D800 wireless toggle on/off function key

Question

I have a D800 that I use standalone, in a D/View, and in a D/Dock configuration at various times. The wireless card is an Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG. I have occasion to toggle the wireless on and off with the Fn->F2 key. This "powers down" the wireless card.

If I have the card off, and then shut down to move to another location and put the D800 in a docked mode in a monitor stand, the laptop stays in the closed position. I boot, but then realize that I forgot to turn the woreless card back on. I usually shut down, undock, boot, turn on the card, shut down, re-dock, and then reboot again to get the card active. This is very frustrating.

I don't have a Dell keyboard. Is there a hot key combination that will allow me to turn the wireless radio back on when the laptop is closed and docked? The key I need to do this is the Fn key, which is always present on laptops, but rarely on keyboards.

Thanks

Imperator · Answer

Good Question, I'm very interessted in this answer aswell!

shifuimam · Answer

Look in the BIOS - there is an option to set an alternative Fn key for externally attached keyboards. I think it's usually PageUp, but I could be wrong.

MikeBi58 · Answer

Hello All,

Welcome to the Dell Community Forum,

shifuimam, that is the correct solution the scroll lock key on the external keyboard will function as the FN key once changed under Basic Device Configuration in the bios..

Thanks,

Imperator · Answer

This does certainly not work for me. As much as I understood, this only works for PS2 Keyboards and not for USB Keyboards if using Win2000/XP :-(

Thornwell · Answer

My results match those of Imperator, i.e., it works with a PS2 keyboard, but not with a USB keyboard. Fortunately (in my case), the location that I use the D/Dock configuration with a monitor stand has a PS2 keyboard. Thanks shifuimam, for the answer. I do hope, however, this feature is extended to USB keyboards in future BIOS updates.

BTW, was this feature documented anywhere? I looked high and low, and short of spending a few hours one afternoon studying every feature in the BIOS screens, I might never have found out.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

D800 wireless toggle on/off function key

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