Dragonfly Problems With Intel Wireless Chipsets

In early May, 2006, some users began reporting problems connecting to the Dragonfly wireless network from various locations around the University City campus. 

What Is The Problem?

The predominant symptom is fluctuating signal strength - one minute you'll get an excellent connection, then the signal starts to fade and you're unable to communicate.  The signal strength may jump back up and you may be able to reconnect, but it will continue this connect-disconnect cycle indefinitely.  If this is what you're seeing, keep reading.  If you have other wireless problems (like you can't connect at all, but the signal strength is steadily "Good" or "Excellent"), then please contact the IRT Help Desk at consult@drexel.edu or (215)895-2698.  If you send an e-mail or leave a voice message, please be sure to include your contact information (your full name, e-mail address, and a phone number) and as much detail as possible on the problem you're having.

What Is Causing the Problem?

After receiving these reports and investigating the issue, IRT discovered that most of the affected users' computers used an Intel-based wireless chipset.  The chipset is the physical hardware that connects your computer to Dragonfly.  While we are unsure of the root cause of the problem (ie: no changes were made that should have affected wireless access from these devices), we have found an effective solution (see below).

How Do I Know If I'm Affected?

If you used to be able to connect to Dragonfly but have had problems staying connected recently, then your computer probably uses an Intel wireless chipset.  There are several ways of verifying this.

• Right-click My Computer, then click Manage, then click Device Manager.  In the right-hand pane, double-click on "Network adapters".  Look for "Intel PRO Wireless..." in the list of adapters.
• Click Start, then Run, then type "cmd" next to "Open:" and click OK.  When the Command Prompt window opens, type "ipconfig /all".  Look for the words "Intel PRO Wireless..." (you may need to scroll up to see all the information output by the ipconfig command).
• Click Start, then All Programs and look for a program folder called "Intel PROSet Wireless"

After "Intel PRO Wireless", you'll see a number and 2 or 3 letters, such as "2200BG" or "3945ABG" - write that number down since you'll need it to fix this problem.  Also, it's worth mentioning that there are a few PC manufacturers who "re-badge" the Intel chipsets with their own name.  For example, the Dell TrueMobile 2200BG is the same chipset as the Intel PRO Wireless 2200BG.  If you have the same symptoms, but do not see "Intel PRO Wireless" using any of the methods above, or if you have problems finding this information on your computer, please contact the IRT Help Desk.

I Do Have An Intel Wireless Chipset...What Do I Do About It?

IRT has found that installing the latest available drivers from Intel's website (not from the computer manufacturer's site) appears to resolve the issue.  "Drivers" are the software components that tell Windows how to use or interact with the hardware components in your computer.

After getting the exact chipset name (using one of the methods above), go to Intel's Download Finder (clicking this link will open the page in a new window).  When that page loads, click on "Wireless", then "Wireless LAN Products", then on the appropriate link for the chipset that you have.  Follow the on-screen instructions to download the driver package (it's probably going to be fairly large - about 80 Mb - so it'll take a few minutes).  After it's downloaded, double-click the installer file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the new drivers and software. Again, if you get stuck at any point here or aren't sure what to do, you can contact the IRT Help Desk.