Windows 7 - Slow Internet

[Andouche]

I've recently installed Windows 7 and ever since, the internet has been painfully slow. I installed Windows 7 cleanly on my machine that had been preinstalled with Windows Vista. Under Vista, I had absolutely no wireless issues. Win7 says that my wireless signal is 'Excellent' and shows full bars with Internet connectivity. Browsing the web though is extremently slow. I've observed that pinging my router results in 25%-75% dropped packets.

I have 2 other laptops on my home network - a T500 running WinXP and a Mac Book Pro. Both have blazing fast broadband while my T400 with Win7 can barely load a page.

Any suggestions?

- - -
System Specs:
ThinkPad T400 2764-CTO
Intel Core 2 duo P8600 2.40 GHz
3 MB RAM
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
Wireless Adaptor: ThinkPad 11b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express Adapter III

[visionviper]

Connect your laptop to the router through your ethernet connection. Does it still have the issue?

What wireless driver are you using? Is it the latest version on the Lenovo website? Did you try downloading and installing the driver for your wireless card from Intel's website?

[Andouche]

No, when I connect my laptop by cable to the router, I have don't have any issues.

The drivers I'm using are the latest from the Lenovo website for my particular wireless card (i.e. ThinkPad 11b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express Adapter III) but I can only find Vista drivers. Lenovo doesn't seem to make Win7 drivers available for this card. Also, I haven't downloaded drivers from the Intel site as this particular Wireless card is Atheros based.

[Harryc]

What's the FRU# on the wireless card, and have you or anyone else put that card in the machine in place of the original adapter card? What is the COA for on this machine, Vista? I would suggest trying a Lenovo card that has Windows 7 supported drivers.

[visionviper]

Also, I haven't downloaded drivers from the Intel site as this particular Wireless card is Atheros based.

Ah, of course. My mistake.

What's the FRU# on the wireless card, and have you or anyone else put that card in the machine in place of the original adapter card? What is the COA for on this machine, Vista? I would suggest trying a Lenovo card that has Windows 7 supported drivers.

I am wondering about this too because I thought all Thinkpads after the T6x generation came with b/g/n WiFi cards.

[Andouche]

What's the FRU# on the wireless card, and have you or anyone else put that card in the machine in place of the original adapter card? What is the COA for on this machine, Vista? I would suggest trying a Lenovo card that has Windows 7 supported drivers.

I'm using the original adapter card that came pre-installed with my laptop.

When I do a parts lookup on the Lenovo Support Site, I get the following result:

Mfg part # 43Y6510
FRU part # 43Y6511
Description: HARRISON WLAN ADAPTER FRU

This has been identified as a 'ThinkPad 11b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express Adapter III' which unfortunately, Lenovo doesn't seem to have Windows 7 drivers for. I'm at the moment using the latest Vista drivers instead but still have issues. When I install the drivers that Windows Update seems to think are appropriate, I still have the same issue. I've also run ThinkVantage System Update but it doesn't come up with any WLAN drivers for me.

[visionviper]

Are you using antivirus and/or firewall? Is so which one?

[Andouche]

Anti Virus yes, I'm using AVG (the free version). I've tried disabling it and it doesn't help.

I'm not using a software firewall, Windows Firewall has been turned off.

[visionviper]

I'd say at this point you may just need to buy a new WiFi card -- one that is supported under Windows 7.

[Harryc]

I'd say at this point you may just need to buy a new WiFi card -- one that is supported under Windows 7.

...said that in post #4 .

[visionviper]

...said that in post #4 .

You did, but I just wanted to check one more thing.

I recently did some computer work for a frequent client who reported having troubles with her internet being slow/unresponsive. I put her on a different antivirus program and the issue went away. For some reason the browser and the antivirus program just weren't playing nice.

[Andouche]

Thanks again guys.

I did eliminate the Anti Virus as a possible cause.

I'm disappointed that my only option may be to replace the Wifi card. My T400 is just over a year old. It seems ridiculous that I'd need to replace parts already to be compatible with Win7.

[topmahof]

just a thought. i'm running windows 7 pro on 2 x32's with atheros cards and i had a few problems. i'm using the windows 7 drivers. i went into control panel, system, device manager, right clicked on the network adapter and under power manager i unchecked the box that allows windows to turn off the device to save power. i then went under advanced and changed the roaming from 60 to 45. my problem wasn't slow internet it was taking 2 or 3 clicks to bring up a web page. what i did seemed to fix it.

i also heard that some routers don't play well with windows 7.

there's not as many power settings that can be changed under windows 7 as there are with xp.

[topmahof]

before you blame it on the card i would probably try a usb wireless adapter first and see if you have the same issues. if you do, then i doubt that it is the card. i would just hate to see you go through the hassle of finding a card and changing it out only to have the same issues.

i always keep a few wifi adapters around in case my card acts up.

