[HEL 80] WLAN kill switch not working

My notebook returned a few days ago after it had been repaired. Great, everything was fixed. However, I noticed that wireless LAN is not working anymore. The Intel WiFi card however is recognized by Window, but Windows tells me to turn on WiFi by switching the physical switch on the laptop, but the switch at the front does not do anything, it's like it is not connected at all, because the orange LED also does not turn. When it was still working, it would light up immediately after I turned my notebook on, but now it's completely dead.

Can someone help me? Thanks.

 

I had a similar problem when I had my HEL80, I could only solve it by reinstalling Windows and installing the "Wireless Switch Select" that comes on the drivers disk and turn the card on from there, there was no other way, not even under Linux. Once you turn it on there, you can uninstall it and use the physical button or Fn+F2 to turn on/off the radio.

Seems like the WSS program does something at the firmware level.

 

Thanks, I'll try that one!

 

It worked, awesome.

 

Good to know that.

 

It even works in Ubuntu now, which it didn't do before. So I guess it really does change something at the firmware level, like you said.

 

I'm going to try this, I've reinstalled a few times and just bought an atheros mini-pcie wireless card yesterday because i thought my 3945abg was blowed up. This is exactly what seems to have been happening, time to dig out the ole hel80 and give it a go.

Though, after buying a new wireless card, I kind of hope it IS the 3945abg...

I'll let you know how it goes.

[edit] reading this thread again, that explains why all the reinstalls, including linux, failed to fix the problem. why would you have it kill it in firmware? and have that setting persist through restarts? especially when you have a physical hardware kill switch? What a terrible design! (though, in fairness, it is BY FAR the worst thing i've seen yet in a long time of having this laptop, so... *shrug*)

 

So, when trying to install the wireless select switch drivers, I get the error "Cannot install this version into your system" -- win xp, fresh install, already installed chipset drivers and such.

Could this be because i have the atheros wireless card installed? Do you need the 3945abg in there for this to work? If that's the case, why wouldn't installing the atheros card have fixed the problem if it's in the firmware of the 3945?

stymied...

[edit] could media center edition of xp be the problem?

 

This totally fixed it, not sure why the program didn't install, grabbed a different set of drivers (this time from compal instead of lamsystems or whatever is first on google) and switched to XP Pro x64 (student copy)

Wonderful thread, saved me from tearing out all my hair/not using my laptop anymore.