Wireless annoyance

Hi All,

I have been using access connections to manage my wireless network for several months now. Well starting this week I see the windows wireless 'Acquiring Connection' icon in my task bar. I never saw this before ( not hidden or visible ). Windows previously was reporting the correct status of my wireless connection ( I am connected to my wireless connection through Access Connections the entire time ). So now I am trying to figure out how to windows to show the proper status.

 

ive got the same thing on my acer. i use the wifi cards software(broadcom) and not windows and i still get the 'acquiring network' icon with the little yellow ball going from side to side across the icon.
but not on start up just when i start from stand by.

"what is going on"

 

if all the things that you might hear doesn't work. then do this go to
-my network
-my wireless connections
-right click on the wireless connection
-properties
- in General tap. select internet protocol (TCP/IP).
-again properties
-select USE THE following IP address
fill in the gaps...
try these

IP: 192-168.0.12
subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Defualt gate way 192.168.0.1
preferred DNS server 255.255.255.0
Alternate DNS server 255.255.255.1

if it doesn't work with yours ,then go to
-start
-programs
-accessories
-command proompt

write IPconfig click enter

you will get the numbers . just right them down. plus write the DNS server like above.

click OK

I hope you are useing WIN XP ..


you may allready know this...

 

Well there is no problem like that.

I am connected.

Access Connections is connected properly, has my IP and I can do whatever on the network. But the stupid windows wireless icon just says 'Acquiring Network Address', but access connections has the address and is working fine.

So I am on the network, the network is fine, it is just windows being stupid.

I am going to try booting to safe mode, and then enabling and disabling access connections and see if maybe that will trick windows into seeing access connections.

 

Do you have an Intel-made wireless adapter? Many Thinkpads ship with these. Might be called Intel PRO/wireless or Intel Wifi Link in your device manager.

If so, I suggest downloading and using Intel's drivers and management software (or use Vista's management, but still use the current Intel drivers).

In my experience with both a Lenovo 3000 N100 and now a Thinkpad R61i (not to mention a HP Pavilion dv6000) I find the Intel drivers/software provide the most robust, problem-free wireless connections. All of these had the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG

start here for Intel wireless downloads

http://support.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/index.htm

Just to be clear, I use this in lieu of the Thinkvantage access connection software ( I did a clean install of Vista, and prefer to use little or none of the Thinkvantage applications.

 

Well I guess I wasn't clear or something.

The network has always worked fine - the drivers work great and my signal and connectivity is amazing.

The problem is the stupid windows wireless icon in the taskbar - if you use any program other than windows to manage the wireless connection that icon should go away.

I did correct this.

1) Reboot into safe mode without networking
2) disable the wireless device in device manager
3) reboot into normal mode
4) renable the device
5) reboot

Some step in there triggered windows to recognize that Access Connections is handling the connection, so windows removed the windows wireless icon, and also reports the correct status of the connection if you view the network connections (it should show connected or connected,shared ).

This was very likely a registry problem. But I blame windows, if they would just make their wireless management (and all other user programs) work like other programs then this would have been a non issue, but instead they root their crap deep into the OS and it causes problems - Yes I am saying wireless connection managers are not part of the OS - they are user programs that interface with the OS, but the OS just provides the device - the user provides the management.

Cheers

 

why whine about windows?
its like whining about getting old

 

Because I work consistently with 10+ different OS's and windows always is the most elusive and problematic. Windows is a very capable OS, but they make the tools unaccessible. If you ever get a chance to use AIX, Solaris, Linux, or any of the BSDs (you can include OS X in that ), BeOS, .... the OS responds in a very clear way. In the above there is a very clear distinction between OS and user space (Desktop, apps, tools,..... ). If there is a problem you can almost immediately tell if it is OS (Kernel related), or user related.

I think most people usually get windows working the way they want through trial and error, then they leave it alone. It is such a PAIN to tweak for the above reasons.

And that is why I can and will rant about windows.

 

well, I removed almost all the thinkvantage crap some time ago and now everything works fine. So why don't you just get rid of the access connection and use windows to configure all your connections ? It works fine on my 4965 AGN card ..

 

Access Connections is very nice for roaming. I can setup priorities and easily manage many different connection settings (VPNs, WPA2 settings). I could do that in windows but it isn't flexible. AC actually makes that easy and has worked extremely well - remember this problem is not AC, or drivers it is Windows.

 

any idea how to install it for windows xp ? i kinda need this roaming feature.

im using latest intel drivers. 11.0.5 but access connections seem doesn;t recognize my wireless card.

 

It came preloaded, and originally I took it off, but then I tried to get my VPN working with Windows and it was pure hell. AC actually distinguishes between the different types of authentication in a clear way. Windows kept trying to use IEEE authentication when it needed to use a Cisco variation.

This is the link I used to download it.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-4ZLNJB.html

I should have stated earlier, I use XP Pro.

 

With Vista Business, I can't figure out how to disable ThinkVantage Access Connections, and just use the Windows default wireless manager. Could someone explain how to do this?

I've continued to have wireless access problems, particularly after waking up from sleep mode. Going to try updating drivers for the Intel 3945ABG as well. Seems to sometimes be related to the firewall in the CA Security Suite, but not always (sometimes disabling the firewall helps, sometimes doesn't).

 

i agree with Otter. AC is by far the best LAN/ wireless connection management tool. Just 2 words: awesome flexibility.

 

I'd still like to know how to disable it and use whatever comes with Vista, just to give it a try. Can someone help?

I'm assuming it's simple and I'm just an idiot for not having figured it out yet.

Isn't it possible that some firewalls might work more seamlessly after recovering from sleep mode, if Windows is doing all the managing, or are the two things definitely completely unrelated?