Netgear Wireless Networking Problems

Question

*This is a continuation from the last posting.*      The next thing we tried to do was to install a WG311 PCI wireless adaptor in our other computer.  Everything went fine until the end of the 'detect new hardware wizard' process.  At the last instruction box which stated that the new hardware had been installed successfully, another box appeared which stated that 'to make full use of the Netgear WG311 configuration utility you must deselect the Windows XP wireless configuration utility'.  And it asked 'do you want to make use of the Netgear configuration utility?'.  Well it didn't matter if we clicked 'yes' or 'no' either choice would cause the system to crash and we'd get a blue screen that stated 'bad_pool_header'.       I contacted Netgear but they only said that a patch could be installed to help this only if we had installed the Service pack 2.  We can't do that on that computer because it has no internet connection.      Any ideas on what to do?

jmwills · Answer

You will need to get a copy of SP2 somehow and burn it to a disk for installation.  What about the main computer, isn't it working?  SP2 solved a lot of of wireless setup issues and you should use the Windows Configuration utility whenever possible that is built into SP2.

knight500 · Answer

Hmm.. interesting, thanks!   I'll try that if I can't connect on my computer.

knight500 · Answer

I am not the one that origionally posted this question, but it is my computer we are trying to network to this one.  From what my friend (who posted this) told me, you download AND install the SP2 from the internet, which would make burning it a lost cause.  However, I'm going to try to get the internet up on my computer today, because when that last box pops up that takes us to a blue screen, if you just ignore that box, you can connect to the internet, but the box is always there.  Anyways, I'm going to try to connect that way and download SP2 onto my computer through the net.  My friend also downloaded a new driver, which is what Netgear support recommended, and got that onto my computer and unzipped it, but isn't sure what to do with it once we get SP2 on there...   We'll see how it goes!

jmwills · Answer

NO, you can download SP2 and burn it to a disk.

knight500 · Answer

Ok, I got my connection to work... so now I'm connected to the internet.  Now my question is, are the two computer connected through a LAN now?  The only computer that has a Netgear WG311 is mine, and this computer has a router.  Do we need to put a WG311 into this computer before we can share files, or should we be able to do that now? And if so... how?

jmwills · Answer

Computres do not have routers in them, only wired or wireless connection devices.  What is the WG311, a wireless card?

knight500 · Answer

I meant that we have a Netgear router hooked up the the modem on this computer...   Yes, the WG311 is a wireless networking card from Netgear.

bonfis · Answer

I had exactly the same problem with the WG311.  My PC has SP2 installed but that made no difference.  The Netgear support folks told me I needed a a BIOS upgrade.  I think they are making up suggestions as they go along.  I returned the card and installed a D-Link card instead.  No problems at all with the install or the cards performance.  I think the Netgear WG311 has a bug that Netgear hasn't figured out.

jmwills · Answer

It is very possible that a BIOS update was needed for that card while the D-Link did not.  It all depends on the firmware written into the BIOS.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

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