Solved: Tryiing to reconcile WZC and Intel PROSet/Wireless

[aroominyork]

This thread picks up some issues from http://forums.techguy.org/networkin...ss-constantly-disconnecting-reconnecting.html. Long story short: my Dell D420 has an N series wireless card that constantly disconnects from my G series router at home. Outside of my home the N series card works fine. I worked around this by buying a G series PCMCIA card to use at home and this works fine.

The laptop has both Intel PROSet/Wireless and Wireless Zero Configuration on it, and using the PCMCIA card at home I connect through WZC. I’d like to use WZC outside of home too and uninstall the PROSet/Wireless, mostly because WZC switches on and off and I have to keep going into Services to reset it; I figured this may be linked to PROSet/Wireless also being on the system.

So I went to Uninstall and uninstalled PROSet/Wireless. But (and this is where I start getting confused and may be saying things that are technically incorrect) it also uninstalled the Wireless LAN adapter driver. This leaves me not knowing how to connect to the internal N series card. Last time JohnWill advised “When you uninstalled the Intel software, it also took the driver. Install the Intel software again, but just don't start the Intel client.” So I have reinstalled the software (from Dell’s website, for the 4965 AGN card) but I have an error next to “Wireless LAN adapter driver” in the list of downloaded components.

So where do I want to get to with this? Preferably to have WZC always running wireless, but able to connect to the 4965 AGN internal card when away from home. Alternatively, to get PROSet/Wireless fully installed again and using it to connect to the N series card. At the moment I can connect fine through the PCMCIA card, but don’t know how to access the N series card.

 

[aroominyork]

A bit later... I've reinstalled PROSet/Wireless successfully, so the question is now... how do I configure the PC so that PROSet/Wireless is removed from the laptop but I can use WZC to find the internal N series card.

 

[JohnWill]

What I do is to uninstall the 3rd party software totally. Then I search for new drivers for the card and browse to the folder on the installation media with the drivers and allow it to install. That gets you just the drivers for the hardware and not the wireless client.

 

[aroominyork]

That sounds just the thing to do, but I need some help to work through it. First, I'm not sure I'd recognise the driver for just the card; could you send a link? And second, I need an idiot's guide to what you mean by "browse to the folder on the installation media with the drivers and allow it to install". Thanks.

 

[TerryNet]

My Intel Proset wireless utility (for a different adapter) has an option to "Use Windows to manage the connection." If you have the same option, simply select it and Intel Proset can sit on your machine but it will not run unless you decide to launch it again.

 

[ich]

1. With ProSet installed and the drivers working, go into Control Panel / Network Connections
2. Right-Click on your Wireless Network Connection and select View Available Wireless Networks
3. Instead of a list of networks, you'll get Windows cannot configure this wireless connection...
4. On the left, click Change advanced settings
5. Click on the |Wireless Networks| tab
6. Click the checkbox Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings
7. Click [OK]

 

[aroominyork]

TerryNet - that worked a treat. Thanks.

 

[TerryNet]

You're welcome. Glad something finally worked in this strange situation.