07-05-2006, 06:07 PM

Hello everybody,
I have been around these forums for a long time and I have grown to respect all of you with all computers not just mac. I have recently recieved a windows computer (IBM Thinkpad T60) from my college. (all freshmen have to use this model computer, next year I get the mac) So it comes with Novell Services on it which is used for our networking. I am at my beach house and I am having issues with the system. I want to keep using the system to get my self aquainted with it so that I am not feeling like I don't know it that well when I am at school. I am fairly confident with Windows, but I have run into a weird problem that I can not figure out. When I am using the computer the internet will just stop working. I can get on wireless network by removing the wireless card from the device manager (not physically removing the card) and then reconnecting it. This gets my internet back but not for long (until I turn off my computer). I can get on the internet in this way, but through windows not through Novell. If anybody can help me work out this issue, I would be very happy, as if I don't I will have to give the computer back to get it repaired, and I do not want to do that, because that would leave me with out a laptop because I am planning on selling my powerbook, and I am going to hawaii and need a laptop when I leave.

I know you guys are smart and will help me with this, so thank you in advanced for reading my post and offering suggestions, and help.

07-05-2006, 07:19 PM

Upated: does not stay on until I close it, I was using it and it just stopped working 15 minutes later, I was just testing it out browsing web pages, (i actually wrote the above post on it).. and it just stopped working.. any ideas, are again very much apprieated.

07-05-2006, 10:14 PM

You may want to try completely deleting the card from System under Control Panel and reboot. Windows will "find" the card again and reinstall it- do not allow it to automatically set it up. Instead force it to use the driver on the CD or driver directory that is set up on the laptop. Then reboot. Some wifi cards have issues with WPA and WPA2, in case you're using either of those for encryption.

More info would be helpful:
Are you using encryption on your wireless connection?
Does your wifi router work well with your powebook?
Have you tried resetting your router?

07-05-2006, 11:55 PM

a few more questions, what are you using to connect to the internet? (DSL, cable, dial-up(EW), etc.)? Also, who is your ISP? and which wireless router?

and, as stated, does your powerbook run fine with the wireless network? If so, it's the thinkpad or wireless card.

07-05-2006, 11:59 PM

ok, some more information:
I am using DSL, service provider is Verizon.
I am down the shore and using a westel wireless router, it does not have encryption (there are no houses any where near me and is set back far enough that nobody can access it from the street either and i was lazy)
the powerbook works fine on the internet, so does and ibook and another powerbook, powermac, and a dell.
I do not have the system discs. (the college did not give them to me)

I am going to go try karudzo's answer now and will report back... Thank you guys for helping me.

07-06-2006, 12:53 AM

and then another update came around to the forums, it went like this:

Here is an update on what is going on with my computer. I am currently typing this from the laptop, so far all looks good. What I did was follow the instructions above which got me the same results as before (gave me a few minutes of internet and then turned off again). So what I did was to reset the regedit file using tweak ui (a powertoy developed by microsoft) and so far all is working fine. Now I can not figure out why resetting my registry would fix this problem, becaues I do not know of any entrys that could have effected the internet. I am hoping that I will not have the issue where the internet will just stop working again later. But so far all is looking good and I thank you guys so much for your help. I gave you guys rep points because you were very helpful.

07-06-2006, 01:51 AM

well, i'm glad you got the issue fixed. That's all that matters, that and something new learned. I'm happy that everything is okay down at your end, for the time being. But, when something goes wrong, we'll be here for ya.

07-06-2006, 02:02 AM

PWG4, glad it's fixed for you. There might have been a key in the registery that was messed up and reseting it to default might have rebuilt that key. Seen that a lot with internet and XP but never so far with Wireless but why not?!!! Glad you got it working. Hope it keeps working for you. That Thinkpad is a nice system if you have to use windows, it's a excellent laptop.