Wifi on IBM Thinkpad, Belkin adaptor on PC

rowifi · 06-15-2004

I have... IBM Thinkpad with built in WiFi - device manager see's it ok.
I have Belkin Wifi USB adaptor on my home PC.
After a struggle - the Belkin unit appears to be installed and running - but shows a ' network unplugged' icon. Using the Belkin utility I cant 'see' any thing else - I had hoped to see the ThinkPad on air but I guess that would have been too easy.

What do I need to do to 'activate' the Thinkpad Wifi. I can find no utility - our net ops people leave us to work out home networking on our own.

Win XP on Desktop. Win2k on Thinkpad.

TIA
Robbo

Thorn · 06-15-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowifi

I have... IBM Thinkpad with built in WiFi - device manager see's it ok.
I have Belkin Wifi USB adaptor on my home PC.
After a struggle - the Belkin unit appears to be installed and running - but shows a ' network unplugged' icon. Using the Belkin utility I cant 'see' any thing else - I had hoped to see the ThinkPad on air but I guess that would have been too easy.

What do I need to do to 'activate' the Thinkpad Wifi. I can find no utility - our net ops people leave us to work out home networking on our own.

Win XP on Desktop. Win2k on Thinkpad.

TIA
Robbo

First, this has what to do with NetStumbler?

Second, if the "'network unplugged' icon" is appearing, why do you believe that the "Belkin unit (is) installed and running"?

Most Wireless Utilities do not show other PCs. You whould have to go to the "Computers Near Me" or "Network Neighborhood" (depending on the version of Windows, and assuming you're running some version of Windows.)

Start off with the basics: Check your network settings; make sure the TCP/IP & DHCP are set up correctly; ping the other PCs; etc. If all that is too much, search on "Networking 101" to get you started.

fordem · 06-15-2004

You will need to configure the laptop and the PC for an adhoc wireless network if you don't have a wireless access point.

rowifi · 06-16-2004

First: without WiFi working I cant use netstumbler.

Forum was titled 'The place to come to ask your basic NetStumbler/WiFi questions before moving on to the rest of the forum'

Second:
Device manager reports it as configured and working. Belkins utility allows me to set device to ad hoc - scan channels etc. - Plus I had had it sort of working some time ago with a different setup.

But thanks for the pointers anyway

The Others · 06-16-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowifi

First: without WiFi working I cant use netstumbler.

Well, the normal use of Netstumbler is when you are disconnected from any wirless networks. With that in mind, you are still asking a question of no relevance to netstumbler...

Never mind, hopefully someone can help you. Still sounds like a setup problem to me, though. You entered the peers SSID into the client laptop?

sykojester · 06-16-2004

yeah, make sure your ssid config is set to "any" as that will let you connect to your AP (i'm assuming you are using an access point here). This of course assumes that yer AP is configured openly w/ no mac filtering, wep or disabled broadcast. I find that you should always leave yer AP on factory defaults when initally setting up new hardware to make sure everything is working before configuring anything so that you dont run into these kind of problems.

Hope that helps and stuff.

rowifi · 06-17-2004

Well. I tend to agree - it's more like a set up problem. The problem is the laptop came with no utilities that I can find other than the driver.

I thought 'stumbler might help me 'find' my IBM connection.

I intended to use ad-hoc mode - which I sort of got working once before, when I used a Belkin USB 802.11 adaptor at each end. At least the utility allows me to do a site survey and I could 'see' the adaptors at either end.
Now it's all built into the Thinkpad and I cant find a utility to do much really.

IBM help suggested something ( incorrectly ) but I will persevere down that path.

I had hoped that the site survey on my main PC would at least tell me if the IBM wifi unit was 'online' so to speak, but now I'm not so sure.

I can and have set SSID to ANY with the Belkin utility - but I am stumped at the moment with the IBM since I cant find a utility for the Centrino Wifi chipset. The driver has settings - most low level - no mention of SSID or ad hoc mode etc.

At the moment I am stuck with a 'network unplugged' crossed out icon in the system try at both PCs - unsure which end is doing what.

