Fujitsu N6410 - Problem with upgrading to 4965agn Wireless card

I removed my internal (Mini PCI) Intel 3945abg internal wireless-G card on my Fujitsu N6410 and replaced it with the Intel 4965agn wireless-N card.

The computer recognizes the card, installed the drivers, and all "looks" good. Even Device Manager shows "the device is working properly". It also appears on my Network Connections".

The problem is, my computer thinks the Hardware Wireless Switch is "OFF", even though its on. I know the Switch works as it works with the 3495 Card.

How do I get my computer to recognize that the switch is on with this card??

There is nothing in BIOS to change.

Fujitsu is a waste of time...and Intel tells me to contact Fujitsu.

 

Usually some computers have the option to enable/disable the NIC Cards in the BIOS...You might be out of luck here.

So that means...when u go to view wireless connections that are available it says something like "No wireless networks found in range, make sure the wireless switch on ur computer is on..." Is this correct?

All I can say is just make sure that you've enabled it under 'Network Connections', which i'm sure you've already done but am just saying just incase it slipped you......

 

Hi...thanks for your input. I'll take anything I can get.

To address your question.... when u go to view wireless connections that are available it says something like "No wireless networks found in range, make sure the wireless switch on ur computer is on..." Is this correct?

Yes, when I go into "View Wireless Networks", there are "No Wireless Networks found" and it states "Make sure your Wireless Switch is On".

I have a feeling you might be right about the enable/disable the NIC Card in the BIOS, which would really suck. This would mean that no N6410 fujitsu computer or probably many other ones cannot be upgraded to take advantage of the Wireless-N network.

Hopefully someone will read this and come up with some kind of work around.

 

Do you have the wlss.exe application running?

 

Actually, it might be the case that, like _HP, _Fujitsu may have a so-called "whitelist" of wireless NICs that are approved for the system, and instead of the _HP solution (at least, the original solution) - which was to stop the system from booting until the unapproved NIC was removed - Fujitsu may simply have the system set so that it sees anything that is not an approved NIC as being turned off. That, or it might be that the BIOS is set so that, if it doesn't detect an approved NIC, it simply does not assign resources for the wireless NIC that's in there, and tells the OS that it doesn't have a powered up NIC when it passes the system over to the OS after POST.

 

To answer the first question...I DON'T have WLSS.exe on my computer. I did a file search for it.

It is appearing more and more that the problem is in the BIOS of the computer. What puzzles me is that I would think that if the problem was in the BIOS, that it wouldn't load the drives for it in the first place. However who knows what Fujitsu did.

As I mentioned, what is so freaking frustrating is when I installed the card, my computer "Found New Hardware" window popped up and it loaded. I was like "KEWL"!!! However when I flipped the wireless switch on "ON"...NADA!

I then went into Device Manager and it said that device is working properly ..no conflicts. I also noticed that the Address and IRQ is the same for the older card I took out. So it lookes like it mapped it to the same area.

All seems "fine"....except the darn computer thinks the Wirless Switch is OFF.

I have contacted Fujitsu's technical support, but all they tell me is that I can send it to them, and they will put back in my original card....HELLO?? ANYONE HOME??

I have a call into them asking what is preventing me from using this card and the newer Wireless-N Technology...However I'm not holding my breath for an answer...but we shall see.

It could be present a problem for Fujitsu if they lock their computers down to the point that people cannot upgrade the hardware.

I haven't given up....so if anyone has any solutions/ideas...I'm all ears.

 

You could flash the BIOS for the most up to date.

PS: The wlss.exe work with the Wireless Switch.

 

Have you tried reviewing your event logs to see if anything regarding the wireless card has been logged?

 

Hi....

There is nothing in the Event Logs that indicate a problem. There is only one Loge which is just "Informative" and it states, "The Service entered the Intel(R) Wireless WiFil Link 4965AGN state".

Pretty weird how it seems everything "appears" to be working and installed correctly....yet the computer thinks the Wireless Switch is off.

Fujitsu is worthless...they have basically said they can't help me because that's not the card that came with the system. Yet they are using this same card in their latest laptops. One would think it wouldn't be too much to ask someone in Engineering as to why the card doesn't work. I would also think it would be of benefit to Fujitsu to support their products so that people can use the Wirless-N technology instead of leaving them hanging for answers.

 

BTW...Wirelessman said that WLSS.EXE might be the ticket...yet WLSS.exe isn't installed on my computer. I have Windows XP Media Edition Version. Is WLSS.exe a third party utility or a microsoft application? Exactly what is it?

 

It comes with Compal in my case, it is most probably a third party application but implemented by Compal. Which brand is your computer?

 

Aka WireLess Select Switch from Compal. See also, this webpage. It appears to be a Compal-specific utility, so it probably wouldn't be on your Fujitsu; however, Fujitsu almost certainly has it's own similar utility.

