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Networking...
Apr. 6th, 2007 12:59 amOkay.
Everything installed with Broadcomm drivers. The card passes all tests. It persists in saying the radio is off. Try Windows XP Wireless services. Try drivers. Try all sorts of settings. Radio is disabled.
Get to Glasgow, poke laptop after pub.
Whine.
Notice something about "Wireless Switch". Ask "Does this bloody thing have a dipswitch to tell it is has WiFi or something?"
Aidan: "Dells have something like flight mode. Fn-F2?"
Look. Notice WiFi logo on F4.
Press it. "WLAN OFF" appears, nothing changes.
Press it again.
"WLAN ON"
"You are near a network. Want to join it, or are you just going to cry about the sheer insanity of NOT HAVING A MENU OPTION/INDICATOR TO SHOW THAT THIS OBSCURE FUNCTION HAS BEEN SET BY DEFAULT?!"
But on the plus side - the Advent is now sporting an internal 54g Wireless card that at least connected instantly to Aidan's network. Proof of usefulness will be when it's been tested at home - if it connects to my 2Wire router, there will be joy.
So. I feel like an idiot for not knowing the sodding card was in flight mode, but likewise, I am still baffled by how obscure this feature was in terms of warnings. Like, opening the utility and instead of having all buttons enabled, something saying "WLAN Switch OFF" would have been helpful.
Everything installed with Broadcomm drivers. The card passes all tests. It persists in saying the radio is off. Try Windows XP Wireless services. Try drivers. Try all sorts of settings. Radio is disabled.
Get to Glasgow, poke laptop after pub.
Whine.
Notice something about "Wireless Switch". Ask "Does this bloody thing have a dipswitch to tell it is has WiFi or something?"
Aidan: "Dells have something like flight mode. Fn-F2?"
Look. Notice WiFi logo on F4.
Press it. "WLAN OFF" appears, nothing changes.
Press it again.
"WLAN ON"
"You are near a network. Want to join it, or are you just going to cry about the sheer insanity of NOT HAVING A MENU OPTION/INDICATOR TO SHOW THAT THIS OBSCURE FUNCTION HAS BEEN SET BY DEFAULT?!"
But on the plus side - the Advent is now sporting an internal 54g Wireless card that at least connected instantly to Aidan's network. Proof of usefulness will be when it's been tested at home - if it connects to my 2Wire router, there will be joy.
So. I feel like an idiot for not knowing the sodding card was in flight mode, but likewise, I am still baffled by how obscure this feature was in terms of warnings. Like, opening the utility and instead of having all buttons enabled, something saying "WLAN Switch OFF" would have been helpful.
