The Fn+F5 problem..

[mikek]

Been combing the threads here for how to solve Fn+F5 not allowing wifi power toggle (although it works fine for BT). I've tried much that others have done, but without success. But what did do it for me is renaming libeay21.dll. Why does this work? What is it that this file does? Googled for it, but not found anything that really pins it down. Anyone know?. Can't remember who posted that advice or in which thread.... but just wanted to say thanks!!

[Shammyh]

Generally speaking the best solution to this problem is to uninstall both the wireless drivers and access connections (and any other wireless software/drivers hanging around). Then reinstall the IBM wireless drivers (not Intel) and their corresponding access connections version. This should fix most versions of this problem.

Hope this helps.

- Sam

[blockage]

Is there anyway of getting the utility to work with the Intel drivers?

I've tried every version of the IBM 2200bg drivers with generally frustrating results. The latest intel drivers seem to work really well (finally!). I think they're proabably more up to date than the IBM drivers (Intel 9.0.4.13 vs IBM 9.0.4.8).

The only problem is now fn+F5 is dead and I can't turn bluetooth on or off...

[GomJabbar]

But what did do it for me is renaming libeay21.dll. Why does this work? What is it that this file does?....Can't remember who posted that advice or in which thread.... but just wanted to say thanks!!

The problem apparently stems from the fact that software from different vendors use a file by the name of libeay32.dll. I believe that Windows searches the C:\Windows and C:\Windows\System32 directories for files first. The Intel driver needs the file libeay32.dll, but the one in the C:\Windows directory is for different software. When you rename that file, then Windows searches further and finds the correct version of the file in the C:\Program Files\Intel\Wireless\Bin directory.

It was Riddil that found the solution to this problem. Search for his thread.

[blockage]

Not sure if this will help anyone else but it worked for me.

• 1. Uninstall Access Connections.
  2. Rollback the 2200bg drivers to the earliest possible. in my case this was 9.0.2.?. This should temporarily fix fn+f5 but not the wireless performance.
  3. Restart
  4. Install the Intel drivers (9.0.4.13). This should totally break fn+f5 - this time when you hit fn+f5 Windows should throw an program error. If at this stage fn+f5 still seems to work for bluetooth but fail to control the power of the wifi card, you need to start again, rolling-back to an earlier version of the 2200bg drivers.
  5. Restart again
  6. Install the latest version of Access Connections
  7. One last restart
  8. Create a new location profile and you're off

So far this works pretty well compared to every other combination I've tried. The only problem is I ended up with lots of new icons in the task tray and get notification in triplet about every wireless event. To stop this I turned off windows wifi management and almost all the options in the Intel ProSet/Wireless application settings.

[mikek]

Dear Gomjabbar - that's extremely helpful. Thanks.

[redrock]

Just rename the libeay21.dll under windows.. It worked for me !!!

regards;

[mikek]

Can't be certain, but it seems to me that the rogue libeay21.dll has come from an old install of iPass - some remote dial-up software that one of the IT guys at work put in the machine without asking me.... if so, poetic justice that it's the same guy I was kicking for six months to make the Fn+F5 work again... but in the end he couldn't do it and I found the answer here!

Probably worth a new thread to ponder the trials and tribluations of corporate IT support.... I hate them (most of the time) and I'm sure it's reciprocal. Took me two months to get admin rights back on the local machine last time they took it off me...

[ian eisenberg]

how do i turn off the xp wireless controll and just use the IBM software?

[cmarti]

I got it working following the instructions provided here:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-62223

And i don't have the access connection software installed.

Finally FN + F5 wifi function works in m T40!!!

[tommassit]

Hey, that works! Thanks for the link to those instructions, cmarti. That did the trick, and my FN + F5 is now working again on my T42!

[cmarti]

Hey, that works! Thanks for the link to those instructions, cmarti. That did the trick, and my FN + F5 is now working again on my T42!

Glad it work for you!

[mikek]

Am I going mad...?? Does Fn+F5 work before logging in, ie at the Ctrl+Alt+Del screen? I thought it did, but it doesn't now. Although it still works fine once I've logged in.

If you can't turn it off before you log in, it's a real bind as it seems to spend a lot of time looking for wifi networks before finishing the log in.

Please let me know how mad I am.
Thanks

[bill bolton]

Does Fn+F5 work before logging in, ie at the Ctrl+Alt+Del screen?

It never has for me.

Cheers,

Bill

[GomJabbar]

Am I going mad...?? Does Fn+F5 work before logging in, ie at the Ctrl+Alt+Del screen? I thought it did, but it doesn't now. Although it still works fine once I've logged in.

If you can't turn it off before you log in, it's a real bind as it seems to spend a lot of time looking for wifi networks before finishing the log in.

Please let me know how mad I am.
Thanks

If you are using Access Connections there are the following settings (at least in version 4.12). Open Access Connections, click on Configure > Global Settings..., and uncheck box: Allow wireless connection at Windows logon (requires system restart). I also have the box checked: Enable automatic wireless LAN radio control.

When I leave turn the wireless radio off, it stays off even after a reboot. If I leave the wireless radio on, it stays on after a reboot. I leave the wireless radio off when I am not at home, and on when I am at home. In either case, my boot up times are normal, and I do not see a lot of waiting to establish a wireless connection.

[mikek]

Well, at least if I'm experiencing the same as Bill, it must be normal... disappointing, but normal.

And although I don't use AC, the behaviour is just as GJ describes. My problem is that if I'm at home or in the office, I need to leave wireless on so that as machine logs off, it synchs with office file servers as part of log off. Once logged off I can't then shut off radio - and next log on I'm stuck with radio on... which depending where I am can be long if there's a weak radio signal it seems the TP spends a lot of time trying to communicate with it before completing the log on.

It also tries to establish a dial-up network connexion at this time with my bluetooth devices... .any idea how I stop windows wasting time trying to do that?

[kstuart]

Here is something I just discovered:

I followed the directions in the IBM/Lenovo document posted above. Everything then worked fine (by the way, I had to run Network Wizard again to get connections with other PCs on the LAN).

I then looked at my Wireless Connection in Windows and the protocols that I had unconnected were once again checked:

- Aegis (not using it in my setup, could be useful elsewhere)
- QOS (not useful anywhere , but your company LAN might require it ; I have no need of it)
- WLAN Transport (an Intel protocol that has virtually no documentation on the web that I've been able to find, so I had unchecked it)

I then went again, and unchecked all three again.

Immediately, the ON/OFF state of the Wireless Radio was the opposite of what Access Connections thought it was, as well as it reporting 0% signal strength, while I was still wirelessly connected through my LAN to the Internet.

On a hunch, I re-checked "WLAN Transport", rebooted, and suddenly everything was working again in Access Connections.

So, I think we can conclude that "WLAN Transport" is needed for Access Connections to work properly with Intel Wireless cards. This may even be at the root of some people's problems - they may also have unchecked WLAN Transport, not seeing any use for it...