PB 1400, WLan, no recognition of pc card

[Bernd Wuensche]

(X-Post to comp.sys.mac.comm & comp.sys.mac.portables)

Hi group,
I already posted my question in comp.sys.mac.portables, but no one
could help me yet. Perhaps someone over here.

I just bought an Orinoco/Lucent/WaveLAN Wireless LAN card for my
Powerbook 1400 (PC Card, 16 Bit, not cardbus). I think I've got the
perfect drivers for my OS 8.1 (from WaveLAN, Ver. 6.0.0.4).
But nothing happens when I put the PC Card in the slot - neither in
the upper nor in the lower pcmcia slot. Neither when I insert it when
the
pb is on, nor when it's off. No lights flash. At no time. No Icon on
the
desktop after installing the driver. No chance to configure it (error
message
"software not properly installed"). Re-installed it. Nothing. Followed
the instructions on [url]http://www.penmachine.com/techie/airport1400.htm[/url]
Nothing.
Apple Talk just shows "another ethernet" as an option, but gives out
an error when trying to use it.

I even tried it with going back to os 7.6. No recognition of the card.
Years ago the pre-owner failed installing a PCMCIA modem, but couldn't
tell why it didn't work.

Anyone had similar problems? What could be the answer? Slot damaged?
Old PCMCIA drivers?

Greets, Bernd

[Frank Perrey]

Bernd Wuensche <b.wuensche@firemail.de> wrote:

> Years ago the pre-owner failed installing a PCMCIA modem, but couldn't
> tell why it didn't work.

....is a hint to what may be wrong, though failure of installation can
have several reasons, especially when you plug a PC-market-PCMCIA-Card
and there is no driver coming with it...

> Anyone had similar problems? What could be the answer? Slot damaged?

probably one reason.

> Old PCMCIA drivers?

wrong drivers at all. But as far as I remember, cards are recognized as
present hardware even if you don't have a correct driver installed and
you can't use them. Do you have a card known good to test ? A
PCMCIA-Compact Flash Adapter is a nice thing to test, because it doesn't
need special software (except the system related basic one)

Greetings Frank
BTW: Did you try in maus.computer.mac.hardware (German)?

[Bernd Wuensche]

[email]frank_perrey@web.de[/email] (Frank Perrey) wrote in message news:<1g1sjwh.qjoyrdllv03kN%frank_perrey@web.de>.. .

> > Years ago the pre-owner failed installing a PCMCIA modem

> ...is a hint to what may be wrong, though failure of installation can
> have several reasons, especially when you plug a PC-market-PCMCIA-Card
> and there is no driver coming with it...

The "former card" was a PC Card modem which worked only from time to
time. Perhaps the pre-owner destroyed the slot through sheer violence.
Don't know.

> > Old PCMCIA drivers?

> wrong drivers at all. But as far as I remember, cards are recognized as
> present hardware even if you don't have a correct driver installed and
> you can't use them.

Yes that's the way it should be. Just simple auto detect that there's
someting in the slot. But it doesn't do it. In OS 7.5+ you needed to
install some add-on to use the pc card slot, in OS 8.1 which I run the
drivers for the slot are integrated.
My drivers for the card should be fine. It's from the Card maker
(WaveLAN), it's OK for OS 7.5.5 - 9.x and everything in-between.

> Do you have a card known good to test ? A
> PCMCIA-Compact Flash Adapter is a nice thing to test, because it doesn't
> need special software (except the system related basic one)

Good idea. That's the next step. I still need to test the WLan card I
have in another notebook to make sure it's not the bad guy.

> BTW: Did you try in maus.computer.mac.hardware (German)?

Great idea, I'll try this one, too.
Thanks so far!

Bernd

[madiba]

Bernd Wuensche <b.wuensche@firemail.de> wrote:

> The "former card" was a PC Card modem which worked only from time to
> time. Perhaps the pre-owner destroyed the slot through sheer violence.
> Don't know.

Well the 1400 has two PC slots, unlikely that he blew both?

--
madiba