Win98 SE & D-Link DWL-G630, Strange???

[herbf56]

Here is a strange problem encountered attempting to install the D-Link network card on my Gateway SOLO 2150 Laptop:

During driver installation and after install is completed, receive the following ERROR codes (in that order):

#1 : The ATHCFG11.DLL file is linked to missing export IPHLPAPI.DLL:GetPerAdapterInfo.

#2 : C:\ProgramFiles\D-Link\AirPlus G Wireless Adapter Utility\AirPlus.exe
A device attached to the system is not functioning.

The same messages pop up if I click on the Wireless Utility Icon on the desktop (provided by the dlink install).

Now here to the strange part:

I am able to open IE and cruise the internet without any problems!

However, when I attempt to set up networking, it keeps telling me, that there is no network card/hardware binstalled.

My network consists of the following:

Direcway DW6000 Satelite Modem, connected to DI-524 Router and that connected via CAT5 Cable to my Desktop PC, a Dell-4500 running Win XP.

When I follow the networking instructions from XP and using the XP disk to install the network installer on the 98se, again se tells me that no hardware is detected.

I have been in contact with D-Link tech support, they tell me (after a whole week of every night for several hours talking to them) to return the card because it is not compatible with 98se (even so it is advertised as being compatible!).

So, I insstalled the latest Win98 updates and then went to Wal-Mart and got a Lynksys WPC54G card to see if it would work in my 98se laptop.

Good thing I never took the card out of the secure package, because just the installation of the drivers on my laptop caused a fatal explorer exception, with the message to reinstall the OS.
The PC would not boot in to windows after that, had to do a clean install of 98 se.

After the clean install, installed the D-Link card and it continues to behave in the above mentioned fashion.

Any ideas from anybody would be appreciated.

[bAdWaYz]

Sounds to me like the ATHCFG11.DLL that your wireless card uses is trying or is linked to the IPHLPAPI.DLL that is missing in windows. Try downloading the IPHLPAPI.DLL file and installing it. Have a look here for the .dll you need file This link shows you where on the system this file should be so I'd check to see if it in fact is really there and if so then I'd rename it, download the new file and install it. I'm going to do some more reading on this topic but thats my first stab at your prob.

[herbf56]

Thank's for your reply.
I followed the instructions. Had to boot Win98se in to safe mode first, renamed the old .dll file and moved the downloaded one in to it's place.

After reboot, same problem and error messages.

I am pretty much out of ideas.

Herb

[gowcher]

I have the same problem as herbf56, I contacted dlink support and I got the usual " uninstall reinstall the drivers ", when that failed it was download the latest from our website - I did even though it was version 3.00 - the same as the CD. Uninstalled existing stuff, reinstalled the downloaded stuff - still got same error.
So at this point I did a bit of digging around and came across a web posting that said "GetPerAdapterInfo" was only available in win2k and above. Also after uninstalling the drivers so many times I noticed that the ATHCFG11.DLL is installed by the dlink install. At first I thought it was native to win98.

Putting the above two bits of info together I am guessing Dlink did the following. Dlink wrote the drivers for win2k, XP. They tested on these 2 platforms everything worked fine. As a bit of an afterthought they recompiled them for Win98 on a win2k or up machine ( and so the GetPerAdapterInfo would be in the iphlpapi.dll ) but didn't really test on win98 where getPerAdapterInfo isn't exported in the dll.

But you know what I think the most disconcerting thing is ? When I phoned up their tech support , they told me NO ONE absolutely NO ONE had a problem with win98 and these drivers. That is down right dishonest in my book especially considering herbf56 being told that the card is not compatible with win98 ! I know you could say the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, but they have all these tech support calls logged in a database. And I specifically asked the guy to do a search so see if there were any other problems - of course he said no !

[greg###]

I've run into the same problem sort of problem with the D-Link DWL-G630 on Windows 98 SE.

The problem: Though the DWL-G630 shows "device is working properly" in
device manager, when I boot with the card in or manually run D-Link
AirPlus G Wireless Utility, I get two errors:

C:\Program Files\D-Link\AirPlus G Wireless Adapter Utility\AirPlus.exe
A device attached to the system is not working.

AND

The ATHCFG11.DLL file is
linked to missing export IPHLPAPI.DLL:GetPerAdapterInfo

The IPHLPAPI.DLL file is in fact present as a hidden file in
C:\Windows\System. I ran the system check, and it did not find that file
to be corrupt.

I've uninstalled and re-installed; the problem remains. The card works fine on my XP machine.

D-Link tech support told me to check Windows update (nothing, except for a driver for my ethernet card; I can't unload that because this refurbished laptop I bought came with the Windows sticker on the bottom but no Windows 98 SE CD). He also said he'd email me a document about installing the D-Link AirPlus G Wireless Utility software, but I haven't received that yet.

Has anyone had any further insights on how to get this to run on a 98 SE machine?

[gowcher]

For all those trying to get the DWL-G630 ( my card was rev C ) working with Windows 98 SE :

Download a new iphlpapi.dll from :

http://tech.wadsnet.net/download/dll/win98/

Click on iphlpapi.dll to download the file. I downloaded it to the root of my C drive ( C:\ )

I then "rebooted" win98 into DOS mode ( Restart in MS_DOS mode from the start button ).

Once in MS-DOS mode I did :

cd c:\windows\system
rename iphlpapi.dll _iphlpapi.dll
copy c:\iphlpapi.dll . <- Yes thats a space then a dot

type exit to quit DOS mode and windows will restart.

