WNDA3100V2 not detected

[ludovic]

It came with Vista. I upgraded to Win 7 64 bits on a fresh install.

I have no issue at all using Win7 64 bits on this laptop.

Best regards

[Arie]

I have the same issue but then Vista related (?):

Running WNDA3100v2 on Windows Vista Home (6.00.6002 Service pack 2). HP Pavilion control panel reports WNDA3100v2 adapter as working OK (with drivers installed etc.) but the Smart Wizard is not able to find the adapter.
After connecting adapter into USB port at request of Smart Wizard, blue and amber lights flicker briefly but from then on, no lights are shown/on.
In network connections, there is no reaction after activating the wireless connection for this adapter, adapter status remains inactivated.
Laptop''s internal wireless adapter (Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection) works ok.

!!! WNDA3100v2 adapter worked successfully on other computers (Dell-XP and Acer-Vista) but not on this Vista laptop (HP Pavilion DV9630).
Tried different USB ports, no results, directly connected or with extension cable.
Called Helpdesk, they only advised to delete previous software installation and then re-install. No results. Tried again, while they took over my laptop, no result. Tried again, etc.

USB ports are OK, and a linksys USB adapter worked fine.

Service pack 2 is installed (Windows Update reports no updates pending).
Most updated WNDA3100v2 drivers are used (WNDA3100v2_1.1_230-10601-02_setup).
Tried it also with firewall (Kaspersky Internet Security 9.00.736) shut down but no results either.
Again, Windows reports adapter as working OK so this is not an issue about Windows not detecting the adapter but about the Wizard not being able to detect the adapter.

By the way, the rest of my Netgear stuff works great, only this @#$%%^&&* not! At least, not on this laptop.

[Arie]

Does anybody know of a way to circumvent the Smart Wizard? Perhaps prepare an *.ini file on another computer and then copy it into the appropriate directory of the laptop which does not work?

[ludovic]

So it's clear it's not an OS issue. This issue is linked to the laptop we use.

Hope Netgear will find a solution.

Best regards

[Arie]

My contactperson a Netgear suggests to do another remote session. Let's wait and see.

[Arie]

Ok, a remote session with help desk supervisor and 2nd line support didn't solve the problem either. After several reinstalls, they tried to shut down a lot of services running on my computer from start-up. I have a lot of anti-virus scanners etc. running and they stopped them from. Thet led to no new results.

The advice is now to start up the laptop under safe boot with network options and then install the software. They say it seems that some program or service (or Vista) is preventing the Wizard from ending successfully. Let's wait and see.

I know the Netgear adapter is ok because it works on other computers and I know the USB ports of my lpatop are OK because other adapters and usb sticks work perfectly.

I'll give it a try this weekend or so.

[Arie]

Yes !!!

Netgear advised me to try and install the software under 'safemode with networking'. And it is working perfectly now.

Solution:
1) uninstall WNDA3300 software while in normal Windows
2) shut down computer and restart
3) start windows in safe mode with networking
4) start latest version of WNDA3300 driver software
5) plug in adapter
6) make wireless network connection
7) choose all required options for the network connection
8) shut down computer and restart in normal Windows mode
9) check network connection

Good luck!

[gsapatka]

Solution:
1) uninstall WNDA3300 software while in normal Windows
2) shut down computer and restart
3) start windows in safe mode with networking
4) start latest version of WNDA3300 driver software
5) plug in adapter
6) make wireless network connection
7) choose all required options for the network connection
8) shut down computer and restart in normal Windows mode
9) check network connection

You said to uninstall the wnda3300 software (did you mean to say wnda3100v2 software)? then go to safe mode with networking to install the wnda3100v2 software, etc....???

[detNATE]

Success!
I have finally figured how to get this thing to work.
Hopefully I can help somebody, somewhere with this information.

Okay so I had been trying to get the WNDA3100v2
to work for a few hours, to no avail.
I was able to install the driver and what not, but I kept on
getting hung up on the screen in the Setup Wizard that asks you to
"Plug in the USB adapter and press next" or whatever.
It would begin to try and "detect" the adapter, but it would just sit for a while until the Wizard felt like informing me that the WNDA3100v2 could not be detected.

I then went on to try all of the advice I found on this website and through search engines, regarding this problem. This is what eventually worked for me.

1) Uninstall any drivers that may be installed for the WNDA3100v2 through Add/Remove Programs.

2) Download the latest driver through Support.Netgear.Com
At this time, that was version 2.0.0.1 *Do not install yet*
(Though the driver that comes with on the install disc may work correctly after you follow these steps.)

3) Go to your Device Manager and un-fold the "Network Adapters" topic.
Disable everything that you see. Alternatively, you can click around the icon that brings you to where your wireless connections should be until it takes you to your network adapters. Just disable them all.

4) Deactivate all your firewalls, making sure not to forget the built in Windows Firewall. Your internet shouldn't be working at this point so you should be fine. Just don't forget to reactivate it all to your liking when you are done.

5) Deactivate any Anti-Virus programs you may be running. Though, I actually deleted my AVG Anti-Virus JSYK, just to rule it out. You probably don't have to.

6) Then I simply installed the driver again, with the WNDA 3100v2 unplugged again obviously. Plug it in once more when prompted, and waited for the little message saying that the drivers were correctly installed. At this point though, you will still get the message saying the device is still undetectable, so don't bother pressing "next" on the Install Wizard.

7) Go back to the Device Manager and notice that the WNDA 3100v2 shows up under the "Network Adapters" topic. Right click on the WNDA 3100v2 icon and click Properties. From here click on the "Power Save" tab. Uncheck the box that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power", along with any others that fall along those lines.

8) Okay so this is the part that finally made the WNDA3100v2 detectable to my computer. Press and hold the "Windows" key, then press the "R" key. Now once you are in the "Run" window, type in services.msc
This should populate a giant list called "Services".
I scrolled through the list and set the "Startup Type" of the following to "Always"...

-WLAN AutoConfig
-WWan AutoConfig
-Function Discovery Resource Publication
-Network Store Interface Service

(Keep in mind that only some of those four processes, or all of those four have something to do with making the WNDA 3100v2 detectable. All I know is that as soon as changed those to "Always", life started looking better. If anybody can elaborate or correct my advice, it would be gladly appreciated.)

9) At this point I restarted my computer, while leaving the WNDA 3100v2 plugged into a USB Port. Once Windows finishes booting up, a new screen should hopefully automatically pop up listing all of the available wireless networks. If that is the case, then I just taught customer service a thing or two. Haha.

I sincerely hope everybody can find a solution to this problem regarding the WNDA 3100v2 not being detected, it was really getting on my nerves. I'll try to help if anybody has any questions that can't easily be answered by Alta Vista lol. I really hope I saved somebody a trip to the return aisle. Goodbye.

[Sook]

Thank you so much detNATE. That was the only thing that worked after searching for 4 days and trying everything I could find. I forgot to disable firewall and it worked anyway. I will do my happy dance now!