Every other wireless device was fine, dropping either occasionally, or not at all, but my Lenovo Thinkpad T61 was, or rather the drivers for the Intel WifiLink 4965AG card were, quite frankly, performing pretty poorly.
In deperation, I visited the Lenovo site to see if there was any upgrade available. There was:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-70504.html
However, I realised from reading that page, that it wasn't going to be all that simple. The webpage lists a daunting number of prerequisites and caveats relating to model number, card version, current installed program versions and so on. So many, in fact, that I was beginning to get turned off.
Eventually, for me at least, it boiled down to this:
Note: The part numbers are listed so that you can find each component driver easily.
Intel Wireless LAN (11abgn, abg, bg) driver: 6hwc05ww.exe
ThinkVantage Access Connections for Windows XP - Notebooks : 6hcx41ww.exe
ThinkPad Power Management driver for Windows - ThinkPad : 6hku06ww.exe
Hotkey driver for Windows Vista, XP, 2000 - Notebooks : 6jvu32ww.exe
From the readme notes for Intel Wireless LAN (11abgn, abg, bg) - 6hwc05ww.exe:
Make sure that the following driver prerequisite were installed on your systemI don't know about you, but I find even the readme a little bit discouraging.
before installing this driver:
- MSXML6.0 Parser or higher
- Windows Installer 3.14 or higher
(Download installer from http://www.microsoft.com)
- If you use ThinkVantage Access Connections, the following software must be
installed.
- ThinkVantage Access Connections for Windows XP/2000
version 5.1 or higher
- ThinkPad Power Management Driver for Windows 98 SE/Me/2000/XP/Vista
version 1.51 or higher
or
ThinkPad Power Management Driver for SL Series
version 1.44 or higher
- ThinkPad Hotkey Features for Windows 98/98 SE/Me/NT 4.0/2000/XP
version 1.24.0603 or higher
or
Hotkey Features for Windows Vista/XP/2000
version 2.09.0002 or higher
(Note: Refer to each Hotkey package for which version to use.)
- If you currently use IEEE 802.1x authentication on Windows XP Service Pack 1
and do not use WPA encryption, Lenovo recommends you to uninstall Q826942 (WPA
Supplicant update rollup package in Windows XP) and Q815485 (WPA Wireless
Security Update in Windows XP).
This does not apply if you are running Windows XP Service Pack 2.
To check if Q826942 or Q815485 is installed and to uninstall it:
1. Start Windows XP and logon with administrative privileges.
2. Click Start and then click Control Panel.
3. Click Add or Remove Programs.
4. Click Windows XP Hotfix (SP2) Q826942 or Windows XP Hotfix (SP2) Q815485
if it is listed under Currently installed programs.
5. Click Remove and follow the instructions on the screen.
Note:
The above action will remove all the fixes within the update rollup package,
Q826942. You may need to re-install the other specific hotfixes you expect for
this rollup package.
- You may need to re-enter security information after updating the Wireless LAN
driver.
- If you use Single Sign-On with the following authentications, ThinkVantage
Access Connections version 4.22 or higher is needed.
- LEAP on Windows XP
- [Specification changes] 2200BG/2915ABG Network Connection will report lower
signal strength than with previous driver versions. Because the 2200BG/2915ABG
methodology was changed to be more accurate and responsive, similar to the
3945BG/3945ABG. However, wireless network performance and functions are not
affected at all by this change.
So from the notes, check you have the right MSXML parser 6.0 +, and the latest Windows Installer, and from there:
Switch off wireless radio (use the hard switch to be sure it's not going to come back on)
For the T61 with the 4965AG WiFi card:
Install the following parts in this order:
- Hotkey driver for Windows Vista, XP, 2000 - Notebooks : 6jvu32ww.exe
- ThinkPad Power Management driver for Windows - ThinkPad : 6hku06ww.exe
- ThinkVantage Access Connections for Windows XP - Notebooks : 6hcx41ww.exe
- Intel Wireless LAN (11abgn, abg, bg) driver: 6hwc05ww.exe
Note: you may find that you are already at some of the minimum driver / program levels, but still look for the latest for your platform. For the Vista versions of the drivers above (points 3. and 4.) visit those pages and you'll find the link to the page for the Vista drivers / programs.
