Edimax Wireless Card EW-7718IN installation problems

[tolmalP]

I bought an Edimax WiFi card (EW-7728IN) which supports Win 7 to replace an earlier WiFi card unsupported by Win 7. In the initial installation I left Windows to find the necessary driver, which it did and reported a successful installation. However, no wireless signals were picked up and when I went into the Network Centre and looked at the adapters, the card was recognised but reported as Disabled. I tried to enable it and Win 7 went through Enabling to Enabled but the icon for the adapter continued to show Disabled and no wireless signal was detected. Looking in Device Manager showed the WiFi card was detected with no exclamation mark next to it and it was reported to be working normally. Win 7 wireless diagnostic procedure suggested there may be a driver problem but gave no solution.

I uninstalled the inbuilt MS driver and then went to install the Windows 7 driver provided by Edimax and written by Ralink. Essentially the same thing happened and installation was reported as successful but despite Device Manager reporting the card to be working normally it was shown to be Disabled in the Network and Sharing centre. To give as much information as possible, the following data summarises the situation:

I have used the Windows 7 driver (20091028) provided on the Edimax website.

Under Device Manager it reports that the card is given as working normally and the driver is given as Edimax 802.11n PCI card and the driver given as provided by Ralink Technology, Corp., driver version 3.0.3.0 dated 4/8/2009.
The Win 7 diagnostics from within Device Manager gives the following information: Network adapter Wireless Network Connection driver information:

Description . . . . . . . . . . : Edimax 802.11n PCI Card
Manufacturer . . . . . . . . . : Ralink Technology, Corp.
Provider . . . . . . . . . . . : Ralink Technology, Corp.
Version . . . . . . . . . . . : 3.0.2.0
Inf File Name . . . . . . . . . : C:\Windows\INF\oem26.inf
Digital signer . . . . . . . :Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher
Inf File Date . . . . . . . . . : 26 June 2009 06:56:30
Section Name . . . . . . . . . : OS61_RT2800P.ndi
Hardware ID . . . . . . . . . . : pci\ven_1814&dev_0601
Instance Status Flags . . . . . : 0x180200a
Device Manager Status Code . . : 0
IfType . . . . . . . . . . . . : 71
Physical Media Type . . . . . . : 9

Running the Edimax utility Diagnostic test shows all the stages give a Pass until 08:58:52:806 Profile verification gives 0 Profiles - Warn! and 08:58:52:821 gives 0 Diagnostic Capable - Warn!
The Network diagnosis gives CCX Diagnostic test failed!!!

Is this likely to be a driver problem or are there some arcane settings within Win 7 that is preventing what is seen as a successful installation to be effective.

I would be grateful for any help you can give me.

 

[Logi]

I have the same problem with my Ralink RT61 !

Installs succesfully, but doesnt detect my wireless network whilst the Vista machine i have does and the XP laptop does, the machine in which i installed Windows 7 on was working fine on XP.

Same results with the Ralink Diagnostic test,

 

[computersplus]

Driver

don't let windows look for the driver if the adapter came with a cd put it in and go to device manager and choose update driver then choose to install driver manually and point to driver on cd and install that way if you did not get a cd use link to download driver file and extract that and point to it

Ralink corp.

 

[tolmalP]

Tried installing directly from the latest Edimax driver

You can see from the top that I have tried both the automatically installed Windows driver, which didn't work. Then I uninstalled the Windows driver provided and set Win 7 up so that it didn't automatically provide the driver. Then using the Win 7 driver provided on the Edimax website went through the same installation but still it doesn't make any difference. I thought that maybe there were traces left of the previous installation so I deleted all Wireless Connection settings in the Registry and reinstalled the Ralink Driver from the Edimax website. No change. Exactly as before - the EW-7728IN driver was recognised by Win 7 but disabled. The continuous light on the wireless card switched on but no connection and no wireless signals were detected.

Could the card be defective? Is the driver buggy? Are there any Win 7 settings interfereing with the installation?

