Portege M100 - Intel wireless problems

[TeddyUK]

I hope someone can help me, I'm tearing my hair out!

I have bought a second-hand Portege M100 (model number PPM10E) and am having serious problems installing the wireless mini-pci adapter that came with it.

When I turn on the wireless via the switch on the front, the light on the lid comes up amber.

Windows XP (Pro, SP1 and SP2 update) cannot see the device. Device Manager recognises 2 devices with problems: "Network Controller" and "Other Device".

I have downloaded all listed drivers for this model, and installed them (or tried to!) in the order specified in the Installation Instructions file (from the same Toshiba download drivers page for this model).

I have also installed Everest Home Edition, and it sees the wireless adapter, and tells me it's an Intel 2200 BG.

I have tried to acquire updated drivers from Intel and from driverguide.com but none of these will take, either - not even on a clean install, substituting them for the Toshiba-supplied driver.

The wireless card works perfectly in a Fujitsu Lifebook, also running Win XP Pro - so I'm assuming there's some software/hardware conflict with this Toshiba laptop!

I have tried to "update driver" on the 2 problem devices 1) by pointing them (via Device Manager / update driver) at every (unzipped) downloaded set of files. No joy. 2) connecting to my router via ethernet cable and allowing Windows to search online for drivers. No joy there either.

When I try to run the Atheros Client Utility OR Config Free (again, from the official Toshiba download page for this laptop), they don't find any wireless adapter on the system.

Can anyone give me any tips on what to do next? I specifically bought this machine because I need to use wireless.

Thanks in advance (and in hope!)

Teddy

[Shinma]

... The wireless card works perfectly in a Fujitsu Lifebook, also running Win XP Pro ...

Just to clarify.
Are you stating that it is not an onboard wireless chip
but
A separate removable card?

If so,
Locate/install/use drivers from the wireless network card manufacturer.

[TeddyUK]

Yes, it is a removable - as I stated it's a mini-pci card, the Intel 2200 BG. As I also stated I've already tried the drivers direct from Intel. And just to clarify, I've tried some older ones as well as the latest revision.

[Shinma]

In your described scenario,
Following posted at Intel may apply:

Symptom(s):
When installing an Intel® PRO/Wireless Network Connection or Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN in a computer that previously did not contain an Intel PRO/Wireless Network Connection or Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN, an error message might occur at boot time saying that an incorrect or unsupported adapter has been detected. The computer will not continue the boot process.

The same error might occur when upgrading an Intel PRO/Wireless Network Connection or Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN with a different model adapter. Instead of the boot error described above, the new adapter might be detected as an "Unknown Device" and/or the driver will not install, even when a manual driver installation process is followed.

Cause:
Due to regulatory and support considerations, the computer manufacturer has limited the computer to operate only with specific miniPCI adapters.

Solution:
Contact the notebook computer manufacturer for additional details and options, if any.

[Shinma]

... When I turn on the wireless via the switch on the front, the light on the lid comes up amber...

?
Re-read your first post since I now know that you are referring to a card and not onboard wireless chip.
Did I miss something...
Is that button not for Toshiba's own chip only?

[TeddyUK]

Thanks for the replies

According to Toshiba's specs, this is the card that the model of laptop was originally supplied with, by Toshiba. That is, the card was built-in to the laptop by Toshiba when the laptop was first supplied (though Atheron or Cisco pci cards are also a possibility). I've posted this question to the Toshiba support forums also, but they're not terribly active!

Toshiba actually supply drivers for that card as part of the listing for that laptop. But the drivers don't do anything.

Of course, I don't know if the card is the original one supplied with the laptop at point of origin or if it was changed out later.

According to the sticker on the case (crossed through) this laptop once belonged to the Audit Commission, but I seriously doubt they could tell me anything!

On a serious note, I don't get any boot warning. But I do have one "unknown device" still in Device Manager, together with the mysterious "Network Controller".

Teddy

[Train]

The spec's sheet lists:
Communications
• Integrated V.92/56K modem
Due to FCC limitations, speeds of 53kbps are the maximum permissible
transmission rates during download. Actual data transmission speeds will
vary depending on line conditions.
• Integrated 10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet
• Integrated Fast Infrared (4Mbps)
• Optional integrated Wi-Fi compliant wireless LAN – Intel, Cisco
(802.11b), Atheros 802.11ab
• Optional integrated Bluetooth (v1.1)

Under Ports
• i.LINK (IEEE 1394)
• RGB (monitor) port
• 2 Universal Serial Bus (USB) port 2.0
• Infrared port
• 240 pin docking connector
• RJ-45 LAN port
• RJ-11 modem port

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/t...Model&x=40&y=7

A few of them may be in XP, but did you install the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility for Windows XP/2000/98SE

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/t...false&x=40&y=9

[TeddyUK]

Ah, that could be useful! I'll download that file and give it a try when I get home from work. I'll also look through the full driver listing there, to see if I may be missing anything else.

There's way more drivers on that support site (USA?) than the UK listing - the UK listing only has 40 drivers and it doesn't include that particular one.

I'll report back later..... thanks!

Teddy

[Train]

Sure hope it helps out!

Sometimes you need to hit the sites in different parts of the world just for that reason.

[TeddyUK]

Thank you, Train, for your links, after a bit of experimentation the Intel chipset driver worked perfectly!

To get it to work, I had to do a clean install, then experiment with the order of putting all of Toshiba's (many) drivers on.

The solution was to install the Intel chipset utility BEFORE installing Toshiba's own chipset utility. Then, on installing the Toshiba set, it told me that newer files were already in use, and I could choose to use those instead.

For some reason installing the Intel set after the Toshiba set didn't work.

Thanks for the help, me and my new toy are very happy

Teddy

[Train]

You are Welcome.

Usually, it is the best to install the chipset driver first for most mobos.

[TeddyUK]

Oh, I did, but my problem was in installing the mobo chipset utilities that Toshiba supplied first!

And next time I'll know to check the international sites too....

Teddy

[Train]

Well burn the once you just got to a cd and place it in SAFE storage.