Disabling Wireless Switch on Laptop

spartacus93

Hi,

The girlfriend has a Sony Vaio VGN-C1S laptop. It has an Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG built in.

There is a switch for turning on and off the wireless on the front of the laptop. This switch is broken, and will not remain in the on position. It's very loose, and slides over and back, so the wireless is constantly turning off.

I was wondering is there anyway of disabling this switch altogether, and leaving the wireless permenantly on. I looked on the Intel site, in the BIOS, and in the Network Adapter Configuration in Control Panel, all to no avail.

Short of short circuiting the switch, is there any other options we should consider first. (and would this even work?!)

Thanks for reading,

Brian

Alanstrainor

spartacus93 wrote: »

Hi,

The girlfriend has a Sony Vaio VGN-C1S laptop. It has an Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG built in.

There is a switch for turning on and off the wireless on the front of the laptop. This switch is broken, and will not remain in the on position. It's very loose, and slides over and back, so the wireless is constantly turning off.

I was wondering is there anyway of disabling this switch altogether, and leaving the wireless permenantly on. I looked on the Intel site, in the BIOS, and in the Network Adapter Configuration in Control Panel, all to no avail.

Short of short circuiting the switch, is there any other options we should consider first. (and would this even work?!)

Thanks for reading,

Brian

Removing the switch from the motherboard could be an option. It would involve some open heart surgery though!

FoxT

could you hold the switch in place with a bit of blutack?

I have had a similar issue & can override the switch when it is turned on, but not when it is off (on a Dell, though)

spartacus93

Thanks for the replies lads.

Open heart surgery is not a problem. Will open it up tonight and see how I get on.

I wonder if I remove the switch from the motherboard will the wireless be permanently off? I'll give it a go tonight and let ye know how I get on.

@FoxT: Will have a look at the back of the switch tonight and see if it can be held in place. It's extremely sensitive at the moment, so I don't think bluetac would do, and am wary of using superglue etc. on it.

Thanks again

Alanstrainor

spartacus93 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies lads.

Open heart surgery is not a problem. Will open it up tonight and see how I get on.

I wonder if I remove the switch from the motherboard will the wireless be permanently off? I'll give it a go tonight and let ye know how I get on.

I did think of this happening. If you're okay with opening it, it'd be worth trying at least. It'd be a handy option.

ishvalian

Sticky tape it in the On position?

spartacus93

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I did think of this happening. If you're okay with opening it, it'd be worth trying at least. It'd be a handy option.

Yeah, that's no problem, have done it a good few times on my own. Mine uses key combinations tho, so have never actually seen where the switch connection goes.

I've a sneaky suspicion that unplugging the wire will result in it being permanently off. Hope I'm wrong.

There doesn't seem to be any software way of keeping it always on anyway, was hoping there would be!

Thanks again, will let you know.

FoxT

try Godmode -

To enter "GodMode," one need only create a new folder and then rename the folder to the following:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

(This varies depending on your OS)

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10423985-56.html#ixzz1DSONZ5rC

It DOES NOT work for me, BTW - ( But It is a very handy utility) on my laptop when the wireless switch is ON, you can use it turn the wireless OFF - but not vice versa - I only suggest it here 'cos it just might work on yours....

spartacus93

Hey lads,

Only got around to this yesterday.

Took it apart. The plastic switch on the outside of the laptop was connected directly to a switch soldered onto the motherboard, so removing the switch wasn't an option. (Well, a last resort maybe!)

We could tell by moving the switch on the motherboard, with the laptop on, that this was the problem.

It seems a gathering of dust inside the switch rail was interfering it, a quick blow on it and it's as good as new.

@FoxT: Thanks for that, didn't work either. I used GodMode before, but it's really just a conveinent way of accessing everything in control panel, it doesn't really add much. Still cool tho!

Thanks a lot for all the help.

Alanstrainor

Sweet. Good to see it's all fixed.