T15g BSOD and loss of Internet Connection

[baertracks]

I just experienced a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) with my T15g laptop. After rebooting I am unable to connect to my home WIFI system (although other laptops in my house are able to connect). One of my connections shows "connected and secured", but there is no actual connection. I also tried connecting to a Verizon hotspot generated from my phone, but that results in an "unconnected, secured" status report. I've run the networking troubleshooter, but that does not find or fix and issues. I've done some searches from my backup P15 laptop, but the results provide a long laundry-list of things to check. It "feels" to me like this should (hopefully) be a "simple" networking device problem, but I'm not sure how to proceed, especially since I can't get a connection from that laptop to download any "online fixes" (should they exist).

Is this a common problem with an easy fix? If so, I'd really appreciate your advice. Thanks!

FRANK (Baertracks)

[baertracks]

Suddenly the connection is working again!
And I'm back to breathing normally again!
Thanks!
FRANK

[RealBlackStuff]

Let me guess: Intel AX201 or AX211 wifi card?
Get the latest wifi drivers from Intel instead of from Lenovo.

[baertracks]

RealBlackStuff wrote;
Let me guess: Intel AX201 or AX211 wifi card?
Get the latest wifi drivers from Intel instead of from Lenovo.

Updated on 14Sept2024.
After three months of WIFI "good behavior" I am now having the same problem (as described above) with the WIFI of my ThinkPad T15g. On every connection (even my Verision hotspot) I get the "no internet, secured" message. This time the problem has lingered for a week with no end in sight.

I have deleted/removed the drivers in Device Manager and downloaded and installed INTEL wifi drivers (Bluetooth and AX201) without any success. I have followed a least a dozen online suggested remedies to replace those drivers or unfreeze my WIFI without success. I've even tried connecting the laptop to my router using an ethernet cable. That also didn't work. I also booted into Safe mode with networking without any success (no viable internet connection).

Can you suggest something that will work? If so, many thanks!
FRANK

[RealBlackStuff]

You might have a faulty wifi card.
The AX201 works with a 'new' protocol Cnvi, which might also be the cause of your problems.
You can replace it with a 'regular' protocol card, such as AX200 (wifi 6) or AX210 (wifi 6e).
Both are readily available.
Then get the Administrator version of the Intel AX200 or AX210 drivers.

Also try first to just remove the wifi card, then hook up to an ethernet cable (assuming you have a working adapter).

[baertracks]

Thanks for the quick response.
After removing the wifi card from my T15g Thinkpad I am still not getting a connection via the ethernet port (although my ethernet cable/connection works fine with my T15 backup laptop).

I now have a new wifi card AX210 and a ethernet adapter dongle for USB C on the way (arriving Tuesday). Meanwhile I've downloaded the new drivers that I will need to install. Hopefully one or both of those will give me an Internet connection.

Thanks
FRANK

[baertracks]

The new wifi card AX210 arrived today. I installed it carefully, including securing the incoming wires. I then booted the machine and installed the new Intel AX210 drivers from the USB drive. And then rebooted again. But no joy. The new drivers are not showing up in the Device Manager (neither Bluetooth or Intel Wifi). I have no WIFI icon in the lower right corner. Did I install incorrectly somehow?

I've tried resetting the internet connection. And rebooting and reinstalling several times. I feel like I'm missing a basic step somewhere.

Oh, and the Ethernet cable also arrived, but it's not the right one. I ordered the one that said "Genuine Lenovo ThinkPad Ethernet Extension Adapter Cable" without closely looking at the description which explains that it has a "PCI Express x16" connector rather than USB C. My bad. So, I'm reordering that part.

Suggestions, please! Thanks!
FRANK

[RealBlackStuff]

Just checked the HMM, didn't know the T15g has a real ethernet port, try that instead of the adapter?
Have you checked your BIOS settings?
BIOS/Config/Network + Indicators
BIOS/Security/IO Port Access/wifi + ethernet
BIOS/Startup/Boot mode/Diagnostics

[ZaZ]

Suggestions, please!

Have you tried booting it to Linux? That may help answer whether the question of whether the hardware or software is the cause of the problem.

