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Some models of Dell laptops with a Dell wireless card running Windows XP with Power Save Mode set to “Fast” may intermittently disassociate and re-associate to the UAWiFi network causing short disruptions in wireless connectivity.
The Power Save Mode allows the radio to periodically power down to conserve power. The default setting is “Fast.” The workaround is to set Power Save Mode to “Disabled” or “Enabled.” Note that setting the Power Save Mode to “Disabled” will increase battery power consumption.
This troubleshooting guide will help you change the Power Save Mode setting.
Known Affected Products: Dell Laptops running Windows XP with the following wireless cards:
Not all Dell laptops have Dell Wireless cards. You may have an Intel card. If you have an Intel card, this troubleshooting document does not apply to you.
Click on Start to bring up the Start Menu.
Right mouse click on My Computer.
Click on Properties.
Click on the hardware tab on the Systems Properties Page.
Next click on Device Manager.
In the Device Manager window, click on the + next to Network Adapters to expand the list.
If you have a Dell wireless card, it will be listed under Network Adapters.
If you are in area with known good wireless coverage and your laptop intermittently loses its connection to UAWiFi and reconnects, the green bars in the system tray will turn from green to blue and to green again. If you mouse over the bars, you will be able to see your connection status.
If you are experiencing this problem, the workaround is to change the Power Save Mode property from its default value of “Fast” to “Disabled” or “Enabled.”
In the Device Manager window, right mouse click on the Dell Wireless card and select Properties.
Click on the Advanced tab of the Dell Wireless Properties Page.
Scroll down and select Power Save Mode in the Property List. Power Save Mode should be highlighted as shown.
Change the value from “Fast” to “Disabled” or “Enabled.”
Click OK to save the new value and close the Properties page.
Close the Device Manager window.
Your wireless card will disassociate and then re-associate to the UAWiFi network.
Moving your mouse over the green bars in the System Tray will show if you are associated and assigned an IP Address.
You should always use the current Dell recommended driver for your laptop. You can download the most current driver from the Drivers & Downloads section of the Dell Support Website at:
support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx
The Dell wireless cards utilize a chip made by Broadcom. Although you don’t have a Dell laptop, you may have a wireless card based on the Broadcom chipset. Please contact the UITS or the OSCR Help Desk.
| The UITS Help Desk provides computing and network support to campus users Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm | The OSCR Underground is home to many of OSCR's help desk services. Assistance is available through walk-ins and appointments. Call for more information! |
| Telephone: 621-HELP (621-4357) | Telephone: 626-TECH (8324) |
| Email: support@email.arizona.edu | |
| Walk-in location: UITS (formerly CCIT), Building 73, Room 224 | Walk-in location: OSCR Underground is located in ILC 136 |
| Campus Map | Campus Map |
UAWiFi is the campus 802.11a/b/g wireless network of The University of Arizona. Covering more than 6.5 million square feet of indoor and outdoor space, UAWiFi is available in 72 buildings including all residence halls on the main campus, the College of Medicine in Phoenix, and UA South in Sierra Vista. UAWiFi currently has three networks to serve the University community.
UAWiFi is our primary network serving students, faculty, and staff. UAWiFi requires a University of Arizona NetID to connect and supports industry-standard WPA2 & WPA authentication and AES & TKIP encryption.
UAGuest serves temporary, sponsored guests of the University who do not have a University of Arizona NetID. Faculty and staff may sponsor guests for up to 20 days. Sponsored guests authenticate and accept the University’s acceptable use policy through a captive portal using a browser.
UAPublic is provided as a public service and is available for those without official University of Arizona sponsorship or affiliation. Users must accept the University’s acceptable use policy via a captive portal using a browser.