[topmahof]

well, mine's still acting up so i switched the atheros card with an intel card from a x41. it works a lot better. no more 3 clicks to get on a site. so i just spent all day switching cards from 3 x32's to x41's and finding drivers for everything. but everythings back working again.

[alkemyst]

With Windows 7 I have switched from AVG to MSE.

On older machines MSE is providing to be much better than AVG's latest releases. I knew when they started requiring online installs only I'd have issues.

[Andouche]

I've broken down and ordered a new card. I'm getting an Intel 5300. I've eliminated so many other things as the cause and all signs point to my Atheros based card not being supported by Win7. I'll report back with results once I replace the card.

[Andouche]

My hatred for Lenovo is deepening...

So my shiny new Intel 5300 Wifi card arrived today. Got home and installed it right away, booted up thinking my issues were finally over only to be presented with an awful set of beeps and the following message:

'Error 1802: Unauthorized network card is plugged in - Power off and remove the miniPCI network card.'

Turns out that not only does Lenovo not provide Win7 drivers for the Wifi device pre-installed with the t400 that I purchased just over a year ago, they also won't allow me to replace it with the card of my choice.



I'm enraged...anyone want to buy a one year old T400? I'd like to use the cash to buy a Mac.

Alternatively, does anyone know of a way around this? I've read that I can modify the BIOS but that sounds dangerous.

[topmahof]

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_w ... twork_card

i doubt if it would work on a machine that new. i used it on an x30 to go from a b to a g and it worked okay. it's not the easiest thing to do either.

[topmahof]

i think your machine will take an intel 5100 wireless card.

[Andouche]

Thanks, I've been reading through that page and it's all sounding pretty dangerous and a bit beyond my technical know-how.

I've run the 'no-1802' utility but it hasn't worked.

Next options I guess are either a USB wifi stick or (gasp) go back to Vista.

I'm really F'n angry...

[Andouche]

i think your machine will take an intel 5100 wireless card.

Why the 5100?

[topmahof]

i brought up a search on ebay for t400 wireless card and almost all the cards that came up were the 5100. i know that's not a definitive compatability test coz i did see a few 5300 cards come up. and they obviously don't work. but there were a lot of 5100 cards that said they were for t400s.

[topmahof]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lenovo-Thinkpad-T40 ... 19b99b8bb8

like this one. page down in the description and it gives a fairly large list of compatible models.

[visionviper]

Thanks, I've been reading through that page and it's all sounding pretty dangerous and a bit beyond my technical know-how.

I've run the 'no-1802' utility but it hasn't worked.

Next options I guess are either a USB wifi stick or (gasp) go back to Vista.

I'm really F'n angry...

Sounds like you bought the wrong WiFi card. You need to buy one that is made to go in a Lenovo laptop. Like this one (just as an example).


Edit: beaten by topmahof

[topmahof]

if you email that seller and give him your model number he will determine what card will fit your machine.

[topmahof]

visionviper, i think that might have been a tie.

[Andouche]

Thanks once again.

I've ordered a Lenovo OEM version of the Intel 5300. I feel defeated by their BS and disgusted in a way that I've given in to their non-competitive, unfriendly consumer policy and that I've handed over more money to them.

What REALLY chaps my a$$ is that I'm now buying the exact same card I purchased a few days ago, the only difference being that it's Lenovo branded and the fact that it took me buying another card only to get an error message when I installed it to find out that Lenovo has a 'whitelist' of cards. I never came across anything official from Lenovo stating that I could only install OEM parts. Maybe it exists, but I certainly haven't seen anything and wouldn't even think to look for such a thing given that PCI Express is a standard, not some proprietary slot.

Anyway, this should hopefully be the end of this...

BTW, I've posted to a few other boards about this ongoing issue and this one has by far been the most helpful and responsive. Thanks a lot!

[topmahof]

yeh, this is a great forum, isn't it? i really learned a lot here. i hope your problems are over. good luck.

[visionviper]

I've ordered a Lenovo OEM version of the Intel 5300. I feel defeated by their BS and disgusted in a way that I've given in to their non-competitive, unfriendly consumer policy and that I've handed over more money to them.

What REALLY chaps my a$$ is that I'm now buying the exact same card I purchased a few days ago, the only difference being that it's Lenovo branded and the fact that it took me buying another card only to get an error message when I installed it to find out that Lenovo has a 'whitelist' of cards. I never came across anything official from Lenovo stating that I could only install OEM parts. Maybe it exists, but I certainly haven't seen anything and wouldn't even think to look for such a thing given that PCI Express is a standard, not some proprietary slot.

I'm not 100% sure on this but I think it is because Lenovo puts Intel AMT hardware in the Thinkpad laptops (and IBM as well). Either way, I think there is an actual reason for it.

BTW, I've posted to a few other boards about this ongoing issue and this one has by far been the most helpful and responsive. Thanks a lot!

Glad to hear it. The members on this forum really try to help each other any way they can.