Thanks for your interest and help.

 

[computersplus]

card

well there is always a chance the card is bad but other people have been having problems with the ralink adapters also so maybe it's not

 

[computersplus]

adapters

do you have an adapter that is not a Ralink chipset they seem to have issues for some reason

 

[computersplus]

try this

try removing some ram get below 4 gigs and see what happens i know this is weird but something to try people have been reporting this bug with all sorts of issues it has solved your issue for other people so maybe try it

 

[tolmalP]

EW-7728IN card - RAM reduction and other suggestions

I have tried the following:

Reduced the RAM to 2Gb had no effect on the 'Disabled' status of the card.

I have tried another EW-7728IN card and that does not function either, so unless an entire batch was faulty it seems unlikely that the card is at fault.

I don't know for sure whether the entire chipset is non-Ralink but the main chip on the card has Ra RT2860T - GX30080E0 - 0810ST printed on it which seems to be a Ralink chip.

The RT2860T on the chip suggested that I try the Ralink driver for this chip. I was directed to their website and a driver called IS_AP_STA_RT2860_D-1.4.12.0_VA-2.3.11.0_W7-3.0.11.0_RU-3.1.4.0_AU-3.0.5.0_120109_1.5.6.0WP_Free.exe'. This was installed after uninstalling the previous driver. Unfortunately it had no effect and the 7728IN card remains visible, connected but disabled.

If the following will help anyone this is all the information I'm able to get about the network card using SIW:
Property Value
Device ID PCI\VEN_1814DEV_0601SUBSYS_77281432REV_00\4278CCF74000F0
Status 0x0180200a Started
Problem 0x00000000 (0)
Service netr28
Capabilities 0x00000000
Config Flags 0x00000000
Class Net
Manufacturer Edimax Technology Co., Ltd
Hardware IDs PCI\VEN_1814DEV_0601SUBSYS_77281432REV_00
PCI\VEN_1814DEV_0601SUBSYS_77281432
PCI\VEN_1814DEV_0601CC_028000
PCI\VEN_1814DEV_0601CC_0280
Compatible IDs PCI\VEN_1814DEV_0601REV_00
PCI\VEN_1814DEV_0601
PCI\VEN_1814CC_028000
PCI\VEN_1814CC_0280
PCI\VEN_1814
PCI\CC_028000
PCI\CC_0280
Class GUID {4d36e972-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}
Location PCI bus 5, device 0, function 0
Bus number 0x00000005
Enumerator name PCI
Description Edimax 802.11n PCI Card
Driver {4d36e972-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\0019
Physical Object Name \Device\NTPNP_PCI0023
Upper filters vwifibus
Bustype GUID {44203042-2046-4245-2043-382031302042}
Legacy bus type 0x00000005
Install State 0x00000000
Device Address 0x00000000

Device Configuration File oem35.inf
CoInstallers32 RaCoInst.dll,ClassCoInstaller
NewDeviceInstall 1
NetCfgInstanceId {691A6870-65F2-40B4-86A2-A726B86A7327}
*IfType 47
Characteristics 84
*MediaType 10
*PhysicalMediaType 9
NetLuidIndex 1
DeviceInstanceID PCI\VEN_1814DEV_0601SUBSYS_77281432REV_00\4278CCF74000F0
InstallTimeStamp DA 07 01 00 01 00 0B 00 15 00 38 00 17 00 F4 02
PortAuthSendControlState 2
PortAuthReceiveControlState 2
PortAuthSendAuthorizationState 1
PortAuthReceiveAuthorizationState 1
WirelessMode 5
Channel 1
Radio 0
WMMCapable 1
FrameAggregation 0
IEEE80211H 1
CarrierDetect 0
WPSDevName Ralink Client
OpMode 0
TXBurst 1
ShortSlot 1
BACapability b034040
TransmitSetting 2ba15
RDG 1
NetworkType 1
Adhoc5GDisable 0
SmartScan 0
PSMode 0
PSControl 0
ProhibitTKIPonHT 1
LinkSpeedStatus 0
AdhocN40MHzAllowed 0
CountryRegion 1
CountryRegionABand 1
AdhocNMode 1
BusType 5
ComponentId pci\ven_1814dev_0601subsys_77281432
InfPath oem35.inf
IncludedInfs netvwifibus.inf
InfSection OS61_RT2800P.ndi
InfSectionExt .NT
ProviderName Ralink Technology, Corp.
DriverDateData 00 40 89 94 CF 60 CA 01
DriverDate 11-9-2009
DriverVersion 3.0.11.0
MatchingDeviceId pci\ven_1814dev_0601subsys_77281432
DriverDesc Edimax 802.11n PCI Card
PnPCapabilities 10
ControlFlag 1
CountryTxPwr 14
CountryTxPwr5G 17171e63
CountryWirelessMode 11101110
RunOnceInitConfigTool 1
RunOnceInitConfigTxBurst 1