[baertracks]

Have you checked your BIOS settings?
BIOS/Config/Network + Indicators
BIOS/Security/IO Port Access/wifi + ethernet
BIOS/Startup/Boot mode/Diagnostics

Today I received another wifi card AX200NGW and an ethernet adapter with USB C. So, now I have two cards to test- AX200 and AX201

I knew that the T15g included an ethernet port and tried that connection early on without any success. With the Wifi adapter into the USB C port, I got the same result. The connection from the router cable to the adapter was solid green on one light, and blinking yellow on the other light, but did not produce a wifi connection. Does that tell me anything?

The installation of the AX200 wifi card and drivers also did not produce any change. No Wifi. What is strange is that there is no longer any recognition within Device Manager that new drivers for BT and Wifi have been installed. Does that mean something? Also, I have no wireless icon (lower right). On booting I initially see an ethernet connection icon in the lower right (when connected by cable), but then that disappears with a minute. I never see a "radar" icon or identify nearby wireless networks to try to connect to.

I have entered BIOS on a reboot, but did not see anything unusual. Is there a particular setting that I should be looking for or adjusting? I did set change BIOS from "quick" to "diagnostics" and that change the boot up a bit, but did not diagnose anything unusual.

I don't have a setup to boot from Linux. I'll give that some thought is there are no other suggestions.
FRANK

[baertracks]

Oh, and I also turned off the firewall setting in Norton's 360 and rebooted. That also did not make a difference.

I also have Windscribe VPN installed, but it is not turned on. However, I do see that installation recognized in Device Manager. I've been using that for years without any problem or interference.

FRANK

[ZaZ]

I don't have a setup to boot from Linux.

All you need is a flash drive or an external optical drive, both of which can boot via USB. It does not install, but runs off the USB drive or DVD, so makes for a good way to test things and best of all it's free.

[baertracks]

I now have Linux Mint installed on a USB. I have booted Linux from that USB on the T15g laptop. However, I don't see anything promising regarding network connections. Here's what I've tried...

I've clicked on the network icon in the lower right of the screen. It says "Wired cable unplugged". I get that same result if my ethernet cable is plugged into the original port or the ethernet/USBC port OR if it is completely unplugged.

When I click on "network settings" I get
Wired cable unplugged
Loopback connected (hardware address 00:00:00:00:00:00 IPV4 127.0.0.1 IPV6 ::1
Network proxy None
When I click "Network connections" I get
Ethernet wired connection 1 last used never

What should this tell me (if anything) about my wifi connection ability? What other settings or tests could I run to test/fix the network connectivity?
Thanks! -FRANK

[axur-delmeria]

Run lspci on a terminal window

That will show you any PCI/PCIe devices detected by the system.
If the WiFi card is not listed, then either you received a dud, or there's an issue with the WLAN slot. Worst case scenario is that the WLAN slot only supports CNVi.

Oh, also check the BIOS settings.

[baertracks]

Good news! My WIFI and Ethernet are now functioning again. For the record (when I have this problem again) here's what I did:

1) Ethernet: Network Connections said that the T15g ethernet adapter was somehow disabled. Once I "enabled" it, the ethernet connection via my T15g ethernet port began functioning again. That sounds like a simple fix, but I'm sure that I tried that multiple times previously without success. So it goes.

2) With a live internet connection I used "Systems Update" to search for possible fixes from Lenovo. They said that I needed a BIOS update. I performed that update and rebooted. I'm not sure if that was a necessary step, but it's what I did. That was the only update offered from Lenovo.

3) With a live internet connection via ethernet I used the "Intel Driver & Support Assistant" to scan my laptop. It reported that the Network ADAPTER (not the driver) was missing. How that adapter disappeared, I don't know. ID&SA helped me install the "Intel Network Adapter for Win 11". That was great, but did not give me a WIFI connection.

4) So, from my USB drive I reinstalled the Intel AX200 driver for the AX200 WIFI card that I had purchased. That did NOT, however, give me a connection.

5) Opening the command window (Win + R) I entered "msinfo32". Under COMPONENTS, NETWORK, ADAPTER, it showed me that it was expecting to see the AX201 card and driver, but that it was "not installed".

6) I swapped out the AX200 WIFI card (under the keyboard) for the AX201 card and then rebooted. And voila I now have, once again, a WIFI connection.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Hopefully this record in this Forum may someday help someone else. It has certainly helped me.

FRANK

[RealBlackStuff]

1) Ethernet: Network Connections said that the T15g ethernet adapter was somehow disabled. Once I "enabled" it,....

How/where did you "enable" it?