When your wifi card doesn’t work…
Posted on:: October 31st, 2004
When your wifi card doesn’t work under XP, after spending three hours futzing with drivers, I suggest you try this:
Control Panel > Administrative tools > Services. Look for Wireless Zero Configuration. Click on it. If it’s stopped, start it. If there’s no start or stop button, double click on it and change “Startup type” to “Automatic.”
Or you could get a Mac which, because it is a closed environment, tends to be easier to live with.
Categories: Uncategorized dw
The annoying thing about Windows is that they hide some of the more useful things in places where almost no one will think of ever looking.
Like ZeroConf being hidden per your example (WHereas Rendevous, the same technology, is automatic on the Mac). Like Cleartype font smoothing being set to Off by default and having the control for turning it On be under Control Panel > Displays > Appearances > Effects. Effects?!?! Having your fonts actually look nice is an EFFECT? Sigh…
David: Here’s another WiFi tip when XP gets balky that’s a bit easier. Open Network Connections (either from the Start Menu or by right-clicking on the connection icon in the system tray). Right click on the wireless connection and select “Disable”. Then right-click again and select “Enable”. Works about 90% of the time for me.
You sound bitter about the whole Mac thing, David.
For the record, Windows’ “Wireless Zero Configuration” and Apple’s ZeroConf/Rendezvous are actually *different things*. Windows does not have ZeroConf/Rendezvous at all, unless you count lackluster third-party implementations. The above commenter makes a mistaking in assuming that it’s the same feature. Likewise, the jab at Cleartype is misplaced, as Mac OS’ subpixel rendering is disabled by default, too (The default smoothing mode is set for CRTs, which do not use subpixel rendering).
All of this, and I use a Mac, too.