Toshiba Wireless LAN PC Card / Access Point -- Wi-Fi troubleshooting

Document ID: 98080488

Posted Date: 2003-03-21

Last Updated: 2006-08-10

Distribution: View Public Website

Applicable Models

Satellite All

Portege All

Tecra All

Satellite Pro All

Information

Follow these troubleshooting steps to diagnose problems involving the Toshiba Wireless LAN PC Card and the Toshiba Wireless Access Point .

Toshiba Wireless LAN PC Card
Check the LEDs on the PC Card in the computer. If the card is trying to make an association with an access point (AP) both LEDs on the PC Card will blink once every ten seconds. Continue to the next step.
If the power LED is solid green, and the traffic LED is flickering (indicating normal operation), continue to the next step.
If the LEDs are in any other state, consult the LED chart at the end of this document.
If neither of the PC Card's LEDs are lit, search for Support Bulletins related to PC Card troubleshooting.
Client Manager
If the Client Manager utility is not already installed, install it. Otherwise, continue to the next step.
Check the Signal Strength indicator in the Client Manager.

This completely green Signal Strength indicator above shows that there is a good connection between the PC Card in the computer and the AP.

The Signal Strength indicator in the screen shot above shows that there is no connection between the PC Card in the computer and the AP. Possible reasons include:
    o The SSID (Network Name) is not correct.
    o The profile is set incorrectly.
    o The PC Card in the computer is out of range of the AP.
    o The AP (or the PC Card in the AP) is not functioning properly.
Verify that the Network Name is correct. If necessary, contact the local Network Administrator to determine the Network Name. To change the Network Name:
   a. On the menu shown above, click Actions and then select Add/Edit Configuration Profile.
   b. Select a profile, then click Edit Profile.
   c. Enter the correct Network Name, verbatim. The Network Name is case-sensitive.

To check whether the AP is malfunctioning, see if another computer can get a connection through the same AP. If not, check the AP's LEDs, and the LEDs on the PC Card in the AP.
Verify that the driver for the PC Card and the PC Card's firmware are correctly matched -- by clicking the Advanced tab in the Client Manager, and then Card Diagnostics.

The screen shot above shows a mis-match between the PC Card's driver and its firmware.
The Error details indicate that the driver is newer than the firmware. Update the firmware to match the driver.
Network
It's possible for the PC Card in the computer and the AP to have a good connection, but to still not have a connection to the network, (or through the network to the Internet).
In that case, verify that the computer's IP address is for the same network that the AP is part of.
If necessary, contact the local Network Administrator for assistance.

If you know the AP's IP address, you can check the connection to it by 'pinging' it.
Example: the AP's IP address is 140.64.33.8. Click the Windows Start button, then Run. An MS-DOS prompt will appear. Type "ping 140.64.33.8" and press Enter. If you see "Request timed out..." or another error message, verify that the PC Card in the computer and the AP are on the same network.

Toshiba Wireless LAN Card LED troubleshooting table
Power LED	Transmit / Receive LED	Description / Action
Off	Off	Card is not powered on, so it cannot transmit/receive data. Possible causes: o No driver installed o Card - driver mismatch which prevented the driver from loading o Device conflict which prevented the driver from loading o Access point may be powered off or unplugged. Actions: o Use the Client manager utility to verify that a driver has been installed. o Verify the device settings of the Toshiba Wireless Card to determine the occurrence of a conflict with another device. If so, change the settings of either your PC Card or the conflicting device to resolve the problem. o Verify the versions of the driver, and the firmware in the Toshiba Wireless Card (also referred to as Station firmware). o Search the Toshiba website at: http://pcsupport.toshiba.com for newer versions of the driver and firmware. o Make sure the Toshiba Access Point is powered on - check status lights on AP.
Continuous Green	Blinking	Standard operational mode. Card is powered on -- sensing/transmitting wireless data.
Continuous Green	Off	Card is powered on. No wireless activity. Action required: Driver not installed correctly (Windows 2000). Re-install drivers.
Flickering	Flickering	Power Management mode: o Card is powered on, but set to power saving mode, to conserve battery life. o Flickering indicate that the card wakes up at regular intervals to detect activity.
Blinks once every 10 seconds	Blinks once every 10 seconds	The PC Card works fine, but did not yet succeed establishing a wireless connection with the access point. Actions: o Contact the LAN Administrator to verify the Toshiba Wireless Network Name assigned to the AP. o Contact the LAN Administrator to verify the correct value(s) of the encryption keys. o Contact the LAN Administrator to verify whether the network has been closed (only for networks that include Toshiba Access Points.) o Change the configuration of your Toshiba Wireless Card to enter the correct Network Name.

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