Inspiron 8200 lock up with Netgear WPNT511

Hi,

I dont think there would be any incompatibility with the netgear adapter and the 8200, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the netgear adapter software, uninstall it from add remove programs and install it from the netgear software cd and restart the comp and then check, if not then you need to contact netgear once and check what they say. Netgear might try to reinstall the software from the internet. Please let me know which router are you using ? Do reply if you have any issues. All the best !!!

Hi,

I think the netgear adapter which you are using is an N series adapter, right? Now N series adapter and N series router shud work. If you have uninstalled and reinstalled the netgear software then you need to contact netgear and they would be able to configure the adapter or try to install the software from the web. I think the netgear software is casuing the problem. Call Netgear and let them try to configure the adapter. Also tell them what all steps you have done so that they can understand the issue better.

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@wirelesschamp wrote:
Hi,

I think the netgear adapter which you are using is an N series adapter, right? Now N series adapter and N series router shud work. If you have uninstalled and reinstalled the netgear software then you need to contact netgear and they would be able to configure the adapter or try to install the software from the web. I think the netgear software is casuing the problem. Call Netgear and let them try to configure the adapter. Also tell them what all steps you have done so that they can understand the issue better.

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WPNT511 is Airgo-based "Pre-N". Not Draft N.

WPN824 uses a Ruckus Wireless developed phased array antenna in combination with an Atheros SuperG XR chipset.

Fundamentally, two comments:

WPNT511 + WPN824 will only give you 54 Mbps capability. You need either WPNT511 + WPNT834 (Airgo router + Airgo client) or WPN511 + WPN824 (Atheros client + Atheros router) for "beyond 802.11g" speeds.

If, instead of the WPNT511 you actually have the WPN511, there is most definately not any conflict between the WPN511 and the Inspiron 8200 hardware-wise, as the WPN511 is what I currently use in my old 8200. Note, as per my signature, that I use Windows 2000 instead of Windows XP on that machine.

I met the exact same problem!!! I install WPNT511 wireless pcmcia card to two dell laptops. In inspiron 8100 (win2000), I can barely move mouse cursor. In Dell C800, win xp just totally freezed. No response until the card is removed.

Any ideas?

Hi.
Sorry for long post but i thought it could be helpful to include all information i got.
I have the exact same problem with the same wireless adapter (wpnt511)
but on an msi s270 laptop.

Adapter used to work up until September where my system (windowsXP) started stuttering
to the point of being unusable. (cursor moving only occasionally)
Once i remove the netgear pcmcia card it gets back to normal.

When the card is plugged in the processor load keeps jumping to 100% in intervals
which seems to be why the system becomes unresponsive. There's no process associated
with those cpu-usage spikes, except the blank process..

I don't know what i changed to render my configuration moot.
Maybe a Windows-update?
I noticed Windows complain about the netgear driver's non-compliance to its logo test
and was wondering if maybe this could have sth to do with it, too.
Tried reinstalling the drivers many times and downloaded a slightly updated version
from netgear site (driver from install cd is dated Oct 2005 and the downloaded one Nov 2005).

I'd try if the driver works under linux (using ndiswrapper) but since netgear says
they do not intend to support 64bit architectures/OSs cause 'nobody uses them' i can't...
Will definitely refrain from buying any of their products, ever.

Haven't tried reinstalling Windows and won't anytime soon but reading this thread
i gather this doesn't seem to help either.

I noticed that after furiously removing and pluggin back in the card sometimes i can trick
windows into forgetting to screw up and then everything works fine for a (short)while.

I have pretty much given up but maybe someone will find out what the heck is going on.

Good luck!

Cheers,
m.

So I tried to find a link for the steps for clean boot troubleshooting, but could not so I'll type them out.

Okay so to find out if this is truly a hardware problem or a software problem here is something you can try. Now realize this is only a troubleshooting step and you will not want to leave your computer in this state if it begins to work. If your device begins to work then we need to figure out what is causing the issue. Realize these steps are to help identify the problem and it's not a solution. (But I'll have a suggestion about that too if it turns out to be software.)

One thing before we start, have you added any new software such as a firewall. I know some of the Netgear products come with a software firewall package. If you did, uninstall it if you have one that you were using before. You can only have 1 on your system.

Part 1 (figuring out if it's the hardware)

1. Go to START > RUN and type MSCONFIG
2. The system configuration utility box will appear. The system should be set to a NORMAL BOOT. We want to change it to SELECTIVE START.
3. Once chose you will notice the 4 boxes below can now be accessed. We want to uncheck the one that says LOAD STARTUP ITEMS.
4. Then click on the tab at the top that says SERVICES. At the bottom just above the okay (and a bit to the left) is a box that says HIDE MICROSOFT SERVICES. Put a check mark in this box.
5. Click APPLY then CLOSE. The system will then ask if you want to restart say YES.

Now once the system is back up try your device. If it works it's software and we have more to do. If it does not work then it's something with the hardware and you should probably call Netgear and get assistance from them. Also, if it does not work at this point please perform the FINAL STEP listed below. But if it works then continue on.

Part 2 (figuring out what's causing the problem)

Okay now here comes the tedious part. If the device worked above we need to find where the software conflict is

1. Go to START > RUN and type MSCONFIG (the system configuration utility box will appear again)
2. Now go to the tab that says SERVICES and click ENABLE ALL.
3. Click APPLY then CLOSE. The system will then ask if you want to restart say YES.

Once the system is back up try the device again, if it works then we have more to do. If it does not then that means that something in the services is what is causing the problem and through a process of elimination you will need to find out the problem. To do this for the service follow the instructions below if not go to Part 3 other wise skip to Part 4.

Part 3 (finding problem item in SERVICES)

1. Go to START > RUN and type MSCONFIG (the system configuration utility box will appear again)
2. Now go to the tab that says SERVICES and again at the bottom just above the okay (and a bit to the left) is a box that says HIDE MICROSOFT SERVICES. Put a check mark in this box.
3. Now you will see all the non-Microsoft services (these are the ones that we just enabled). What we now need to do is check off part of these
4. Click APPLY then CLOSE. The system will then ask if you want to restart say YES.
5. Test the device if it works then go back and check off the ones that were left. Do it in small sections so that you can see which one is causing the problem.

Part 4 (finding the problem in STARTUP ITEMS)

1. Go to START > RUN and type MSCONFIG (the system configuration utility box will appear again)
2. Now go to the tab that says STARTUP.
3. Check off the first 10 items
4. Click APPLY then CLOSE. The system will then ask if you want to restart say YES.
5. Test the device if it works then go back and check off the next 10 items and keep doing this until the device fails. Once the device fails again then you know it is the last 10 items that you selected and you will need to start unchecking a few items (perhaps 1 or 2 at a time to see which one is the specific problem. So if you check off 2 then you know it will be one of those two. Choose one then the other to see which it is.

Once the item is identified go to Google (www.google.com) and put the name of the item in the search and see what it is related to and then uninstall whatever it is. Then complete the final step.

Final Step (to get back to a normal boot)

1. Go to START > RUN and type MSCONFIG
2. The system configuration utility box will appear. Change from SELECTIVE START to NORMAL BOOT.
3. Click APPLY then CLOSE. The system will then ask if you want to restart say YES.