can feel free to try:

http://tweakthatpig.net/intel_fix/

My goal is to get my wireless card working with the Access Connections utility (using the newest version of both, 4.12 and 9.0.4.13). I had previously been using 4.12 and 9.0.4.8, updated via the software installer, and it all worked fine until I tried installing VMWare 5.51. After that install, AC just didn't see my card anymore for whatever reason, although all my other software, including the windows wireless configuration utility, did. If anyone manages to use this tool or get the configuration the way I described above working, please post back exactly what you did. I'll be very grateful. Thanks in advance...

Note: I did not install the Intel software, only the driver. I extracted it per the instructions earlier in this thread

johnthedebs · #38 Post by **johnthedebs** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 1:12 am

Small warning about the Intel Cleanup utility for those who decide to use it: after I ran it on my machine a bunch of my Start Meny and Quickstart icons lost their "targets" or their icons just changed to the generic windows application icon.

kennethmgreen · #39 Post by **kennethmgreen** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:06 pm

0501x wrote:Problem:
I always turn off my wireless antenna before I shut down my T42 . Whenever I boot up, however, ThinkVantage Access Connections automatically turns on my wireless antenna and starts connecting to available networks without any prompting from me.

I want my wireless to remain OFF until I choose to turn it on.

(I have [unfortunately] upgraded AC to the latest Lenovo version 4.11a. "Automatic Location Switching" and "enable wireless LAN radio control" options have been disabled.)

Anybody have any ideas on how to prevent Access Connections from automatically turning on the wireless antenna every time I boot up?

Thanks.

Try to setting up a Dial-up profile in AC (where only connection is dial-up), and just switch to that before shutting down. If you also have check the option to "turn off radio" when switching from your wi-fi profile, all you would need to do is select your Dial-up connection before you shut down.

When you reboot, you should still have the Dial-up profile selected, with wi-fi off.

Also, FWIW, I couldn't get latest AC and Intel drivers to work right. My T43 was S-L-O-W (100% CPU spikes with AC running). I removed AC and the Intel driver and downgraded to older version of both and all has worked flawlessly since.

simms · #40 Post by **simms** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 1:31 am

While I get no problems with wireless (no disconnects, no slowness) I cannot Fn + F5 to disable and enable the devices on the fly.

I have updated to the latest .13 drivers but still to no avail I get an error. "Unable to change the state of the 802.11 adapter", update the driver.

Does anyone know of a fix?

simms · #41 Post by **simms** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:29 pm

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts ... uctID=2570

new driver is out

DIGITALgimpus · #42 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:42 pm

Boy, that's about 130MB of driver goodness.

I'm downloading now... I'll only install the driver, not the proset software... and I'll report back my findings.

DIGITALgimpus · #43 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:59 pm

I only installed the driver. Can't find a changelog to see what actually was fixed/added in this version.

Nothing really different in my eyes. Works, no disconnects thus far. Can't complain.

simms · #44 Post by **simms** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:51 pm

I finallly got it working. I used the utility that was posted in the other thread to clear out all the other drivers and followed those instructions to a T.

They turn off and on with Fn+F5, but I learned that I can't disable these programs via msconfig. While you can remove the Intel Programs, all 3 services must be running for Fn+F5 to work; otherwise the driverw ill still work, but you cannot control it via Fn+F5.

I used the 9.0.4.8 drivers along with the instructions.

DIGITALgimpus · #45 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:52 am

FYI there's a hotkey update to fix an application error on F5:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-38953

soliton · #46 Post by **soliton** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:25 pm

This update fixes some major bugs in the centrino drivers, which is why I took the trouble of updating from 9.0.2.25.

http://news.com.com/Intel+sends+out+Cen ... 01488.html

Now, I can't use Fn+F5 to switch off or see the signal strength in the taskbar... will try the latest Access Connections (which otherwise doesn't work with this latest WiFi driver) along with the hotfix... I'd at least like to have the Fn+F5 control, and the task-bar icon with signal strength if possible (without actually using the Access Connections to manage my profiles... windows is far better!)

