Troubleshooting; Common Installation Problems; Network Connection Problems - SMC Networks SMC2835W User Manual

11 | Troubleshooting

Common Installation Problems

Problems are often caused by conflicts with other devices installed in the same computer, or
software that has been configured incorrectly. If you encounter a problem with the EZ Connect g
SMC2835W 2.4GHz 54 Mbps Wireless Cardbus Adapter, use the following checklists to identify
and correct the problem.
• If your computer cannot find the Wireless Card, or the network driver does not install
correctly, check the following items before contacting SMC Technical Support
Make sure the card is securely seated in the PCMCIA. Check for any hardware
o
problems, such as physical damage to the card.
Try the card in another PCMCIA. If this fails, test the card in a completely
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different system or try using a second Wireless Card in that particular slot.
Check for resource conflicts
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Make sure your computer is using the latest BIOS available. Contact the
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manufacturer of the laptop, motherboard for information on updating the BIOS
(e.g. – Dell, Toshiba, etc)
If there are other network cards in the computer, they may be causing conflicts.
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Remove all other cards from the computer and test the Wireless Card separately.

Network Connection Problems

There may be a network connection problem if the LED on the card does not light, or if you
cannot access any network resources from the computer. Check the following items before
contacting SMC Technical Support.
• Make sure the correct network card driver is installed for your operating system. If
necessary, try uninstalling and reinstalling the driver. To do this, first shut down your
machine and remove your SMC adapter. Then boot up and open up your Start Menu, go
to Programs, click the "SMC2835W 54 Mbps WLAN Utility" program folder and choose
"Uninstall". Reboot the machine when requested to do so. Then insert your Driver CD
and run the Setup.exe utility again. Then shut down the computer, reinsert your SMC
adapter and boot up the machine. The OS should properly reinstall the adapter during
this time.
• Make sure the computer and other network devices are receiving power. If you suspect a
power outlet to be faulty, plug another device into it to verify that it is working.
•
If your wireless station cannot communicate with a computer on the Ethernet LAN when
configured for Infrastructure mode, try changing the wireless channel on the AP. Make
sure the SSID is the same as that used by the AP for a station with roaming disabled, or
the same as that used by the AP's in the extended service set (ESS).
• The Access Point you are trying to attach to is defective or may not be configured
properly to accept your signal. Check with the administrator of your wireless network for
more information on connecting to the LAN. Also run the necessary diagnostics on the AP
to make sure the unit is fully operational.
• If you cannot access the Internet, be sure to check with the ISP for further instructions
once the drivers for the Wireless Card are installed properly.