Problems With Wireless Desktop Card

[vproman]

My OS is Windows XP SP1. I installed a DLink DWL-520 and
it was working fine. The only problem I was having was
the network would totally dissappear, usually when I was
running a full screen problem like a game or some such
thing. If I restarted it would fix the problem, at least
until the next time it occurred.

Now whenever I start the computer, if I check what
wireless networks are available right away it shows it is
connected, but the signal goes from very good to low to
no signal. I also see that it has a few bytes being sent
and recieved. Ultimately it goes to no signal, and when
I query for what wireless networks are available, none
show up, and of course no more bytes are sent or
recieved. I have tried disabling, enabling the
connection, stopping/starting Windows Zero Configuration,
uninstalling/reinstalling the software,
installing/reinstalling the card and using the provided
DLINK configuration software instead of Windows Zero
Configurations (even DLink doesn't see any wireless
networks available), nothing works.

I know it is not the card itself, because I installed it
in another computer and it saw all my networks and used
them successfully. I know it is not interference,
because I can use a laptop wirelessly from the same
location as the desktop, and even moved the desktop
downstairs next to the router and started up there and it
still did not find any wireless networks. I have no
system restore points I can back up to, so my only option
seems to be a format and reinstall of windows. If anyone
has any suggestions as to what my problem would be,
please let me know and maybe I can save myself the
trouble of yet again another format/install.

 

[Lance]

Linksys has some trouble shooting steps that sorta sound like your
problem. At least it has some more things to try:
http://tinyurl.com/2qcxf

Lance
*****

vproman thought carefully and wrote On 6/28/2004 12:24 AM:

My OS is Windows XP SP1. I installed a DLink DWL-520 and it was
working fine. The only problem I was having was the network would
totally dissappear, usually when I was running a full screen problem
like a game or some such thing. If I restarted it would fix the
problem, at least until the next time it occurred.

Now whenever I start the computer, if I check what wireless networks
are available right away it shows it is connected, but the signal
goes from very good to low to no signal. I also see that it has a

<snip>

 

[Guest]

I've already disabled that authentication, and it still
doesn't work. The microsoft knowledge base article may
be a solution though, I'll have to email them and try out
the hotfix. I just find it strange, and frustrating,
that after working for a good couple of weeks just fine
that it would totally refuse to work. Not only that, but
even if there was a problem with my desktop card
communicating with the router wirelessly, wouldn't it at
least see SSID? Instead it only sees it at the
beginning, saying it is actually connected, communicates
a little and then poops out and the SSID completely
dissappears.

 

[Lance]

There are people here who know a lot more than I do, but I did a little
looking around.

A Google Groups search for dwl-520 and xp got over 900 hits of people
having problems with this card. DLink issued an End-of-Life notice last
year. There are actually 5 different versions of the card that look
completely different.

Are you using WEP on a Rev D card?
http://tinyurl.com/2mwk3

Personally, I put all this together and conclude either the card is
cursed or is just not up to working with XP or recent wireless protocols.

Sorry,

Lance
*****

(e-mail address removed) said the following on 6/29/2004
12:29 AM:

 

[Victor Roman]

My card is Revision E1 and we are using 64-bit WEP. Like I said though, I
used it on another computer and the wireless card worked perfectly (it was a
Windows 98 machine). On my machine, neither Windows Zero Configuration nor
the DLink configuration software can even detect a wireless signal, that is
after it starts up and detects the signal only to have it fade and vanish
completely.