Re: Satellite 2715 + WinXP SP2
In article <FKBee.8298$db7.1034@trnddc01>, John Keiser says...
> I installed WinXP SP2 and found that the Toshiba runs just fine. One
> glitch.
> Try as I might, I never could get my NetGear WiFi card to work.
> I installed the new drivers at the Toshiba site but the card never
> established a connection despite many configurations attempts .
> ...
I'm running XP SP2 (Home edition) on my satellite M35X. All I ever use is
WiFi (unless I travel somewhere where I have to use a cable). I don't have
the same card as you, though.
Try these things and tell us what you see and what results you get...
1. In the system tray (bottom right), right-click in your WiFi icon and
then select STATUS. On the pop-up window, tell us the Status, the Network,
Speed and Signal Strength. I'm expecting you to tell me "Disconnected,
blank/none, 0, and 5 gray bars."
2. While still on that pop-up, look at the bottom of it and click on View
Wireless Networks. That will give you yet another pop-up. Is your network
router listed by name (SSID)? I presume it will be. If not, then we can
stop here. You're card isn't working. It has to be the driver. Try
uninstalling any driver you added (rollback) and then go to the MS Update
site and let it scan your system. Chances are it will find the right
driver for you and install it. If you do see your network on this pop-up,
go to #3
3. At this point we know your card is working, at least a little. There
may still be a problem with the driver, but it is more likely at this
point to be a configuration problem. Click once on your network name entry
in the listed networks. Then double-click on it. You'll be asked for your
network key (defined in the router). Enter it (twice) if prompted (I
presume you are using a network key -- if not, that's not your problem at
the moment, but you are leaving the door wide open for your neighbors to
hook into your system!). Did the key solve your problem? If not, on to
step 4.
4. Click on ADVANCED SETTINGS. On the pop-up, look near the top for tabs.
Click on WIRELESS NETWORDS tab. If you don't see your network listed in
the middle of the pop-up window, click ADD. Enter the network name (SSID)
and all the proper parameters as defined in your router. There are 3 tabs
on the windoe you see after clicking ADD. Take a look at all 3, then OK.
Now you should see your network in the middle of the pop-up window in the
section labeled PREFERRED NETWORKS. Highlight it, click ADVANCED and and
select Access Point (I recall you said you use infrastructute, so Access
Point is what you want). Click OK
At this point, you should be running. If not, the driver is now more
likely to be the culprit. Uninstall your driver and run the Windows Update
process from the MS Update site. If you made it all the way through step 4
and are now loading your driver, run back through the steps again.
Oh, and just to be sure, plug a cable into your WiFi router, log into it,
and get all the settings. About half the time I help others with their
WiFi, they've forgotten the mose recent setting in their router. You sound
as though you know what you're doing in this respect, but if everything
else fails, what have you got to lose?
For comparison, I'm using an Atheros card. The driver is also Atheros. But
the driver (latest version, anyway) was installed from the MS Update site.
MS should have a driver for your card if the card is at all advertised as
compatible with XP. That's one of the things they require from vendors who
say their hardware is XP-compatible.
Even if your card isn't advertised that way, MS should have a generic
driver that will do. It may not take full advantage of all the bells and
whistles of your card (like power savings and things), but it should let
you communicate. And for the record, I owned 1 NetGear product, a wireless
router, and quite a new model, before realizing NetGear makes "fun" and
"sporty" things but are no where near as reliable or supported as their
competitors. Just my opinion from my own experience. I sold it and bought
a Zoom router.
Luck.
Frisco
Fnews-brouse 1.9(20180406) -- by Mizuno, MWE <mwe@ccsf.jp>
GnuPG Key ID = ECC8A735
GnuPG Key fingerprint = 9BE6 B9E9 55A5 A499 CD51 946E 9BDC 7870 ECC8 A735