Old IBM T42 and wifi problems (I've given up and need help)

I recently purchased a used IBM T42 with the Intel Pro wireless 2200 BG card. It worked fine for a few days and then just stopped. I lost the connection and when I try to access connections it says there has been a problem and it needs to shut down the program. After hours upon hours of uninstalling access connections and reinstalling the software every way I could possibly find online it still would not work. Finally I said forget it and downloaded Intel's own ProSet/Wireless software but this says "driver is not installed even though I have the most recent driver from Intel's site installed. WeFi program also won't connect even though it can find my router and any other in the area. When I go to my network connections and right click "view available networks" it fails to find anything.

What is the easiest fast solution for this even if it doesn't involve using access connections (which I did like when it worked).

Thanks for your time and yes I did search and read through dozens of pages of things I've already done.

-James

 

You may be able to find a wifi adaptor PCMCIA or USB that works with your operating system. Looking at the IBM site for your laptop tells me it could be NT, 98se, 98, 2000, XP or even Vista. Does it even work with a cat5 hooked to it.

 

It's XP Professional, works perfectly on the ethernet card...

I just uninstalled everything related to Wifi except the card and original driver. It will now connect through XP but constantly disconnects and reconnects every 2-3 seconds or so.

 

I saw those typy of problem on notebook

disconnects and reconnects every 2-3 seconds or so.

Only reinstall new system help You i'm sure!!!

1.First put new system
2.Download all update Microsoft
3.Then use all driver from lenovo website

B.R

 

put new system? you mean reinstall windows xp?

 

Yes correct

 

Constant connect and drops is a authentication problem. The older drivers may not support WPA2, or AES. This is why a lot used TKIP or even worst WEP. You pass phrase may not be correct. Or if you have MAC filtering active on your router may be knocking you off. IBM on it's older drivers are a mix of patches and what nots. The older drivers required you to load the earliest full driver set, then apply ALL updates as they were released.

 

How would I load the drivers in succession if they only give me the most recent?

 

Here is the 2006 driver with some compatibility info.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-59438#changes

 

Wrong network card.

Mine is a T42 2373 K5U that uses the Intel Pro/Wireless 2200 bg not the 2100, I tried it anyway and it didn't work. They don't list the original driver for my model on the website only the upgrade which is version 13.00 something/file name 6mwc something.exe which doesn't work at all even though it says in an update past 12.04.00 should stop the random connection issues I'm having but it doesn't.

Also I'm currently running both router and laptop with no security features and a desktop with a PCI card in another part of the house has no issues at all so it's definitely the laptop/driver.

I'm afraid that re-installing xp and all of the thinkvantage features will be even more of a nightmare than I'm currently having...If what blue68f100 was saying is correct I would have to install xp, all upgrade drivers for it, a dozen of so programs for power management/wifi etc for thinkvantage with every upgrade in order for it and cross my fingers? That's maybe 6 versions of the wifi driver alone since the computer was built so lets say 100 programs/ drivers all together and pray?

 

looks like I'm wrong I did find the original driver...