So, after doing all this, how was the performance of the new wireless adapter driver?
In short, pretty much perfect. Not one droped connection, and even a 40% signal could be used to get acceptable transfer speeds (18-24Mbps out of a possible 54).
What was an added bonus wass that the new Access Connections program is pretty cool and flashy. It's still the same underneath, but there are some extra features. I won't spoil the surprise for you in this post. Maybe later.
If you are suffering at work or at home from all-to-often dropped connections (and I know many of you are), you could do a lot worse than upgrade. Your sanity will thank you for it.
4 comments:
Thanks VERY much for this. I have a T61 with the 4965AGN card and started having dropped connections a few weeks ago. I followed your four steps, but did three others before that: updated Windows Installer; installed latest NET Framework; installed MSXML 6.0 parser (note that set-up will call the installation a "repair"). After I installed Hotkey Features 5.32, Access Connections didn't manage to connect, but after another reboot it worked. Then installed Power Management Driver 1.53 (uneventful). Then Access Connections 5.3.3, which asks whether to "Enable Access Connections Windows logon and password feature." I left this UNchecked--and still have no idea what it means. Finally, installed the new driver for the 4965AGN card, using "Typical," not "Custom." Rebooted after EACH step; also ran ERUNT after each step to back up the registry, giving the back-up directory a new number each time. Don't know yet whether all this will have fixed the dropped-connection problem, but am optimistic. --Tpadder in Toronto
Follow-up. My connection just dropped again. So much for the updates. My ISP says these drops show up as "user-initiated." That is, from the ISP's point of view, they look the same as when I purposely disconnect. If this isn't being caused by Bell's crappy lines (always a possibility--I have DSL), then it's probably caused by some piece of Windows (equally crappy). Though at this point I would gladly try to let Windows rather than Access Connections handle my wireless connection--if I could figure out how to get "Let Windows handle this connection" to STICK after re-boots. Advice welcome. -- Tpadder in Toronto
Hi Tpadder,
I'm not surprised your ISP wasn't able to help - there's no way they could tell the difference between a deliberate disconnect or a random drop in wireless connection.
How do you connect to your DSL? Through a wireless router, I assume? Is it the same behavior at other wireless hotspots? If you get good connectivity elsewhere, it might be your router that's the problem.
Otherwise, it could be that the wireless card is on its last legs :(
You mentioned:
"Access Connections 5.3.3, which asks whether to "Enable Access Connections Windows logon and password feature."
I think this is a Single Sign-On feature, and you were right to leave it unchecked.
If you want to let Windows handle the wireless connection instead (I can't because mine is a work PC, and Windows Wireless Zero Configuration won't handle our company's wireless sec protocol), you'll have to look in Start > Run > services.msc services list for "Wireless Zero Configuration" service. You'll need to disable the Access Connections service(s), and then once everything is disabled (make sure the services aren't started, no icons for ThinkVantage "stuff" in the system tray loading at startup, etc.), enable "Wireless Zero Configuration" service, and you should be able to access the default Windows wireless network manager after that.
Give it a shot. Seeing as you use ERUNT, I don't think I need to want you about backing up first :)
Best of luck - hope it works out
--pchelptech
Further to the above comment about turning Wireless Zero Configuration back on:
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/2007.html
Basically the same thing as I said, but with screenshots, if you like that sorta thing ;)
If I had my T61 to hand, I'd check out the full list of services and auto-start apps/tray icons that need disabling first...
Trust me - Lenovo aren't going to make it that easy to move away from their "recommended" wireless config apps.
If, after getting Wireless Zero Config up and running, managing your connections, you still get dropped conns... it's surely time to check the router or the wireless card itself.
--pchelptech
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