[Gllug] Wireless issue

[general_email at technicalbloke.com]

Richard LEGER wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> At home I have two laptops: one Apple (recent, with Ubuntu), one Acer
> Travelmate C300 (few years old, with Win XP, Intel wireless card and
> software)...
>
> While I have no problem to connect to any wireless network with Apple, I
> constantly have issue with the Acer one in my home but not outside.
>
> Sometime, it cannot see some of wirelless networks available and when it can
> sometime it can connect sometime it can't...
>
> The only wireless network which it can connect for sure is a 3G network
> accessible by wireless Three dongle (not connected to laptop). Network is
> protected by password.
>
> I have a routeur with an alternative wireless network but can't connect to
> it or if it does, it can't browse Internet :(
> There is also a public network (without password) available sometime it see
> it and can connect and sometime it doesn't.
>
> I was wondering if you would have any advice or tools that you would know
> that could allow me to analyse what the problem is and how to solve it ?
>
> I am not an expert in wireless. I have tried to change the channels or to
> force in b or g type... but still same problem occurs... I have tried to use
> only one access point at a time (the other one shutdown) and one laptop at a
> time (the other one shutdown) to check if it could be interferences but
> still same issue occurs !
>
> Any other ideas where the problem could come from ?
> Why would it work sometime and not others ?
> I don't see any errors in the logs
>
> Except for the public access point, the laptops and access points are in the
> same room.
>
> I hope those short explanation would be enough for giving you an idea of the
> situation and providing some hint to a solution. Any questions are welcomed.
>
> Richard L.
>
>   



Boot it into a recent linux live CD. If the hardware is detected (fair
chance as it's intel) then see if you have similar problems, if you do
then you have a hardware problem - check the antenna are well connected
to the card (easily reached under a small panel on the bottom of most
laptops, there should be a black and a white wire attached) and try
reseating the card in it's slot, if that doesn't work you're looking at
a replacement.

If you don't have any problems under linux then it's a software problem.
Reboot into Windows and try removing all the intel software (their wifi
manager s/w is a waking nightmare anyway). This should remove the driver
too but if it doesn't remove it via device manager. If it keeps finding
and reinstalling the device anyway use this guide to kill the driver by
hand, you want to be at the stage where it's bringing up the add new
hardware wizard. Then fully reboot the machine TWICE. Install the latest
WiFi driver you can find via the add new hardware wizard i.e. DO NOT
reinstall the Intel WiFI management app! The built in Windows one is
fine and often less troublesome than the OEM ones. If the driver and
software come all bundled as one big .exe often 7Zip can unpack it into
it's consituent files which you can then point the wizard at to just
install the driver. If that still doesn't sort it reinstall Windows (or
just ditch it!) or try a new wifi card, they're pretty cheap.

Regards & good luck,

Roger.
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