DLink 120 wireless USB adapter locks up Win98SE

I just purchased a Dlink 120 wireless USB adapter, and the installtion went
okay and it seemed to work well. However, when rebooting Windows after the
installation was complete and the device was configured, Windows 98SE locks
up on the splash screen. If I unplug the Dlink from the USB port Windows98
loads okay.

I'd like to keep the unit since it received very well from in the basement
(even picking up a neighbor's network down the street). But plugging and
unplugging is a hassle and will likely wear out the connectors in time.

Any ideas?

DesignGuy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I just purchased a Dlink 120 wireless USB adapter, and the installtion went
> okay and it seemed to work well. However, when rebooting Windows after the
> installation was complete and the device was configured, Windows 98SE locks
> up on the splash screen. If I unplug the Dlink from the USB port Windows98
> loads okay.

I have the same problem here,its either 98se and its USB handling or
certain chipsets like VIA. just unplug at the device end until its
needed,the performance is worth the trouble



> I'd like to keep the unit since it received very well from in the basement
> (even picking up a neighbor's network down the street). But plugging and
> unplugging is a hassle and will likely wear out the connectors in time.

> Any ideas?

I have seen this many times with the Dlink 120+. I do a lot of
troubleshooting for a local ISP that uses these units, and they have stopped
installing this unit on 98 machines. It seems to really be a problem with
VIA chipsets and AMD processors. I had a customer that had the same problem
and when I upgraded her to XP, the problem went away.



"DesignGuy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:WYAnb.38510$275.75415@attbi_s53...
> I just purchased a Dlink 120 wireless USB adapter, and the installtion
went
> okay and it seemed to work well. However, when rebooting Windows after the
> installation was complete and the device was configured, Windows 98SE
locks
> up on the splash screen. If I unplug the Dlink from the USB port Windows98
> loads okay.
>
> I'd like to keep the unit since it received very well from in the basement
> (even picking up a neighbor's network down the street). But plugging and
> unplugging is a hassle and will likely wear out the connectors in time.
>
> Any ideas?
>
>
>

<Sarge> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have seen this many times with the Dlink 120+. I do a lot of
> troubleshooting for a local ISP that uses these units, and they have
stopped
> installing this unit on 98 machines. It seems to really be a problem with
> VIA chipsets and AMD processors. I had a customer that had the same
problem
> and when I upgraded her to XP, the problem went away.

This is an older computer (1997 vintage, P2, 266Mhz) so upgrading to XP is
probably not possible from a speed standpoint. I'm not sure if I have a VIA
chipset or not.

I'll probably take it back and get a Linksys PCI card. Hate too, though,
since the Dlink 120's rang was great. Oh well...

Hi! I have a DLink 120 running on a Windows '98 system and it now
works fine.... but it took a while to get it there and I'm not sure
what finally resolved it but here are some of the things I tried.

I assume you are Windows 98 SE (otherwise you wouldn't have USB
support)

I used to run my system on a wired network with NETBUEI and IPX/SPX
protocols. Make sure these are removed for this device.

For TCP/IP, even on a peer-to-peer network, set the IP address
manually. As per most people I use the range 192.168.0.x, with a
subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

From time to time, when booting, pop into Safe Mode. It just seems to
help clear up 98's little glitches.

Cheers,

JohnK

p.s. And as a rule of thumb, re-install 98 once every two years before
it commits itself to a big failure!!

On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 14:14:22 GMT, "DesignGuy" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>
><Sarge> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I have seen this many times with the Dlink 120+. I do a lot of
>> troubleshooting for a local ISP that uses these units, and they have
>stopped
>> installing this unit on 98 machines. It seems to really be a problem with
>> VIA chipsets and AMD processors. I had a customer that had the same
>problem
>> and when I upgraded her to XP, the problem went away.
>
>This is an older computer (1997 vintage, P2, 266Mhz) so upgrading to XP is
>probably not possible from a speed standpoint. I'm not sure if I have a VIA
>chipset or not.
>
>I'll probably take it back and get a Linksys PCI card. Hate too, though,
>since the Dlink 120's rang was great. Oh well...
>
>
>

"DesignGuy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:2XPnb.39915$mZ5.222727@attbi_s54...
>
> I'll probably take it back and get a Linksys PCI card. Hate too, though,
> since the Dlink 120's rang was great. Oh well...
>
>

One thing you might consider in doing the kind of a trade-out is that IF you
go with ANY PCI-type card, is your antenna is going to be more obstructed
(on the back of your system, under a desk, in the corner, etc)...

This means that you're probably looking at having to get an external antenna
and a pigtail...Depending on how you do it, this can end up costing you
another $20-$50 or more....

That was one of the reasons that I got rid my PCI cards, and went to the
DWL-120's..
I put one of the 120's on my Dell Latitude laptop (233mhz, running WinME),
and got MUCH better connectivity over the Compaq WL110 (pcmcia) I was using
before... I also got better connections on the desktop systems that I'm
using in the house too, but my systems ARE newer than yours...

Just adding another point of view...

"Wireless Rookie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:I0Bob.17618$5c2.16790@okepread03...
>
> "DesignGuy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:2XPnb.39915$mZ5.222727@attbi_s54...
> >
> > I'll probably take it back and get a Linksys PCI card. Hate too, though,
> > since the Dlink 120's rang was great. Oh well...
> >
> >
>
> One thing you might consider in doing the kind of a trade-out is that IF
you
> go with ANY PCI-type card, is your antenna is going to be more obstructed
> (on the back of your system, under a desk, in the corner, etc)...
>
> This means that you're probably looking at having to get an external
antenna
> and a pigtail...Depending on how you do it, this can end up costing you
> another $20-$50 or more....
>
> That was one of the reasons that I got rid my PCI cards, and went to the
> DWL-120's..
> I put one of the 120's on my Dell Latitude laptop (233mhz, running WinME),
> and got MUCH better connectivity over the Compaq WL110 (pcmcia) I was
using
> before... I also got better connections on the desktop systems that I'm
> using in the house too, but my systems ARE newer than yours...

Had I not been using Win98 with its inherent USP problems I would have kept
the '120. I agree that PCI cards are blocked the the computer case, and in
the basement location (2 floors down from router) makes it even worse.

But I did find a D-Link PCI card with an external antenna: DWL AB520:
http://www.dlink.com/products/?model=DWL-AB520

Lowest price I found online was at Page Computers:
http://www.pagecomputers.com/cgi-bin/page/B0728523.html

I'll post back here how it works.

> But I did find a D-Link PCI card with an external antenna: DWL AB520:
> http://www.dlink.com/products/?model=DWL-AB520
>
> Lowest price I found online was at Page Computers:
> http://www.pagecomputers.com/cgi-bin/page/B0728523.html
>
> I'll post back here how it works.

Well, the DWL AB520 arrived today, and after installing and playing with
it... I'm not that impressed. It does not perform as well as the tiny 120+
(even though having a larger antenna), but still outperforms the LinkSys PCI
card.

I suppose I'll keep it.