Solve this wireless card mystery

Got a Dell Inspiron 2500 and a "Dynex DX-WGNBC" PCMCIA network card,
which is apparently a Best Buy store brand. Seems to have an Atheros
chipset.

I initially install it on the laptop, which has a very poorly running
installation of Win ME. Works fine. Then I format and install
Win2K. The card doesn't work. The driver installs, looks good in
device manager, etc. But the connection manager refuses to see any
networks. I install Service Pack 2, and that does nothing. Out of
desperation, I try SP4. Nothing. I uninstall, reboot, check device
manager in safe mode, and try the driver from the Dynex website.
Still won't work.

I try the card on a HP laptop, also running Win2K SP4 and it works
fine. I try a Netgear USB wireless adapter on the Dell and that
works.

Finally, I format and install XP on the Dell and the card works! What
the heck?

hondgm@yahoo.com wrote:
> Got a Dell Inspiron 2500 and a "Dynex DX-WGNBC" PCMCIA network card,
> which is apparently a Best Buy store brand. Seems to have an Atheros
> chipset.
>
> I initially install it on the laptop, which has a very poorly running
> installation of Win ME. Works fine. Then I format and install
> Win2K. The card doesn't work. The driver installs, looks good in
> device manager, etc. But the connection manager refuses to see any
> networks. I install Service Pack 2, and that does nothing. Out of
> desperation, I try SP4. Nothing. I uninstall, reboot, check device
> manager in safe mode, and try the driver from the Dynex website.
> Still won't work.
>
> I try the card on a HP laptop, also running Win2K SP4 and it works
> fine. I try a Netgear USB wireless adapter on the Dell and that
> works.
>
> Finally, I format and install XP on the Dell and the card works! What
> the heck?
>

Did you examine the installation CD for driver folders labeled
WinME/Win2K? Dynex manufactures good, but not exceptional peripheral
PC-Card devices; Dynex is not a Best Buy brand, AFIK.

Q