Microsoft's Solution To XP WiFi Problems: Semantics
from the it-depends-on-what-your-definition-of-connectivity-is dept
Going one step further than the "it's not a bug, it's a feature" type of response, Microsoft has just gone a little nutty in trying to defend themselves against claims that XP's Wireless Zero Configuration sometimes just drops the connection without telling the user. First, they claim they've never really heard of the problem, despite the fact that many have experienced it (though, as the article points out, many blame the WiFi hardware, rather than the software). However, one of the major complaints is that the little connection icon in the task bar still shows a connection, though no data is coming back from the access point. When asked why the icon doesn't show the loss of connectivity, Microsoft responds with this: "It indicates that you've associated with an access point. It is possible for you to be associated without having connectivity." Now, if you're techie enough (and many of you are) it's not too hard to figure out what this means, but there's no way the average user wants to care about the difference between "associated with an access point" and "having connectivity." While it may be useful to pinpoint that the problem does not have to do a problem between associating the machine and the access point, why not just have a separate way of indicating if there's no connectivity as well?Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
DSL question
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: DSL question
In my case it turned out to be a fried modem. My surge protector wasn't working right, and there was a 45,000,000 watt power surge during the most recent set of lightning storms here in the midwest that fried that, and my sound system.
I suspect you are probably having the same problem, given the timing.
The solution:
Have SBC send you a new modem and see if that helps.
Also, look to see if other parts of your system, mainly small usb devices or low power paripherals like scanners, speakers, things like that to have either stopped working, or acting funky.
Hope that helps.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: DSL question
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: DSL question
If the modem was fried wouldn't it stop working altogether? Dorpus is suggesting that his service degrades (or cuts off if you will) every night between the hours mentionned but that otherwise (I assume) his service is normal.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: DSL question
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: DSL question
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/ilec,swbell
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Too funny
[ link to this | view in thread ]
WiFi disconnectivity with Windows XP
[ link to this | view in thread ]
WiFi disconnectivity with Windows XP
[ link to this | view in thread ]
need help
[ link to this | view in thread ]