T60 wireless problems

Hi all.

I just got a T60 this week and Im likin it a lot. I am however having a few problems with the wireless on this machine. When I am connected to wireless internet, the wireless card keeps shutting off every few minutes and I have to restart it myself using Fn+F5.

I downloaded the latest drivers for the wireless card and access connections, but I am still having the same problem. Does anyone have any possible solutions to this issue?

 

I uninstalled Access Connections and let Windows handle my wireless networks.
It seems to have fixed my disconnecting problems.

 

You might want to try the Intel driver as well. It has also has its own connection manager. I also found that Norton on both the Z61m and n100 often interfered with network connections. NetVeda is a good free firewall you may wish to check out. Good Luck.

 

I have also just got a T60 and while I like the laptop I have the following problems.
If the device is running on battery, my wireless card works fine. As soon as I plug into mains power, the wireless card no longer functions. That is not to say the card becomes disabled, it just doesn't work.
I also have a Verizon card. If I plug the device into the mains, the VZW card becomes unstable and disconnects every 1 - 2 minutes.
Anybody seen similar behaviour?

 

Check in device manager, Windows may be allowed to power manage the device.

 

Try this: http://blog.st-agnes.org/cs/blogs/the_cave/attachment/34.ashx

I have the Atheros wireless network adapter on my TP T60p, but when I called Lenovo's tech support they gave me similar instructions. If you have the Atheros adapter, let me know and I can walk you through it.

 

I purchased the T60 widescreen with the Atheros 11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Express Adapter. I am using a Dell router.

It picked up my home wireless network literally minutes after I booted up for the first time ... no problem at all. Then, the next time I boot up, I get nothing ... I poke around with the wireless network settings (presumably Windows XP based) and get it to work again.

Tonight ... nothing again, and "Windows cannot configure the wireless connection" nor even locate it. I turn on ThinkVantage Acces Connection, and it works like a charm ... I'm back on, surf for a while, start poking around to see if I need some updates ...

I lose the connection again. I use the same process in ThinkVantage and find link a half dozen wireless networks/signals). I locate the one that looks like mine (strongest connection/100% as I am standing next to it), and it says I am connected, but IE keeps giving me the same error message.

Now, ThinkVantage is not even finding any wireless networks, and Windows still cannot "configure" anything.

Any ideas?

 

So I head upstairs, not particularly feeling like being defeated by technology tonight ... reboot ... plug it in ... click through the Windows wireless options, restart the ThinkVantage Access, and ... I am back in business. I find 3-4 wireless networks (two encrypted, one open), select the open, and I am on. Candidly, I am not entirely sure that I am on my own network. I suspect that the plugging in had something to do with it (?), but that would not seem logical to me.

Again, any words of wisdom for the remedial group in wireless technologies would be appreciated.

 

nhatnam4, I have the Atheros adapter. Can you give the instruction for that please?

Thanks!

 

I have a T60p Widescreen (8743-CTO) system that I purchased back in April. I love the system, but shortly after I received the system I started seeing problems with my Atheros Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Express a/b/g/n adapter not reconnecting to the network after being in standby mode much like those described above. I have been working with IBM's tech support (which has provided excellent service) on this problem ever since.

We have tried reloading the OS (which resolved a hang problem I was having when the network connection would be dropped), tried two different wireless cards and even replaced the planar board on the system. Unfortunately none of these changes have completely resolved the issues I have been seeing. I have found a couple of things that seem to help reduce the frequency of this problem.

1) Set the 'Power Save Mode' for the Atheros a/b/g/n Adapter to 'Off'. This seems to resolve the Windows Explorer hangs I was seeing.

2) Go into Access Connections, Configure -> Global Settings and uncheck 'Enable automatic wireless LAN radio control'.

3) Follow the directions above for disabling the Intel PRO/1000 PL Network Connection's Deep Smart Power Down feature.

With the changes above in place I only see the Wireless LAN problem after standby one out of every 6 to 8 times.

I continue to work with tech support on this issue. They escalated it to their 'Hot Line' this last Wednesday (6/6/07) as I was one of 4 or 5 people that had been through similar steps but were still seeing the problem. I hope to hear back from them soon.

I will post updates here as I learn more about possible resolutions to this problem.

 

I also have the Atheros wireless network adapter on my TP T60p which I received about 1 1/2 weeks ago and I also am experiencing the same issue.
I will be watching this thread with interest to see if a solution can be found because this is not acceptable.

Lon

 

I have noticed you are talking about a/b/g/n card in T60?
I had flawless wireless with original 2915abg and AC for months, but recently even if AC and wireless status shows connected in sys tray, with 100% strength data will not go through, I can though ping the IP all right. Never did any drivers updates, nor AC updates or other major changes. No obvious too as cordless phones, micro ovens and so on. So far the only remedy I have to disconnect in AC and immediately connect again, it will stay on sometimes for hours sometimes for minutes. I start to blame D-Link router, will try use Linksys. Any other suggestions, some logical explanation to this.
BTW what range you are getting with n card? My concern is range too. Hope it is compatible with T43

 

I, too, have had the same problems with my 8743 CTO T60p widescreen with the Atheros a/b/g/n wireless adapter. Seems to happen most often when the computer is re-started from either standby or hibernation...it'll have connectivity for a minute or two and then it will go away.

I am letting Windows (Vista Ultimate) manage the wireless connection, but have not yet uninstalled ThinkVantage Access Connections (it does indicate that it is not managing the connection).

Fyi, I appear to maintain a connection to my wireless router, but the connection is only "local" as indicated by the Windows Vista Network and Sharing Center. Sometimes right-clicking the system tray wireless icon and selecting to "Diagnose and Repair" works, after I get prompted and select to renew IP settings. Other times that doesn't work, or I don't get presented with an option to renew IP settings, in which case cycling the wireless adapter, ether with the hard switch on the front of the computer or via F5, works -- the adapter starts back up and gets on my network fully.

Definitely a pain in the butt as this happens countless times a day to me. Seems to be worse when I move to another part of my house where the wireless connection isn't quite as strong, but still should be well strong-enough.

 

Here is an update to my previous note. I discovered that disabling the e1000's Deep Smart Powerdown actually put my system back in a state where it would hang coming out of standby. So, I turned that option back on.

I spoke with a representative at the Hot Line that indicated that this was a driver problem that is currently being worked between Lenovo and Atheros. There was no ETA for a resolution.

Interestingly enough, now that the laptop has stayed up for a couple of weeks I am also seeing a problem where I have to plug the power cord in for the system to go into standby. It appears this only happens in the case that the system was plugged in when taken out of standby. I think this is another weird side effect of having the Deep Smart Powerdown enabled as it seems that Access Connections changes state after the power is plugged in and just before going into standby. I will have to do some more searching on that problem.