# How to enable/disable wireless on this ThinkPad?



## Alex Ethridge

IBM ThinkPad R51 Type 2883 -- Is there a way to enable/disable the wireless adapter? This built-in wireless adapter will not light up and I can't find anything on it.


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## BratDawg

No switch on the case? Toshiba has a slide on the front - hard to see unless you're eye level with it and if you squint you can see the little radio tower image.

Is there a function key that toggles it? You know what the wireless symbol is right? Something like ((i))

Dell laptops come with a dell wan/lan utility that you can use to disable and enable wireless.


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## Alex Ethridge

If there is a switch on the case, it is well hidden. It seems the only place to enable/disable it is in the BIOS and the thing still doesn't light up or show in device manager.

This guy said it worked until several months ago when it just mysteriously quit.


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## etaf

have a look in device manager - is it working OK - or are the any ! X

start>
control panel>
system>
hardware tab>
device manager button>

network adapters
click on the + sign

post backs whats there

also any ! X or ?
--------------------------------------------
sometime F keys toggel the wireless (F2 or F10 on Dells - F2 on Fuji-seimens), or physical swithes - at the back of the keyboard on some HP - front on toshiba tiny slider - 
--------------------------------------------

also have a look in network connections 
right click on the wireless
see if the top menu item says enable or disable

now download and run this freeware - it will detect adapters and wireless gignals

Free software to check signal strength of wireless is netstumbler 0.4.0 available for download from http://www.stumbler.net/

I'll try and find a manual to see how the wireless works on IBM


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## etaf

just found it here 
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/39t6190.pdf

FN + F5 key enables and disbales wireless 802.11 in win2000 and XP - see page 56

also the on the indicators wireless is the first light light marked something like

((I))
I


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## Alex Ethridge

The ((I)) is there; it doesn't light up. No wireless appears in device manager and no items have any indications of a problem. Also, there is nothing in device manager that is not clearly identified.

all the function keays are clearly marked and in addition to that, I have used them all just to be sure. Fn+F5 does nothing.

I think we will just try a wireless card.


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## etaf

> No wireless appears in device manager


it would be under network adapters

you could try downloading the wireless driver and installing that - see what happens drivers are here http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-55029.html#Wireless

you could try the add new hardware option in control panel and see if windos can detect it - although you should get this detection on bootup

try running these configuration programs see if they detect the wireless hardware

http://www.belarc.com

online scan
http://www.d-a-l.com/hardware-scan.php

Great standalone program with pdf and email output
http://www.pxserver.com/WinAudit.htm


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