Question:
broadcom wireless conundrum
I am having trouble with a wireless connection on an HP pavilion ze 4500 notebook. Interesting thing is that up until a week ago everything worked fine. I have added no new software or hardware. My op sys is XP, the wireless card is a Broadcom 802.11b/g and the router is a Linksys WRT54G. I am using the Braodcom wireless utility to connect, instead of XP's program. I have disabled all security features on the router - so wireless security shouldn't be the problem. Also, another computer is able to connect wireless to the network, so I know the connection is good from the router out to the Net. The HP can see the network, but will not connect. I have run the limited diagnotic programs that came with the computer and it claims that the network card is good. Now, one posible source of the problem is that my girlfriend uses Hotmail and the site, as you know, places numerous adware and spyware programs on unsuspecting computers. I have used a program (Spyware Nuker) to find and remove these programs.
My quetions are:
1. Does this problem sound familar to anyone?
2. Does anyone have any suggestions on what else to try?
3. Has anyone had any problems with adware disabling a wireless network?
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
Can you go back and use a Restore point from a date when you know the wireless was working?
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
The only issue where a wifi card will see the network but not be able to connect is when MAC Filtering is enabled and the card is not in the list of approved MAC addresses. Check your router and see if this is enabled, if so, enter your MAC address and see if it works, or you can just disabled MAC filtering as a test.
-Vb-
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
Wow, your problem sounds just like the one I had. You even have the same wireless card and router.
Here’s a link of my plight:
I thought it was the router at first, but after talking with Linksys I realized the router was fine. Then I thought it was the card, but it seemed to be ok too.
I did the things that Linksys told me and Gateway, but nothing worked. I also tried suggestions that the people here had and still nothing worked.
I eventually did a whole recovery which didn‘t really bother me because this laptop is newer and so I had only installed two programs on it. I can now connect to the internet just fine.
We seem to have the same exact problem and also the same wireless card and router… hmmm….
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
The only issue where a wifi card will see the network but not be able to connect is when MAC Filtering is enabled and the card is not in the list of approved MAC addresses. Check your router and see if this is enabled, if so, enter your MAC address and see if it works, or you can just disabled MAC filtering as a test.
-Vb-
First of all thanks for the advise. Unfortunately, it still doesn't work even after disabling the MAC filtering.
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
Wow, your problem sounds just like the one I had. You even have the same wireless card and router.
Here’s a link of my plight:
I thought it was the router at first, but after talking with Linksys I realized the router was fine. Then I thought it was the card, but it seemed to be ok too.
I did the things that Linksys told me and Gateway, but nothing worked. I also tried suggestions that the people here had and still nothing worked.
I eventually did a whole recovery which didn‘t really bother me because this laptop is newer and so I had only installed two programs on it. I can now connect to the internet just fine.
We seem to have the same exact problem and also the same wireless card and router… hmmm….
I am starting to strongly suspect that it is an incompatability between broadcom and linksys on a software level.
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
Yea, but he claims it used to work up until last week... thats really odd...
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
Yea, but he claims it used to work up until last week... thats really odd...
Yeah, that's what mine did too. It worked the first 2 or 3 days with my router then all of sudden stopped. Something must have gotten screwed up too since it didn't even work with my dad's router and it's not a Linksys (though his modem is).
I haven't had any problems with connection since I did that total system recovery a week ago.
I just wish I knew what caused it. If you do a Google search you'll see others with the same or simliar problem.
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
CWS,
Since the problem just popped out of nowhere, you may want to consider an OS reload. It could have been a driver/OS update that was taken that may be causing the problem. Also, it's possible a corrupt/missing driver file could cause this type of a problem. This is almost sounding like a software problem, but it's hard to say.
You can always try replacing the wireless card in the unit, or try using an external card (PCMCIA if you have one) and see if it works. If so, then its probably a issue with the card itself (the diag programs are not 100%).
-Vb-
Answer:
Re: broadcom wireless conundrum
CWS,
Since the problem just popped out of nowhere, you may want to consider an OS reload. It could have been a driver/OS update that was taken that may be causing the problem. Also, it's possible a corrupt/missing driver file could cause this type of a problem. This is almost sounding like a software problem, but it's hard to say.
You can always try replacing the wireless card in the unit, or try using an external card (PCMCIA if you have one) and see if it works. If so, then its probably a issue with the card itself (the diag programs are not 100%).
-Vb-
Thanks Venombite and everyone else for the input. I am leaning toward the idea that it is a driver update problem - given the sysmptoms I think that is the most likely problem. I know that there is still a chance it is the card, but my limited experience says that it is almost always a driver incompatability when wierd problems like this pop up. I tried downloading a driver for the wireless card that was written by HP. This seems to have no affect on the problem. Therefore, I am contemplating an OS reload to go back to the original Broadcom driver that was working. The problem I have with this is, if it is the driver updating automatically, won't it just happen again?
Also, this may sound like a stupid question, but I try to stay away from Windows as much as possible, isn't it pretty much impossible these days to reload just the XP OS. Doesn't one have to do an entire system restore, essentially wiping out the other files on the hard disk. If that's the case it may be easier for me to just disable the internal wireless card and go buy something that actually works well. Any advise in this area would be greatly appreciated.