On restarting log in again, and hopefully this time round you won't get the error and you'll see the signal strength bars in the lower right task bar tray.

HTH

Note: Under windows if you look at the version of this iphlpapi.dll it says it's for windows 2000, but it does work on Win98SE. And in fact previous to this I HAD TRIED copying iphlpapi.dll from a windows 2000 system I have to my 98, but it wanted a whole load of dll's from a windows 2k system so I gave up on that.

Note 2: If it doesn't work for you go back into dos mode and copy the renamed file ( _iphlpapi.dll ) back to iphpapi.dll.

[junebug1701]

Thanks to Gowcher, I had the same problem with my Toshiba Satellite and the 630 card. After 1 email and 3 tech support calls to dlink, the tech found your solution using a Google search. I'm sitting in the La-Z-boy typing this wirelessly thanks to you, Gowcher!

James

[duanebaxter]

Hey, I thank gowcher for solving the problem with those errors with the dwl-g630 with windows 98. I have the same problem with mine. I was trying to follow the directions that gowcher gave in MS DOS but I couldn't quite follow because I'm a DOS idiot. Can someone please give me detailed instructions concerning renaming and copying the dll file in MS DOS?

Thanks, Duane.

[duanebaxter]

I figured out a typo that I was doing in DOS. I fixed it just a minute ago and restarted the computer and all is well! Thanks for your work gowcher!

Duane

[geckschm]

Thank you everybody for this thread. I believe D-Link should hand its collective head in shame, for stating that the DWL-G630 will work with WIN98, when in fact it does not. Also, one of their "advisors" informed me that it needs 600MHz and 128Kb, when in fact the box containing the equipment reads 300MHz and 64Kb. That was all he said. Shortlu after another fellow copied exactly the message contained in this link, of downloading and installing a WIN2K file. I did, it worked, again thank you.

FYI, Google for Boingo. It made the card work, but after the D-Link software became operational, the Boingo crashed. BTW, it is a better looking software than D-Link's.

Is not it the shame that a large manufacturer has the guts to market equipment with false claims, and their support staff has to refer to a third party information to make it work? I was a Quality Director for a subsidiary of a large multinational. If this multinational made software like D-Link, most commercial airliners would become lawn-darts in a short order.

Merry Christmas to all.

George

[bAdWaYz]

Nice work with this issue geckschm. I agree with you that a company as big as D-Link should be aware and care if the products they make aren't working for some people. The fact that most if not all the people I know that had this issue called tech support and got the run around makes me wonder if I will ever buy a D-Link product. The fact that a user of this forum tracked down the info for the fix then posted it for others to see speaks alot about our users. So thank you geckschm well done. I think we owe you lunch heheh.

[MDalach]

I also had the same problem. The only help I got from D-Link with the problem was and I quote:

"Suggested to the customer to either update the BIOS, download the latest updates from Microsoft's website or download the latest drivers from the Dlink website. IF all the recommendend solutions fail...the customer may have a defective card."

The NIC was not defective and having done all these things before I called D-Link I was very frustrated until I found your thread about the identical problem I had. The solution of replacing the "iphlpapi.dll" with a Win2K version did the trick for me.

Thanks again..

[Trane]

... first child after you. No, wait. He's already got a name. So, the second one will be it. Gowcher Alberto Maria Sanchez Rodrigues Uribe. Nice ring, eh?

No, seriously, the trick works like a charm. Last time I'm going to buy a D-Link product, if they're going to have misleading box requirements and not even mention the issue in their support page.

[hcole]

I am trying to use the DWL-G630 on two laptops: Gateway 5100, Dell
Latitude, both with Win98SE.

When I encountered the "missing IPHLPAPI.DLL" setting up the Gateway, I called D-Link. A sharp tech support person referred me to this Cyberhelp site. Following Gowcher's suggestion I downloaded the IPHLPAPI.DLL he posted, and it solved the problem. DWL-G630 works fine in ONE slot in the Gateway (but, curiously) not in the other.

Now the fun began. I purchased a second card for the Dell. Replaced the
IPHLPAPI.DLL, and installation appeared to go smoothly. Was able to connect
to access point. BUT, I cannot connect to the network (even though I have
access). If I "ping" an IP on my network I get "no response". Outlook Express
and Internet Explorer say there is no network connection. Duh. I called DLink
and got the usual "reinstall drivers" response. Did that (both from CD and from web site)...no joy. The only difference I can see is that the cardbus
addapter (and DWL) on the Gateway is located at Interrupt Request 10, and
on the Dell it is Interrupt Request 11.

Any suggestions as how to get Win98 to "talk to" the DWL-G630 that it appears to see.

Thanks much.

[macattack]

I was having the identical problem that gowcher reported (with the 630 card on 98SE), and swapping out the IPHLPAPI.DLL with the 2k version got me past the error msg, and I have the wireless connection to the router... but windows does not seem to be seeing the 630 as a network adapter. If I pull up winipcfg or ipconfig/all, all I see if the PPP adapter.

Hence, I have no TCP/IP over wireless... yet TCP/IP is bound to the 630 card in the Network settings.

Anyone have any ideas?

TIA

p.s., I have re-installed everything, after hacking the DLL, but still have the same problem.

p.p.s., I just noticed hcole's post above, who reports a similar problem, and my problem is also on a Dell laptop (Latitude CPi).