I am flummoxed. I have a laptop with a wireless PCMCIA card that worked perfectly fine on our home wireless network (Linksys). Now the problem is so broad-based, it seems, I don't know where to start.

Last week I did something stupid with the domain name and locked myself out of the computer. After I reset the password using an excellent tool (name escapes me), it logs me in on an older domain name. No problem, I can just move everything over from the other profile.

The problem is, it also has messed with my network connections. To wit:

1. The wireless PCMCIA card is enabled and the device is working properly
2. When I type in "ipconfig" into the cmd line, it says Media disconnected, with zero other information.
3. When I physically plug the laptop into the wireless hub, there's no difference (other than "A network cable is unplugged" vs. "Wireless connection unavailable")
4. When I physically plug the laptop into the DSL modem, there's no difference

So, the wireless connection is up and running (that's what I'm using right now, on a different computer), and I've reinstalled the PCMCIA card drivers, stopped it, taken it out, and reinserted. But I don't think it's the PCMCIA card.

I've used the Network Setup Wizard, but it tells me in the first screen that my PC Card and my LAN card are disconnected.

How can I "reconnect" these items and restore network access?

Any help would be hugely appreciated.

what do you mean "the wireless connection is up" can you ping each other? this troubleshooting may help, http://www.howtonetworking.com/troubleshootingtcpip.htm

The home wireless network is up and running just fine. It's what I'm using right now to post.

I did try the troubleshooter, but it wasn't much use -- device is enabled and running properly, and the only selections for connection under the MS troubleshooter talked about making sure the modem is on, etc.

Hope that gives some more detail -- unlike the usual problems, I can't even identify where the problem is.

Open "Network Connections" in "Control Panel" and right click on the network, and click "Properties". Then click "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" and click the "Properties" button. Now make sure that "Obtain IP address automatically", and "Obtain DNS server address automatically" are selected. Click "OK" and then click "OK" again in the next window. Not click Start, Run, and type CMD. Now from the command line type ipconfig /release, press enter, then type ipconfig /renew, press enter, now type ipconfig /all and press enter. Let me know what it says.

-=jonnyrotten=-

Are you still answering on this old post?? I have the same problem though not quite as interesting. I just booted up my laptop one day and the wireless didn't work anymore.

I've got it set to auto ip. When I do ipconfig /release it says it can't do anything with the media disconnected. Same answer with /renew and /all. The first time I did ipconfig it had an unusal ip. I set it to use 192.168.2.105 because it was available. That didn't help. I reset it to auto ip.

I have signal strength. I even have more than one network to choose from. I have two network cards and both are doing the same thing. They apparently work or I wouldn't have any available networks.

What else can I try??

TIA!!

Hi, I have a new Gateway notebook, that has been in service twice. I got it back, and am trying to use a wireless connection to my wirelous router, which my Toshiba works fine with. I have spent al day following Gateways directions to no avail. when I type in ipconfig, I get the media disconnected message. The internet connection works when connected to the dsl. It's just the wireless. The wireless is turned on, I get a signal, but it bogs down looking for the ip address. I followed the links in this earlier thread, but it doesn't tell you what to do, just what the symptons are.
Also where in control panel (win xp) to disconnect the winsock proxy thing?

Seems like no one on here really wants to be active. My problem seems to have went away. I can suddenly connect over my wireless. The only thing I did that has any connection with it is that I changed my ip to make it static. I rebooted then changed it back to auto. Then I shut it down for the night. When I tried turned it on the next day it was working. Go figure...mabye that forced it to look for an ip from the AP/Router.

Hope that helps a bit...I'm certainly not the Guru the others imply they are.

where can i change the ip?

Sorry I haven't answered to this yet, but I'm not really given enough information to diagnose the problem. So far I got that you both have wireless networks and they do not work. Wireless connections are picky sometimes and it could be that fact that your microwave is on at the same time you are trying to connect you know? My advice, uninstall the card and the drivers and reinstall the device and the drivers and try again.

-=jonnyrotten=-

Go into the properties of your wireless connection. Go to properties of TCP/IP. You can see it there. Choose something that matches the other puters on the network.

Somehow I have muddled my way through to make it work. It was either in the internet firewall or the proxy. I punched enough buttons to make it work finally. Now my keyboard is messing up again, it jumps around. I suppose it will have to go back to service for the 3 rd time. My suggestion, is don't buy a gateway. Thanks for your help.

Well, I thought I had fixed mine but the problem keeps coming back. Sometimes it works even when it says media disconnected. Figure that one out?? This is getting really frustrating.......It's worked great for several months and now all of a sudden it quits.

Hello torr10,
There are alot of causes for the Media Disconnected state. Most people find that resetting their router temporarily fixes the problem. However, I have found that the most recurring cause for this is Media Sense. Try Disabling Media Sense.
Also, you should ensure that your have all of your latest Windows updates.

Thanks all of you for your suggestions. Took me a while to get back to working on the problem but here's what worked:

1. Tried re-installing drivers for PCMCIA wireless card. Installed fine, problem not resolved.

2. Tried using different PCMCIA wireless card with appropriate drivers. Problem resolved.

For some reason, this PCMCIA wireless card suddenly became allergic to my laptop (though they had been working together fine for 2+ years). The "bad" wireless card works in another laptop (go figure).

Ah, technology.

Maybe as a result of some sort of recent software patch/update for either windows, network card, or something else. Sometimes a new patch makes other things all of a sudden stop working correctly. Glad to hear things are woked out now though.

-=jonnyrotten=-