Updating Intel 3945 driver while keeping Access Connections

[smvp6459]

I'm not sure if I'm the only person who had trouble trying to install the newest Intel wireless driver from Lenovo's site...but I hope I can save someone else the hassle of figuring out how to update the drivers.

It seemed that running the Intel update would make Access Connections non-functional: it could no longer see/interact with the wireless card. I tried various combinations of uninstalling and installing AC and the drivers but nothing would work.

Finally, I gave up running the setup program for the driver and instead I went to the device manager, then to network devices, then under the 3945 adapter I manually updated the driver by pointing windows towards the location of the drivers (the extraction utility defaults to: C:\DRIVERS\WIN\WLANINT\XP\Drivers). I'm now running the 9/27/06 version of the Intel driver 10.5.1.68 with Access Connections fully functional.

The right palm rest seems a little cooler now than prior to the driver update, even though the APS readings remain similar. Who knows...it might be my imagination.

[smvp6459]

Great, once I figure it out they release a new version of access connections. Oh well.

[jdhurst]

The general advice in the Access Connections documentation in past has been to uninstall AC before changing drivers. I have always done that and not suffered much difficulty. If the driver hasn't changed then AC can be updated in place. So I was able to upgrade to AC 4.21 because the Wireless NIC driver has been the same since May. ... JD Hurst

[smvp6459]

[quote="jdhurst"]The general advice in the Access Connections documentation in past has been to uninstall AC before changing drivers.[/quote]

Yeah, that was the first thing I tried but the old AC 4.12 + the new Intel 3945abg driver wouldn't work even if you uninstalled AC, uninstalled the old intel driver/software, installed the new intel driver/software, and then reinstalled AC. All with system restarts in between.

I may yet go back to the old access connections version with the updated driver...AC now takes control of transmit power that used to be controlled by the intel interface. With the new AC it won't go as low as the card is capable of.

[gunston]

hi all,
i just wonder those that Access Connection really help???
how accurate is the Wireless Signal Strength display on Access Connection???
i am using my wireless without Access Connection. Yet, it works well.

Does that Access connection really give a helping hand????

Just a brainstroming!!!

[smvp6459]

For me access connections is useful...I'm in an environment with a single SSID but probably 15-20 APs. Some of the APs are flaky while others are very reliable. With windows alone, I cannot choose which I associate with but with access connections I can see whatever is visible and choose it.