I have a Linksys Wireless-G notebook adapter and a Linksys WRT54G
wireless router in my house. The notebook is a small/lightweight IBM
A21 (usually docked) running up-to-date W2K.
Adapter is:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1130276681921&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=8192139789B03
or
http://tinyurl.com/3dwevl
...in case anybody has something similar. The router is one that's
been around for a couple years with numerous firmware updates. Basic
ol' Linksys home wireless.
Both have worked well for a long time. Both are _more or less_
working well today.
However, if I start up my laptop, the system-tray icon for the
wireless adapter shows a [Not installed] bubble. If I double-click
the icon to bring up the Configuration & Settings app that supports
the card, it shows that no connection can be found for any wireless
router/access-point. It just keeps showing its little animated panel
to indicate it's trying.
Nowhere in the laptop can I find anything that indicates that any
connection exists, except...
...a connection DOES exist. I access other PCs on my network fine. I
can get into my AS/400 fine. Internet access is fine. All with the
minor twist that it isn't running at full speed, kind of like I'm
really connected to some less than optimal wireless access point in
someone else's house.
Now, my home is somewhat isolated. I am certain that my closest
neighbors do _not_ have any kind of wireless network. Closest
possibility would be perhaps 600' in one direction, but that
wouldn't be very likely to provide access to all of the other
devices on my network in my house. (Not impossible, but not likely.)
So, at least four elements:
1. Reporting as [Not installed].
2. Access to my house network.
3. Slow transfer.
4. It started this behavior recently after working for many months.
I don't use the laptop frequently, only once a week or so, maybe.
Pretty much every time I use it, there's guaranteed to be new W2K
patches, new AVG updates, new ZoneAlarm updates... etc., etc. When
connection speed was 'normal', none of these were terribly
troublesome. So, I never really paid much attention to 'installed
status'.
I really have no idea how long it's been this way except that I
thought a large transfer from another PC was slower than expected a
week or so ago, and I checked settings. First thing I noticed was
the [Not installed] note.
And whenever I looked in the past, everything showed up fine. I used
this laptop as a 'reference' whenever doing any other wireless
configuration around the house. It hasn't been more than a couple
months -- a visit from my daughter was the last time I'm sure all
was well.
So, how can it be both [Not installed] and 'working'?
Thanks for any suggested directions.
Tom Liotta
midrange.com
