# TrendNET TEW-423PI wireless adapter is crashing my XP machine.



## nicholasgrey (Apr 3, 2007)

I have looked at this thread: http://www.techsupportforum.com/f136/trendnet-tew-423pi-problem-with-xp-pro-sp2-73074.html

My problem is a little different though. I installed the TrendNET TEW-423PI 54Mbps 802.11g Wireless PCI Adapter on my machine. I'm running Windows XP Home Edition SP2. My issue has actually changed since I first installed the card. It worked fine for a while when I first installed it (a day or two?). Then I would leave the computer for a while, come back and my PC would lock-up, cursor and all. I couldn't reset with CTRL-ALT-DEL, so I had to shut the computer off and power it back up. That continued to happen every couple hours. A day or two later it stopped locking up and just started rebooting the computer on it's own. Then my computer would stay on for about an hour or so and then do it again, just spontaneously reboot. This issue goes away when I disable the network card in the Device Manager, so I know that it's the card that's causing it. I installed the latest drivers from TrendNET's website, and that didn't fix the issue. I tried a clean install of Windows as well.

I just switched the adapter from B mode to G mode. My wireless modem supports both. I don't know why that would fix it, but I'm down to trial & error at this point.

I've only been using it for about an hour on that setting, so I don't know if that fixed it. I will post again in a few days, if that seems to have fixed the problem, but if anyone has any other ideas, let me know.

Thanks!
Nick


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## nicholasgrey (Apr 3, 2007)

Okay, so the mode change didn't fix the problem. I thought it did, but then my computer started locking up again. I haven't had the spontaneous rebooting issue though.

My only current solution is to disable the wireless adapter when I'm not using the internet. If this is the only solution though, I will probably end up buying a new wireless card.

Let me know if anyone has any new ideas.

Nick


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## csd (Sep 18, 2009)

I got the same problem (XP looks like crashing).
Actually, your wireless router had disassociated your TEW-423PI.
But windows doesn't know it, so it runs like crazy re-transmitting TCP packets.

Here my story:
I bought 30 TEW-423pi adapters and I tested 3 out of the bundle.
I performed the test using both Windows Zero config (test 1) and the TrendNet client version 1.20.121.50 (test 2) with the same driver version 5.1102.1120.2007.
I used 2 different desktops with a TEW-423pi adapter: Asus P5B-VM and Compaq EVO D510
I used 2 laptops sitting on the same table next to the desktops mentioned above.
The table is at 25 feet from the access point (Cisco LAP-1142) within a open space room (no obstacles), so I am not even close of the 150 feet of the 802.11g standard.
I used Pilot with AirPcap from CACE tech to measure the signal strength as well as the utility build in the access point Cisco LAP-1142 managed by a Cisco WLC 4402 (both giving approximately the same measure +/- 5dbm).
The results:
TEW-423pi (no matter which desktop/adapter I used): between -64 to -74 dbm in avg. @ 802.11g
HP NX7400 (Intel wireless 3945ABG): between -47 to -53 dbm in avg. @ 802.11g
Toshiba Tecra A9 (Intel wireless 4965AGN): between -45 to -51 dbm in avg. @ 802.11g
The Noise is between -79 to -87 dbm

I have done the same test at the same location with the same Compaq EVO D510 BUT I replaced the TEW-423pi by a TL-WN851N from TP-LINK. I have got:
RSSI (min/max/avg): -44/-41/-42
SNR (min/max/avg): 34/53/49
Which is the normal values that we should expect at this range. 

I ask TRENDNET to arrange a refund with my vendor? Since I bougth 30 TEW-423pi cards based on the assumption that the should perform within the 802.11 specification. No answer… of course. 

Conclusion:
1) Most Access Point algorithms will drop (and sometime quarantine like Cisco) wireless clients that are under -70 dBm for a long period of time. Simply because such client is slowing down every wireless clients associated to the same AP. Yep! You now understand why you are losing connectivity after some minutes.
2) TEW-423pi are not able to respect the 802.11g standard range, actually they are not even close with a range of 25 feet! 
3) TRENDNET knows that and they are still selling this product! 
4) Do not make business with TrendNet.


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