RM Notebook Value 220 not picking up wireless til we log on

[Lora]

This is probably going to be something really simple but can anyone help?

We've just built 4 RM Notebook Value 220 laptops the same way we build the RM Notebook Value 210s, the only difference I can see is the wireless is Intel Centrino Advanced-n 6200. When we start up I cant get the laptops onto the network wirelessly, although they connect after you log on to the wireless. They're fine booted with a lan connection. (JMicron PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Adapter)

I've tried updating the drivers, updating the NIC DOS driver, changing the automatic metric so the wireless overrides the LAN, tried updating / rolling back the chipset.
None will connect and let our users log on wirelessly, just get the no logon servers available message. I've raised this with RM and they've not offered any advice apart from sending an engineer to replace the wireless cards, I can't see that this would be a hardware issue with all 4.

Can anyone tell me anything that could help?

Thanks

Laura

[difinity]

Was there a utility with the wireless or just the drivers. I've found for reliability issues to just install the drivers of some cards and let Windows manage the wireless settings.

[Lora]

I've tried with windows managing and intel proset management, no difference either way!

[difinity]

Have you tried it without the Intel utility installed ?

[Lora]

yes, we didn't have the intel utility installed to start with

[Lora]

Can anyone offer any advice at all for this? I'm at a bit of a dead end!!

[Hedghog]

You could try making the user members of the local security group "network" and possibly "power user" to see what happens

[sionide]

If I understand you correctly, we've got a similar set up with 12 laptops in a trolley... A wireless AP in the trolley broadcasts a network and if it's plugged into a nearby LAN port - it's a portable wireless extension of our standard wired network.

These Dell laptops have Intel wireless too.

Setup Intel Wireless for PreLogon

Described on the link above is the process I used to tell the PROSet wireless tool to connect the wireless network *before* the user logs in. I think that will solve your problem.

(Our set up is XP, but I guess it should work the same on 7!)

[Lora]

We have the wireless set on our Default Domain policy which works with other intel proset wireless - the value book 210 has Intel 5100 agn which uses the PROset wireless, so I'm unsure of that being the issue. We had an engineer our yesterday sent by RM to fix 'the hardware fault', which I couldn't see it being hardware seens as it's happening with all 4 of a specific model that we now own. We have around 60 laptops consisting of various Toshiba and Acer models, and have not experienced this issue before.

[denon101]

If I understand you correctly, we've got a similar set up with 12 laptops in a trolley... A wireless AP in the trolley broadcasts a network and if it's plugged into a nearby LAN port - it's a portable wireless extension of our standard wired network.

These Dell laptops have Intel wireless too.

Setup Intel Wireless for PreLogon

Described on the link above is the process I used to tell the PROSet wireless tool to connect the wireless network *before* the user logs in. I think that will solve your problem.

(Our set up is XP, but I guess it should work the same on 7!)

It does, I have that set up here. Works both on XP and 7. Pretty much works faultlessly. Unless the kids switch off the wireless via the switch. I mean Dell come on, remove external switches!

[difinity]

All the Dell laptops i've ever seen have the option to ignore the wireless swith in the BIOS or UEFI. It's one of the good features of Dells.

[Lora]

This will connect prelogon using the administrator tool, but assigns a 162 range IP, whereas we use 172, which is the range the wireless points also use. This still doesn't allow domain users to logon - gives the no logon servers available error, as it's not yet connecting properly. Thanks for all the input though so far

[andyturpie]

@Lora are you running an RM CC3 network, we are having similar issues with new RM 310 laptops. Seems like the driver stalls on loading from time to time.

[Lora]

@Lora are you running an RM CC3 network, we are having similar issues with new RM 310 laptops. Seems like the driver stalls on loading from time to time.

We're running a vanilla network, it's stalling every time if that's the case with us

[denon101]

All the Dell laptops i've ever seen have the option to ignore the wireless swith in the BIOS or UEFI. It's one of the good features of Dells.

Never knew that, just looked and low and behold there is an option to ignore the wireless switch!!

Thanks

Lora

Have you got the option in your GPO set so that the laptop will wait until network is ready? As we had similar problems but once we enabled that option they went away. The only thing is booting to the logon box will take longer and you will have to let your users know this.