8204 Wireless problem! Help me!!

Hi guys, I just want to figure out what's wrong with my wireless internet.
I was using it just fine and all of sudden while I was browsing web, it got disconnected and ever since I cannot get connected to it. My intel wireless program can find various interente access and when I click my access NETGEAR, it simply tells it it cannot get connected. I tried connecting to other access but no luck. I would really appreciate if anyone could help me with this issue as soon as poosible. Thanks

 

Check the antenna wires - there is a chance, that they have disconnected from their sockets... If you didn't mess something with settings of course...

 

Deja Vu...

 

My roomate has a TM 4000, and I have an 8204 (and docking station). There is a linksys WEP-encrypted G-router 20 feet away from my study.

Wireless on the 4000 works perfectly. The 8204 worked great before we moved to a different apartment. Now, the 8204 drops in and out (meaning, that while conencted wirelessly to the router, the signal strength goes to zero, at least according to the 8204). At the same time, the 4000 detects no change in the signal. I checked all the settings and even changed channels on the router to no avail.

Spoke to Acer tech support yesterday then today. Yesterday, the message was "go to the Intel website and download the latest driver for the Pro/Wireless card," which I did, and it installed software that took over, turned off XP's management of the wireless card and it now runs instead. Today, the card started dropping in and out again.

Today Acer first said they would send me a new wireless card, but then recanted, suggesting it's too small, and there's a chance of damanging the motherboard if I do it myself. They then said send my 8204 to TX for repair, but I'm reluctant to do that, given both security and timing issues (meaning, being without it for two weeks is a problem for me and my business...

Any suggestions? Shall I check the antenna wires (where are they, by the way?) And anyway, if it were that, wouldn't the thing not connect at all?

Many thanks for any thoughts on this!

 

My TM8204 was finding the signal (but wasn't able to connect) without antenna wires plugged into card! I guess that your antenna could be plugged loose or there is only one wire connected - it would explain why you are able to catch the signal sometimes... To get to the wireless card you should remove plastic cover from the back of your laptop - you can identify the card very easy in the upper part. Black and white wires should be plugged as the sticker shows: black to back and white to white...

 

how can you find out the birthday of your 8204WLMi?

 

Thanks -- I did that - unscrewed the larger plastic piece, and the wires were connected firmly and correctly. I dunno what else to check, and now the Intel software (Intel PROSet/Wireless) is managing wireless on my computer...

 

I have the same problem right now. It started just recently... i have no idea why. I removed the plastic cover on the bottom and the wires were in their sockets. I have the Intel Pro Wireless software installed too. It is really annoying, i can see the networks and sometimes even connect to them but always get disconnected as soon as i try to connect to steam, a server or download something. How can this be fixed?

 

First, make sure you didn't hit the button that disables the wireless (has a pic of a satellite next to it).

Then download the latest driver from intel.
If you have a linksys router, make sure you have the latest firmware.

Open network connections, view properties of wireless connections, uncheck "notify me...limited or no connectivity"

make sure the router has factory defaults set
make sure dhcp is enabled

see if you can ping a website...then see if you can ping the ip address. If you can it is a DNS problem.

reset winsock
make sure "wireless zero config" service is started. this is what windows uses to control the wireless - you don't want other programs controlling it, windows xp works fine in this regard (if intel took over, you may have downloaded their software, not the driver).

if you still can't get it, call your buddy that works on computers and make sure you have cold beer in the fridge.

 

Whenever I see clusters of established users having the same problem suddenly cropping up.. It makes me wonder if Windows automatically downloaded and applied a buggy Hotfix or update when you weren't looking.

A similar thing happened a little while ago with people not being able to go to typed addresses in the address bars of their browsers. Remember that.

I myself never apply windows updates until they have been hanging around for at least 4 months. I wait first to see what kinds of problems others have with them.

I do not yet use my WiFi, so I don't know if i have that problem or not.

 

My 8204 is have the same problem. I reloaded a fresh copy of windows, got the drivers online and burned them, and installed them. I can see networks, but have yet to be able to connect. I have another laptop right next to it that has no issues with identical settings. This is no issue with a hotfix as I haven't had it connected to the internet yet since I reloaded a fresh copy. When I see a bunch of people with the same issue and the same hardware, it stinks like bad hardware to me.

 

over the grapevine (Credit to Chris Sanders):
"It is not uncommon for users to report their wireless clients dropping connection at random times. The cause of this is the Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) service. This service, enabled by default in Windows XP Service Pack 2, is designed to optimize the use of wireless network technology by constantly scanning for other wireless networks. This process has been known to cause clients to randomly drop their wireless connection. The best method for alleviating this problem is to use third party software to manage your wireless connection. This software will almost always be provided with the driver for the wireless card you are using. Once you have this software installed you will want to disable the WZC service to prevent it from loading at startup."

it does work!

cheers ...

 

Wierd.... I have the same problem. It connects, but every once in a while will disconnect and refuse to connect. Waiting a while or rebooting solves the problem, but that is not a solution. It's not the router because I have another laptop which stays connected just fine. I checked the antenna wires and they are firmly connected.

I hope there is a fix soon, because this is getting annoying!

 

Use the intel drivers http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=55757

My wireless connection never drops and the intel profile manages connections nicelessy.

 

dont use wireless, use cable for now lol. then send to TX when ur "biz is on vacation"