Wiz · #47 Post by **Wiz** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:47 pm

soliton wrote:This update fixes some major bugs in the centrino drivers, which is why I took the trouble of updating from 9.0.2.25.

http://news.com.com/Intel+sends+out+Cen ... 01488.html

To fix the issue described above (url) you need the driver 9.0.4.17 from Intel. The latest posted by IBM (version 9.0.4.13) still contains this security flaw. I downloaded and installed version 9.0.4.17 from Intel and all features seem to still work just fine on my PC.

soliton · #48 Post by **soliton** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 7:09 pm

Wiz, which version of Access Connections and more importantly, Fn+F5 hotkey software are you using? In my post, I meant the .17 driver from Intel, which is what I'm using, except that I can only control its powering on/off using Intel's management software and NOT Fn+F5 or the latest Access Connections from IBM...

Wiz · #49 Post by **Wiz** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:37 pm

soliton, i pretty much got the latest drivers and software versions from IBM (except the wlan driver 9.0.4.17 that i got from Intel). So the hotkey package i got installed is version 1.26.0607 and AC is 4.12. I think all the other drivers and software provided by IBM is the latest as well on my computer.

When i got the PC i reinstalled windows from a standard Windows XP Pro CD with SP2 and then used the software installer to install driver and apps from IBM. Some where not installed by the software installer so i had to do it manually. I do not use the security client software or rescue and recovery (or whatever they call it now) since it's not useful to me. I installed Windows XP several times on my old T40 and my current T43p, but never had any problems with Fn-F5 or other features of the wlan card. I had other issues with intel wlan cards like disconnects, but that's because of the drivers and version 9.0.4.13 is the first driver they provided to the 2200bg that i find to work almost like it should. The disconnect problem seems to be a Intel feature they cannot manage to solve.

I have never used the pre installed OS since it contains so much stuff i don't want. I update the drivers and software pretty often so i seldom skip several versions and then update directly to the latest version from a very old version. Neither have i ever installed the proset client provided by Intel since i heard some people had issues by doing that when they already had AC installed. I just used the wlan driver from Intel that i extracted from the package and didn't run the installation that will install the proset client as well.

soliton · #50 Post by **soliton** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:33 pm

Okay, have it figured, finally! The problem was that open-source dll mentioned earlier in this thread (Thanks, guys!) which had to be present in the path for the Fn+F5 to work. I had been trying to only use the .17 driver without installing all the bloated associated "ProSET" sw, so that particular dll wasn't getting installed in the "expected" directory, hence the problem with Fn+F5. My previous driver was 9.0.2.25 which I hadn't upgraded after having learnt the hard way the headache involved therein.

So, in summary, I now have the full-install of the Pro-Set s/w provided by IBM (which is older than Intel's latest version that comes with .17 drivers) just so that dll gets installed, and then have the latest Intel driver installed for security reasons...

This wasn't supposed to be this hard, if it were not for such badly written s/w

#51 Post by **bill bolton** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:38 am

soliton wrote:then have the latest Intel driver installed for security reasons...

This wasn't supposed to be this hard, if it were not for such badly written s/w

It certainly sounds like you are going out of your way to make it harder than it needs to be, by creating at least some of the problems yourself.

Cheers,

Bill

soliton · #52 Post by **soliton** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 1:10 pm

bill bolton wrote: It certainly sounds like you are going out of your way to make it harder than it needs to be, by creating at least some of the problems yourself.

Oh well, I just happen to like my system configured exactly the way I want -- part of which means (and I repeat) Fn+F5 functionality, taskbar signal strength indicator, secure centrino driver that doesn't drop connections (not necessarily the latest driver version works that way), with minimal gunk running in the background (services, startup progs.) that hogs the RAM. However, IBM/Intel, would only give me a package that will have that montrosity of 128 Mb download causing some 3 background services, and another "ifrmwork" to run, because they think thats good for me?

So I end up go out of my way to make things exactly work the way I want. Heck, who on earth has ever heard of a 128 Mb driver download before? And IBM hasn't come out with their version yet...

kstuart · #53 Post by **kstuart** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:01 pm

Intel does have a Drivers Only download ~5mb and a Documents Only download.

aschb · #54 Post by **aschb** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:07 am

installed and no problems at all.

yossarian · #55 Post by **yossarian** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:36 pm

I've got a 2915ABG, and recently upgraded to the 10.1.1.3 Intel PRO/Wireless API listed on Software Installer.

This broke my wireless connectivity using Access Connections to an Access Point with 802.1x authentication with PEAP/MS-CHAT-v2

Ad-hoc and open/unencrypted APs can still associate, but using Access connections (4.12) on the above settings will just fail to associate at all.

Anyone else able to verify this? (Create a profile with such settingss, and you will see it fails straight away).

If I bypass access connections and make windows handle it instead, it seems to associate.

killswitch · #56 Post by **killswitch** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 4:58 pm

hello

i just can't find the named driver version 9.0.4.xx or soo. When I look into device manager on a wifi driver - there I have just this driver version 4.1.102.147(recently updated through software installer), I have t42p 2373-ktu and I can't find if that chipset is 2915abg (or something else??).
I don't have any problems with wifi right now, but I just wanted to update so that security issues are solved(if is that chipset with that issues). thanks

#57 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 6:24 pm

killswitch wrote:i just can't find the named driver version 9.0.4.xx or soo. When I look into device manager on a wifi driver - there I have just this driver version 4.1.102.147(recently updated through software installer), I have t42p 2373-ktu and I can't find if that chipset is 2915abg (or something else??).

I Googled the number 4.1.102.147 and came up with the following:
Wireless LAN Adapter Software(ThinkPad 802.11ab, 802.11bg, 802.11abg) for Windows 2000 and XP - ThinkPad General

This means you do not have the Intel card. You have one of the IBM cards.

Overview - ThinkPad T42/p

Note the following Wireless Network options from the above link:

Lenovo wrote:Intel 802.11b Mini PCI wireless adapter on selected models
Intel 802.11b/g Mini PCI wireless adapter on selected models
Intel 802.11a/b/g Mini PCI wireless adapter on selected models
ThinkPad High Rate 802.11a/b/g Mini PCI wireless adapter on selected models
Cisco Aironet 802.11b Mini PCI wireless adapter on selected models
ThinkPad 802.11a/b wireless

Press the blue Access IBM button and go to Learn > System information > Warranty & parts. There you will find out exactly what is in your ThinkPad.

DIGITALgimpus · #58 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 8:42 pm

Someone at F-Secure mentions the IBM/Lenovo issue with Intel drivers and AC problems:
http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives ... l#00000940

at least we're not alone with some of the problems experienced.

Driver only (no proset) download can be found here:
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts ... ldID=11342

claudeo · #59 Post by **claudeo** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:16 pm

Having tried on my T42 before I found this thread, I can vouch that there is a problem with the Access Connections software and the new driver. I made the mistake of installing the Intel PRO/Wireless software update (full package). There is no recovery from that. Either you use the Intel PRO connection manager, or you fall back to the Windows Wireless Manager, but I could find no way to make Access Connections work with the new driver. One of the problems is that you cannot revert the driver to the old Lenovo driver package, another one is that Access Connections obviously depends on some hack or tweak of the driver to be able to work with it. Oh well. The Intel manager is really not much an improvement over the Windows one, so I took it out and I use Windows. The one feature I do miss about Access Connections is the ability to specify whether to enable printer and file sharing only for specific connections. Much better security automatically. I guess I'll wait for Lenovo to figure this one out and come up with an update. A security update seems much more important than some of the other cosmetic stuff.

Wiz · #60 Post by **Wiz** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:59 am

claudeo wrote:Having tried on my T42 before I found this thread, I can vouch that there is a problem with the Access Connections software and the new driver. I made the mistake of installing the Intel PRO/Wireless software update (full package).

Don't mix the driver and the Intel Proset application. There is no tweak or hack required to make the intel driver work with access connections, but as described above use ONLY the driver from Intel and do not install the whole package that also include Intel Proset.

I currently use the latest driver from Intel with AC and also done that with previous releases without any problems, but i did not install Intel Proset as you did. I only updated the driver from device manager. You could either download the driver only or unpack the full package and use the driver only. That should work just fine and easy to revert back in case of problems.

New Intel 2200bg and 2915abg wireless driver from IBM/Lenovo

Re: thanks for the sticky but what does it mean?

Re: ThinkVantage Access Connections automatically turning on

Bugs

Re: Bugs

Intel wlan driver 9.0.4.17

driver version

Re: driver version

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