EDIT: You might look for a utility called Launch Manager and make sure that it's properly installed. The poster on this Fujitsu-Siemens forum thread also couldn't get his wireless to work, and after installing the Launch Manager utility his wireless started working again. According to the person who provided the solution, Launch Manager is "available under Application - Tools and Utility in F-S [Fujitsu-Siemens] driver downloads page."

 

Where in the heck do you get "Launch Manager"?? I have Windows XP Media Edition, and I certainly don't see it.

 

Don't be rude. I don't even have a Fujitsu, so I'd say that you're better placed than I to find something related to a Fujitsu.

BTW, have you tried Fujitsu support, or Fujitsu-Siemens support?

Maybe try this for starters: System Diagnostics, the description of which states:

Although I would suggest checking with that website to see if you can find the version of the app that is specific to your model.

If you live in the US (which I'm going to assume since your model No. is N6410), you should probably look at this Fujitsu-US Support website, from which you should be able to find all available firmware and update downloads, as well as a BIOS update (one of which is available) by using the menu-based search function at the top of the webpage.

You can also find user manuals and tech specs using the grey tabbed links at the top of the available file listings.

 

One has to be careful in making assumptions about the "tone" of the words in an email....unless its obvious and a valid reason for saying such.

Example...A kid holding out his hand to show a friend something he found..."WHERE IN THE HECK DID YOU GET THAT"?? Is hardly rude...its bewilderment....amazement.

I think that needed to be clarified so that my reputation as a "newbie" on here isn't tainted by your comment.

Anyway.....back to the question at hand....

I have never head of "Launch Manger"....I Googled it and couldn't find anything relevant. However I didn't check all 10 million hits ...including NASA.

Fujitsu is a waste of time...I have talked to them and they tell me that they do not support anything that doesn't come with the computer. I can hit them up on this "Lauch Manager" see if they know anything about it.

Perhaps if someone could post a link to "Launch Manager" that would be very helpful.

As far as BIOS updates, latest downloads, system trouble shooting....been there done that. Even tried downloads of drivers for other Fujitsu computers that use the 4965agn card.

I think Malcaveli72 is probably right, in that if it is a BIOS thing, then I might be out of luck.

I haven't given up yet...and I appreciate everyone that has contributed to this thread.

 

Fair enough; however, one has to be equally as careful in reviewing one's posts for apparent tone, and should adjust accordingly. In part, that's why smilies exist - they're not just annoying little trinkets, but also useful tone indicators.

 

One of the reasons I replaced my 3945abg wireless card is that I was constantly getting disconnected from the network...every 20-30 seconds...and then it tries to reconnect automatically.

Fujitsu technical support thought that perhaps it might be the network card, so I decided if I had to replace it. Since I had to replace it, I thought I would try the 4965agn card. Then the switch didn't work....Arggggghhhh

I have put back the Intel 3945abg and down loaded the latest drivers (AGAIN) and was using the Intel Pro/Wireless application to control the adapter. It seemed to be working....I was actually staying connected! AND one thing I noticed is the Windows Wireless Icon (little monitor with a moving ball) wasn't present...just the Intel Pro/Wireless Icon was.

I decided to let Windows control the adapter and see what happens, then all hell broke lose. Now I'm getting disconnected/reconnected every 30 seconds or so. As soon as it connects, it disconnects...then tries again.

So...I put it back where the Intel Pro/Wireless controlled the adapter....its doing the same thing now...connecting and disconnecting.

I also have both ICONs...and they both show the connection status.

Grrrr...this is frustrating!!

 

That sounds like you may have a corrupt copy of the Windows-zero-config utility (i.e., the Win default app that manages wireless network connections).

Letting the default Win app get control back over the NIC probably broke the Intel wireless manager. I would go ahead and uninstall the Intel wireless manager completely (including a quick run with a cleaning utility like CCleaner, but limited to nosing out the Intel manager), and then do a clean reinstall of the Intel wireless manager so that it gets full control of the NIC and disables the Win default manager completely.

 

Ok...now check this out...this is weird as heck.

When I stated the Intel Pro/Wireless was working...that was after I gave up on it one night because it was "connecting and disconnecting"...and I just left the wireless switch on.

When I got up in the morning...it network connection was working with the Pro/Wireless application.

It was later that day that I switched it over to the windows utility and that's when it broke. Again, it was disconnecting and connecting about ever 30 seconds....and again I left the wireless switch on and went to bed...giving up.

I get up in the morning...and its working....go figure this one.

I think as you say, something in the window environment is conflicting with the adapter...but why leaving it on over night would it fix itself.

Seriously when I left it last night...it was connecting and disconnetion, seemed like ever 10 seconds....very strange.

 

Absolutely no idea - was anything recorded in the event logs?