Orinoco Wireless Adapter Problems

I have two Sony laptops: An SRX-87 with a built in Orinoco mini PCI Wireless Card, and a R505TL with an Orinoco Gold PCMCIA card.

Both laptops are running Windows XP SP2.

In the last few days, I have been have a LOT of problems with the wireless in both laptops. When I click on View Available Networks, neither laptop sees any networks, eventhough they are located 3 ft from my Wireless Router (a brand new D-Link DI-524). I was having the same problem using my Linksys WAP-11 Access Point.

At the same time, my son's E-Machines desktop (also Windows XP SP2), with a Belkin USB Wireless dongle is working just fine, and sees both my D-Link router, as well as two other access points in the neighborhood.

I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure out what is going on with my Orinoco cards. Does anyone have any suggestions?

On my WindowsXP-SP2, an Orinoco Silver works fine with the Orinoco Client Manager 2.90 7.64.1.316 7/15/2002 from sr02_winxp.zip. When I click on the Add/Edit configuration Action, it brings up the WinXP Wireless Networks panel. I have Wireless Zero enabled, and I have checked "Use Windows to configure my Wireless network settings".

If I uncheck that box, the View Wireless Networks box comes up with no networks, and a message telling me to go enable that checkbox.

I suspect that there is some kind of interference in my neighborhood that is killing the Orinoco cards. When I take the laptops to my office, they work fine. I am running the 7.64.1.316 drivers.

Mike Schumann