Message dialog "Another wireless LAN utility is communicating with the Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN adapter. To avoid conflicts, Intel(R) PROSet for Wireless has temporarily disabled its Profile Management features" is displayed. Refer to Enabling Intel(R) PROSet for Wireless to manage Your Wireless Connections for information.
When connected to an access point using a profile with an incorrect WEP key encryption, the task tray icon and the General page will both indicate good signal strength and that you are associated with the AP. However, when you attempt to send data to the AP using this profile, because of the incorrect WEP key encryption, authentication cannot be established to acquire an IP address from the AP to allow data transfer.
Refer to the following WEP encryption and authentication settings.
Open Authentication with an incorrect WEP 64 or 128-bit encryption key:
Open Authentication with no WEP encryption:
Shared Authentication:
Windows does not detect the wireless adapter:
Suggested causes and solutions:
This is a normal condition. Range is inversely proportional to data rate: the faster the data, the shorter the range. This has to do with the modulation technology used. Very fast data rates require extremely complex signal waveforms, where even minor distortions can result in data errors. Slower data rates are much more tolerant, and consequently will get through even in the presence of some amount of noise, interference, distortion and echo.
Range is highly dependent on the physical environment. In a line-of-sight location, with elevated and calibrated antennas, range predictions are quite accurate. This is not true in a “typical” office building, where the walls may be simple drywall (which is almost transparent to microwaves), or could be plaster with metal underneath. Most sites are somewhere between these two extremes, and consist of a mixture of surfaces. You can’t tell what is inside a wall by just looking at it, and we can’t tell you exactly what distance you will achieve. Consider published range information to be typical, average, common or usual. Do not expect it to be exact.
Range also depends on the electronic environment. If other equipment that could cause interference is nearby, the range of your transceiver could vary widely, and could change suddenly when the other equipment activates. This is particularly true for 802.11b installations, which share their frequencies with microwave ovens, cordless phones, wireless hi-fi speakers, electronics toys and similar devices. Try to keep your system away from other transmitters, and from other sources of electrical noise, such as large motors, spot welders, and similar “electronically noisy” devices.
Repeat some tests late in the evening, or on a weekend, when there may be less interference. However, some users leave their networks turned all the time so this test is not foolproof. By all means, try more than one channel. Your range problem may just be a nearby user whose system uses your present test channel.
If you mount an access point close to fluorescent light fixtures, the lamp glow appears constant, but inside the lamp tube, ionization appears and disappears 120 times a second. This can modulate or “chop” an incoming signal and interfere with reception.
Too much range is not necessarily a good thing. At first it would appear that you would want as much range as possible, but with the increase in range comes an increase in interference potential, as your unit hears not only your other units but also manages to hear the systems of other companies up and down the street. If you have a large installation, you will also wind up with more than one access point using the same channel. If a remote unit hears two or more access points, this will slow the network.
Excess transmit range presents a special reverse problem. For example, putting an access point adjacent to a second floor bay window invites anyone with the right software on the street below to pick up and enjoy all network transmissions. We discuss some possible solutions to this problem further on.
If you cannot connect to the wireless network, try the following:
Check Network Settings
Check Security Settings
If the adapter is communicating with an access point
(infrastructure mode) or other
computers in peer-to-peer mode, click the Statistics
button in the Troubleshooting tab to display the current
information about how well the adapter is transmitting and
receiving information.
Problem or Symptom |
Possible Solution |
The wireless network card cannot associate to the access point |
Ensure that your access point is functioning correctly, and that your security settings on your wireless card match your access point’s settings. Ensure that 802.1x is disabled on both your access point and your wireless card. |
The wireless card drops connection occasionally |
Ensure that your access point is functioning correctly, and that your security settings on your wireless card match your access point’s settings Ensure that 802.1x is disabled on both your access point and your wireless card. |
Your wireless connection is slower than expected |
Ensure that your access point is functioning correctly, and that your security settings on your wireless card match your access point’s settings Ensure that 802.1x is disabled on both your access point and your wireless card. |
The name of my wireless network doesn’t display in the list of available networks |
Ensure that your access point is functioning correctly. Check the SSID (network name) of the wireless network and ensure that the access point is set to broadcast the SSID. |
The computers seem to be communicating, but they do not appear in My Computer or in My Network Places |
Verify that File and Printer Sharing is enabled on all the computers on your network.
|
Data transfer is sometimes very slow |
Microwave ovens, some baby monitors, cordless game controllers, and some cordless phones operate at the same radio frequency as the installed wireless card. When these devices are in use, they interfere with the wireless network. For optimum performance, keep wirelessly-connected computers at least 20 feet away from devices that operate at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. |
Data transfer is always very slow |
Some homes and most offices are steel-framed structures. The steel in such buildings may interfere with your network's radio signals, thus causing a slowdown in the data transmission rate. Try moving your computer to different locations in the building to see if performance improves. |
Computers are not communicating with the network |
Verify that all of the wireless network properties settings are correct Make sure that your computer is receiving a good signal from the Access Point or router. Verify with the network administrator that installed the wireless card in your notebook is compatible with the IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard under which the wireless network is operating. Disabling or uninstalling firewall software may also be required to connect. If your network uses Access Points or routers, check all cables and make sure the power LED on the front of the Access Point or router is green. |
Make a note of the following answers before calling customer support:
Windows XP contains built-in troubleshooting tool. To access this tool: