Problem with laptop solved
 

I have a desktop and a laptop which I have been trying to link together in a
wifi network for months, but with limited success.

Both my desktop and my laptop run Windows XP. My desktop has an ASUS
motherboard and an ASUS 802.11b WiFi card. It is connected to the internet
through an ADSL modem. I fitted my laptop with a 3COM PC card and although I
could share the internet connection and share files and folders this would
only last for 5 minutes or so. The "link" light on the 3COM card would start
blinking (even though I was only 6 feet away from the desktop), it would
lose the connection, then freeze the laptop completely.

I tried every trick I could think of, even waiting to install SP2 on both
machines, but without success. I tried downloading and installing a new
driver from the 3COM site, but that kept coming up with an Error Code 10
during the installation process, so I had to go back to the original driver.

The solution when it came was remarkably simple. I threw out the 3COM card
and replaced it with a cheaper one from US Robotics. Ever since then my
connections have been rock solid and I can share files and surf the net all
day on my laptop without fearing that the damn thing will freeze up.

Down with 3COM, up with US Robotics.

--
Tony Marston

http://www.tonymarston.net