I will continue the quest.. thanks all.

DaClyde · 06-17-2004

In Win2k, all the setup properties for the wireless are just in the basic network properties of the card (on the same screen where the adapters and protocols are, go to the properties of the adapter).

If you have a Thinkpad, you should have IBM Access Connections which is their network connection management software, if not, go download it from their website. (in the support section, go to Personal Computing --> Driver Matricies--> Thinkpad and pick your machine out of the model list, don't waste your time with the automated support stuff).

Odd that the machine is running 2k since Thinkpads with on-board WiFi usually ship with XP. Must've been a custom setup by your company.

06-15-2004	#1 (permalink)
rowifi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3	Wifi on IBM Thinkpad, Belkin adaptor on PC I have... IBM Thinkpad with built in WiFi - device manager see's it ok. I have Belkin Wifi USB adaptor on my home PC. After a struggle - the Belkin unit appears to be installed and running - but shows a ' network unplugged' icon. Using the Belkin utility I cant 'see' any thing else - I had hoped to see the ThinkPad on air but I guess that would have been too easy. What do I need to do to 'activate' the Thinkpad Wifi. I can find no utility - our net ops people leave us to work out home networking on our own. Win XP on Desktop. Win2k on Thinkpad. TIA Robbo

06-16-2004	#6 (permalink)
sykojester Net Lurker - phjear Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 371	yeah, make sure your ssid config is set to "any" as that will let you connect to your AP (i'm assuming you are using an access point here). This of course assumes that yer AP is configured openly w/ no mac filtering, wep or disabled broadcast. I find that you should always leave yer AP on factory defaults when initally setting up new hardware to make sure everything is working before configuring anything so that you dont run into these kind of problems. Hope that helps and stuff. __________________ I was at this place one time & I was like...Wow.

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06-15-2004	#3 (permalink)
fordem Tropical Stumbler Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 575	You will need to configure the laptop and the PC for an adhoc wireless network if you don't have a wireless access point.

06-16-2004	#4 (permalink)
rowifi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3	First: without WiFi working I cant use netstumbler. Forum was titled 'The place to come to ask your basic NetStumbler/WiFi questions before moving on to the rest of the forum' Second: Device manager reports it as configured and working. Belkins utility allows me to set device to ad hoc - scan channels etc. - Plus I had had it sort of working some time ago with a different setup. But thanks for the pointers anyway

06-17-2004	#7 (permalink)
rowifi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3	Well. I tend to agree - it's more like a set up problem. The problem is the laptop came with no utilities that I can find other than the driver. I thought 'stumbler might help me 'find' my IBM connection. I intended to use ad-hoc mode - which I sort of got working once before, when I used a Belkin USB 802.11 adaptor at each end. At least the utility allows me to do a site survey and I could 'see' the adaptors at either end. Now it's all built into the Thinkpad and I cant find a utility to do much really. IBM help suggested something ( incorrectly ) but I will persevere down that path. I had hoped that the site survey on my main PC would at least tell me if the IBM wifi unit was 'online' so to speak, but now I'm not so sure. I can and have set SSID to ANY with the Belkin utility - but I am stumped at the moment with the IBM since I cant find a utility for the Centrino Wifi chipset. The driver has settings - most low level - no mention of SSID or ad hoc mode etc. At the moment I am stuck with a 'network unplugged' crossed out icon in the system try at both PCs - unsure which end is doing what. I will continue the quest.. thanks all.

06-17-2004	#8 (permalink)
DaClyde Stumbling Luchadore Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Alabama Posts: 73	In Win2k, all the setup properties for the wireless are just in the basic network properties of the card (on the same screen where the adapters and protocols are, go to the properties of the adapter). If you have a Thinkpad, you should have IBM Access Connections which is their network connection management software, if not, go download it from their website. (in the support section, go to Personal Computing --> Driver Matricies--> Thinkpad and pick your machine out of the model list, don't waste your time with the automated support stuff). Odd that the machine is running 2k since Thinkpads with on-board WiFi usually ship with XP. Must've been a custom setup by your company.