I occasionally have difficulties connecting to unsecured wireless networks (say at hotels or airports). The configuration goes through applying the wireless settings, associates, renews the IP address but fails at the IP config step. Is there a workaround for this? I have an IBM ThinkPad and tried using both the IBM Access connections and windows configurations. They both give the same result.
I occasionally have difficulties connecting to unsecured wireless networks (say at hotels or airports). The configuration goes through applying the wireless settings, associates, renews the IP address but fails at the IP config step. Is there a workaround for this? I have an IBM ThinkPad and tried using both the IBM Access connections and windows configurations. They both give the same result.
Ken Harper
First, you’ll need to figure out if you’re dealing with a hardware or a software problem. Try downloading the latest copy of Knoppix – a Linux distribution that you can run from a CD that has an extensive list of supported hardware. If you can associate to wireless access points using this where you can’t with Windows, then you know you’re dealing with a software issue.
If so, the next step is to visit Lenovo’s support Web site. Look for any BIOS or other firmware updates. While this might not be the total cause of the problem, it helps eliminate variables which could contribute to the problem. While there, see if there are any updated software drivers that are for the version of Windows that you are using.
Again, assuming it’s a software issue, make sure that you have the latest updates applied for the version of Windows that you are using. If you are using XP or later, see about using the rollback function where you can take the computer back to where it was at a given point in time. If what you are describing worked at one point, see if you can rever the computer back to a specific point in time to get things working again.
Another step to try is to uninstall the network card drivers and reboot the computer. It is possible that there is some type of a conflict between the OS and the network card drivers. If you still don’t have good results, see about buying another wireless network card. Disable the onboard card and install the new card, usually via the PCMCIA/PCCard slot. One of my favorite cards it the Cisco A/B/G card that you can buy used for less than $50. If this helps resolves the problem, you might want to consider a reinstallation of the version of Windows that you have installed. This may seem a bit severe but in some cases, that has been the only thing I could do to resolve a problem that all other means hadn’t been able to resolve.
If you are using software such as Symantec’s Internet Firewall, see about either disabling it or temporarily removing the software together. I have seen situations in the past that when this software has a problem, it can induce other problems that may not be readily apparent as to what the cause is. It is also a good idea to run some of the more popular spyware removal tools such as SpyBot, Adaware, etc to mention just a few of the possibilities.
