Using a Lucent ORiNOCO wireless card in my laptop computer, why am I sometimes not able to connect?

Note: To access the wireless network at Indiana University Bloomington or IUPUI, if you are a student, faculty member, or staff member, you must register your computer. See At IUB and IUPUI, how do I register my computer? (If you are visiting IU and using a Network Access account, instead see At IUB and IUPUI, what is a Network Access account, and how do I get one?) For information about accessing the IU Secure wireless network, see What is IU Secure? If the IU Secure network is not available in the area where you are connecting, use a VPN connection for added security and full access to IU resources.

Note: To use the wireless network at any IU campus, you must first establish a VPN connection. For documentation to help you do so, search the UITS Knowledge Base using the term vpn connection and choose the document appropriate for your operating system.

Occasionally, a Lucent ORiNOCO wireless card will conflict with the infrared port on your system. To fix the problem, you need to disable the infrared port:

1. Open the Device Manager:
   
   
   • In Windows Vista, from the Start menu, select Computer, or double-click Computer on the desktop. Click System Properties, and then click Device Manager.
   • In Windows XP, from the Start menu, select My Computer, or double-click My Computer on the desktop. Under System Tasks, click View system information. In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab and then click Device Manager.
   • In Windows 2000, you must first be logged in with an account that has administrative access to the computer. Then right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, and click Properties. Click the Hardware tab and then the Device Manager button.
   • In Windows 95, 98, or Me, right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and click Properties. Click the Device Manager tab.
   
   
2. Next to "Network Adapters", click + (the plus sign).
   
   
3. Look for items with "infrared" in the name, and select them by clicking once.
   
   
4. Disable the device:
   
   
   • In Windows 95, 98, or Me, click the Properties button. Check the box labeled Disable in this hardware profile. Click OK.
   • In Windows 2000, from the Action menu, choose Disable. In the confirmation window, click Yes.
   
   
5. Next to "Ports", click + (the plus sign). Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the devices in the Ports section.
   
   
6. Close the Device Manager, and restart your computer.

Also see:

• The basics of VPN at IU
• In Windows 2000, why does my VPN connection to IUB or IUPUI stop responding?
• At IU, how do I configure my Windows wireless network card?