Install drivers before card?

Could someone confirm that (if the manufacturor's instructions insist) the
drivers for a wireless network card should be installed before the hardware
itself even when first assembling the system (i.e. not adding the card to a
pre-existing Windows installation)? (Most instructions seem to assume that
you are adding the card to a machine which is already a 'going concern'
rather than as part of the assembly process.)

Any ideas as to why this is? (It seems so counter-intuitive.)

Thanks.

-dan

Dan Brill

Some PCI wireless adapters do require that you install the drivers before
the hardware.

I assume this was not originally seen to be an issue as most buyers buy the
cards as upgrades, so install the software first, then open their case and
install the card.


--
All the best,

Ryan Younger.
http://spaces.msn.com/members/wirelessnetworking/ - Ryan's Wireless
Networking Weblog




"Dan Brill" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Could someone confirm that (if the manufacturor's instructions insist) the
> drivers for a wireless network card should be installed before the
> hardware itself even when first assembling the system (i.e. not adding the
> card to a pre-existing Windows installation)? (Most instructions seem to
> assume that you are adding the card to a machine which is already a 'going
> concern' rather than as part of the assembly process.)
>
> Any ideas as to why this is? (It seems so counter-intuitive.)
>
> Thanks.
>
> -dan
>
>
>

Ryan Younger

On 29-Nov-2005, "Ryan Younger" <> wrote:

> Some PCI wireless adapters do require that you install the drivers before
> the hardware.

Not always, in my case the driver install needed to see the card, so the
card has to be installed first, it appears as Found new hardware, then
asks for the driver CD or disk. So follow the mfrs instructions.
I installed the s/w first, card didn't work, used uninstall utility, put
the card in, everything ok, card installed, then presented available
networks. Obviously the drivers interacted with the card, perhaps to
aquire the cards specific MAC address.

ato_zee@hotmail.com

I did say 'some' PCI wireless adapters do require that you install the
drivers before the hardware. Not all do.


--
All the best,

Ryan Younger.
http://spaces.msn.com/members/wirelessnetworking/ - Ryan's Wireless
Networking Weblog




<> wrote in message
news:...
>
> On 29-Nov-2005, "Ryan Younger" <> wrote:
>
>> Some PCI wireless adapters do require that you install the drivers before
>> the hardware.
>
> Not always, in my case the driver install needed to see the card, so the
> card has to be installed first, it appears as Found new hardware, then
> asks for the driver CD or disk. So follow the mfrs instructions.
> I installed the s/w first, card didn't work, used uninstall utility, put
> the card in, everything ok, card installed, then presented available
> networks. Obviously the drivers interacted with the card, perhaps to
> aquire the cards specific MAC address.

Ryan Younger

"Dan Brill" <> wrote in message news:...
> Any ideas as to why this is? (It seems so counter-intuitive.)

One of reasons is minimizing chance of human error.
When hardware goes first, the Windows provided so-called "wizard"
pops up, and asks where is the driver, do you want to search, or not, etc.
Opposed to this, software first way requires from the user just to run
setup.exe - and it does all the rest. Isn't this intuitive?

--PA

Pavel A.

Another reason may be that when Windows does not have a driver yet,
it displays device name hardcoded on the card.
This can be not what the vendor likes - and again, can confuse users.

Regards,
--PA

"Pavel A." <> wrote in message news:%...
> "Dan Brill" <> wrote in message news:...
>> Any ideas as to why this is? (It seems so counter-intuitive.)
>
> One of reasons is minimizing chance of human error.
> When hardware goes first, the Windows provided so-called "wizard"
> pops up, and asks where is the driver, do you want to search, or not, etc.
> Opposed to this, software first way requires from the user just to run
> setup.exe - and it does all the rest. Isn't this intuitive?
>
> --PA
>
>

Pavel A.

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I shall do as the manufacturer suggests
(drivers before card) even though it irks me!

-dan

Dan Brill