Problems with Windows XP
Windows XP does a lot to help you run a wireless network, but sometimes it tries a little too hard and causes interruptions or “Data Frame Errors – Check WEP Settings”. If you suffer interruptions you must stop the Windows Wireless Configuration Service (WZC). To do this I have created a shortcut on my desktop, with the ‘target’ set to “%windir%\system32\net.exe stop wzcsvc”. If you get the Data Frame Error, you must stop the WZC as above and then ‘Repair’ the network connection. To do this find the Wireless network icon in the System tray at the bottom right of your computer screen, it will look like a little computer with three radio waves radiating out. Right click on this icon and choose ‘Repair’. This is XP trying to remember the wrong WEP settings - you could get this even if your connection does not use WEP. You may have to go into your card's settings, through it's icon in the System Tray and turn the WEP on and then off to flush the incorrect setting from memory! If this problem becomes persistent, then the only solution I have found is to right click on the WiFi card's system tray icon and choose Disable Radio before turning the laptop off - this means that when you next reboot the WZC will not find the WiFI card - and can do nothing to upset it. When you next reboot, end the WZC before you Enable the WiFi card's radio, so the card is turned on only after the WZC has ended.