Wireless cards turning themselves off

[Ric_]

Here's a puzzler for a Friday!

 

For a while now, my wireless clients (predominantly Lenovo Thinkpad T60 laptops) will seemingly randomly turn the wireless cards off in software.

 

It's dead easy to fix, Windows + X and click turn on, but I'm getting fed up of having to tell people to do this.

 

The only thing I can think of that's causing it is over-zealous power management in Windows so I've started turning off the power management for the wifi cards.

 

It's a difficult one to fathom out because it is really intermittent.

[kmount]

Since turning the power management off has it happened again?

[Ric_]

@kmount: If I was able to say with any certainty I would not be posing the question!

[kmount]

@kmount: If I was able to say with any certainty I would not be posing the question!

 

S'why I was asking because it wasn't overly clear what with the intermittency etc

[Ric_]

It's different machines/users with varying intervals between occurrences. It's just odd and shouldn't happen. It must be something trying to be too clever for its own good.

[SYNACK]

BIOS upgrades?

 

User error (over type)

 

I have had all sorts, had a bunch of cack XP installs that I inherited that killed off the wireless randomly for no apparent reason which an upgrade sorted.

 

BIOS upgrades solved a random issue with one particular line of laptops that would send wireless off to sleep and never wake it up again (fujitsu - or as I call it {something I can't write on the forum}).

 

The other weird issue I have seen is a rather messy issue with users accidentally tapping the wireless key when 'aiming' at function keys while no looking. Stuff like that only comes to light if you happen to be watching when it happens.

 

In short, latest drivers with windows rather than vendor filth managing it, latest BIOS, power managment possibly disabled and if you can kill the wireless toggle button (some tape can work to stop capacitance sensors from picking up presses). That plus user training can usually solve most issues. It does come down to the wireless cards though, no amount of software and user tweaking will make up for aweful wireless cards if you happen to have been cursed by them.

[mac_shinobi]

uncheck power manage options in device manager for the wireless and wired NIC's

 

Also in control panel on the Lenovos I think there is a Network Card option if you open that it controls when it disables the network cards if the computer goes to battery power, and have to select the option to always be powered on , apply etc

 

Latest drivers for both wired and wireless drivers and check all the power settings again

 

Also start --> program files --> think vantage --> power manager or power management

 

I would go through the options in there to see if there are any settings that might make it disable the NIC / power it off etc

Edited March 18, 2011 by mac_shinobi