Wireless won't turn on

[ralber]

Has anybody ever had a problem turning on the wireless service on a Lenovo 3000 V100? I upgraded to Vista Ultimate about 6 months ago and have had no problems using the internal wireless card (an Intel 3945ABG card) until yesterday.

Now I can't connect and when I go to the network and sharing center it reports that my wireless service needs to be turned on. I found the hardware switch on the side of the laptop and turned that on. I then pressed Fn-F5 to view the wireless network config window but nothing happens when I press those keys. Other Fn function keys work fine.

I can connect to the Internet using a cable connected to my router. My other desktop machine uses a wireless connection to the same wireless router and that works fine.

Anybody have any ideas about how I might turn on my wireless service?

Thanks.

[AlphaKilo470]

Do you have all the proper drivers installed? For Fn+F5 to work I think you need Access Connections and the hotkey driver installed.

[ralber]

Here's some more information. I did a Lenovo System Update and it restored the list of utilities shown in the Lenovo Care application window. It also seems to have affected the wireless configuration application that should open when I press Fn+F5.

Now when I press Fn+F5 a window appears that says "The hardware wireless radio switch must be in the on position to use the wireless radios." Of course, that hardware siwtch is in the on position on my laptop. I get the same message regardless of whether the switch is all the way over to the left or the right.

Has anybody heard of the wireless radio hardware switch on the side of a Lenovo 3000 V100 failing? That's what I'd guess my problem is.

Any ideas?

[eclektiklp]

What's the version of ThinkVantage Access Connection and driver for your intel 3945abg ?
have a look in the tab driver (management console), make sure that "radio on/off" is on ON position.

[ralber]

The driver for my 3945ABG adapter is version 10.6.0.15
according to the Intel Wireless LAN Identification Utility I downloaded from the Intel support website.

I downloaded a new copy of the Thinkvantage Access Connections file version 4.42.

[ralber]

Now with the ThinkVantage utility reinstalled and the latest drivers pressing Fn-F5 brings up my old network connections console (hooray!). However, it still says the wireless radio is turned off via the hardware switch or in the BIOS. I double checked the BIOS setting and wireless radio is enabled. Sliding the hardware switch back and forth seems to make no difference.

Weird - sure seems like a switch problem to me.

Agree?

----------- Rick

[newt43]

Hi: I had the same problem on my T43-- wireless was clearly on, but Access Connections said it was off. The problem, I think, lies with Access Connections (4.42). Here's what I did to fix it:

1. Uninstall Access Connections
2. Go to Add/Remove programs
3. Find intel PROset/wireless, click on change/remove
4. A dialogue box will give you the option to "repair". Select it.
5. Once the repair is done, restart computer.

You should find that your wireless works fine after this. Please let us know how it works out!

[eclektiklp]

ouch, if you need to desinstall intel PROset Wireless program, it smells not good because it means you have 2 management programs controlling your wireless hardware (Intel PROset Wireless & Access Connection). Newt43 is right
Finally, Ralber, Driver version for 3945abg seems to be not the latest, see here -> http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_ ... s&lang=fra (Excuse for language, but its the same version)
---> Don't install Intel PROset Wireless utility as explained by newt43, good luck !