Very Odd T43/Docking Station Behavior

[hobbes99]

I am having very odd behavior on multiple T43s.

Recently rebuilt a handful of T43s with the following:

Windows XP SP3/slip streamed
All the newest ThinkVantage utilities:
Access Connections
Power Manager/Power Manager Driver
Ultra Nav
Easy Eject
Newest BIOS/Embedded Controller
SafeBoot Endpoint Encypriotn
Citrix PNAgent 10.200


In the main office everything works fine.
In a branch office, which has to cross a VPN to access file and citrix server, things get really strange.

UNDOCKED; everything works - very slowly compared to desktops in the same office, but it works.

DOCKED (port Replicator II): Upon loading personal settings (local profiles only), the external keybaord and mouse will freeze (they worked fine upto that point). OPening the laptop and trying to use the lpatop keyboard fails as well. The Function hotkeys will work, but nothing else will.
After removing the Power Manager, Easy Eject and Ultra Nav software, the external keyboard and mouse works most of the time, but not always. However, when docked all network traffic is extremely slow. Citrix pass-through logins fail, among failed printer connections, and again just extremely slow network traffic.
Undocked, everything returns to normal speeds.

This has occurred with 4 T43s, and 4 docking stations.

I have spent days working on this, and I have tried to many things to list here. Does anyone have any ideas that might be a good starting point? If I have tried it I'll let you know.

Thanks All
Matt

[davidspalding]

I am having very odd behavior on multiple T43s.

Recently rebuilt a handful of T43s with the following:

Windows XP SP3/slip streamed
All the newest ThinkVantage utilities:
Access Connections
Power Manager/Power Manager Driver
Ultra Nav
Easy Eject
Newest BIOS/Embedded Controller
SafeBoot Endpoint Encypriotn
Citrix PNAgent 10.200

I get into hot water saying so, but since 2007, when I've updated to newer versions of the bigger utilities (CSS, Access Connections, Wireless Drivers, Ethernet drivers, video drivers), I get problems and have to roll back. Try installing the drivers and utilities that shipped with the T43s as a baseline, then install the third party stuff. Stop there, and test.

When you say traffic slows way down docked, I presume you mean Ethernet versus wireless. And I presume that when you dock, you're switching from the laptop on-board eth0 to the dock's eth0. Try docking and remaining connected to the on-board eth0.

Another idea.... Do you have Wifi in that office? Any difference, say if you dock without Ethernet plugged into the dock or laptop at all? If YES, then it's not the network connection, but some hardware connected to the dock, or the dock itself. Start trying devices one at a time (process of elimination).

Oh, and I use all three types of dock, Port Rep, MiniDock, and Dock II. Using IBM and old (I mean OLD) IBM keyboards, Microsoft mouses, and a Wacom Bluetooth tablet.

[Ralf Hutter]

Try installing the drivers and utilities that shipped with the T43s as a baseline, then install the third party stuff.

I assume these earlier drivers can be found on the R&R disc set? Are they available anywhere online?

[davidspalding]

(Sorry for the late reply.) Yes, that's the question. I usually find some old versions of drivers lingering at C:\drivers ... for a time the system update utility/utilities weren't deleting old versions. You may be able to run R&R from your R&R partition or the backup discs to restore drivers (I'm guessing here). Or ... search online.