Class Net
ClassDesc @NetCfgx.dll,-1502
Network adapters
IconPath %systemroot%\system32\setupapi.dll,-5
Installer32 NetCfgx.dll,NetClassInstaller
EnumPropPages32 NetCfgx.dll,NetPropPageProvider
LowerLogoVersion 6.0

It is infuriating but it looks like there are serious problems with this card and Windows 7.

 

[computersplus]

Ralink

the Ralink cards seem to have driver issues a lot of people are reporting this that the driver for 7 does not work, try to get something with a broadcom chipset

 

[tolmalP]

Death knell for Edimax 7728IN

I guess that's it for the Edimax. On another PC that I set up for my son, the Netgear Rangemax worked fine with Windows 7. I guess I'll have to play safe.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[computersplus]

Wireless

like i said just stay with broadcom and you should be fine

 

[clunkfish]

I have an Edimax wireless card with a Ralink chipset, using the Ralink drivers, and it worked straight away and has been faultless ever since, so I don't think this is likely to be some generic Win 7 vs Ralink problem (I'm on Win 7 Enterprise 64-bit).

I'm not sure how to precisely identify which Edimax card it is though: in the Device Manager it just says "Edimax 802.11n Wireless PCI Card."

 

[computersplus]

PCI

your using PCI card the issue seems to be with the USB adapters for some reason

 

[clunkfish]

your using PCI card the issue seems to be with the USB adapters for some reason

The OP says he is using an Edimax PCI card

 

[computersplus]

Right You Are

your using PCI card the issue seems to be with the USB adapters for some reason

The OP says he is using an Edimax PCI card

right you are I guess I overlooked that ..... I have worked on so many of these lately in my mind it's all a blur lol...and as I said most have been USB none the less obviously there does exist some issue here with the Ralink chipsets and the drivers for 7

 

[tolmalP]

Apples and pears - which Edimax card

It is an important issue to know which Edimax card you are using. I am using the 7728IN which is based on the 802.11n transmission (although it supports g). It is with this group of Edimax cards that users seem to have most problems.
I have installed, without problem, an Edimax EW-7128g onto a Win 7 OS without any problem and straight out of the box. Win 7 provided the driver automatically (in fact it is quite difficult to halt Win 7 installing drivers automatically!). But the 7128 is a standard b/g card not the new n.
Also, and I don't know if this makes any difference, I am using a 32 bit version of Win 7 and you are using 64. However, I think it is the problem with the newer 802.11n that is the real issue and causes compatibility problems with Win 7. You can find out which version of Edimax you have by looking at the Properties of the card under either the device manager or Network centre and change adapter settings.

It's a matter of comparing apples and pears.

 

[clunkfish]

It is an important issue to know which Edimax card you are using. I am using the 7728IN which is based on the 802.11n transmission (although it supports g). It is with this group of Edimax cards that users seem to have most problems.
I have installed, without problem, an Edimax EW-7128g onto a Win 7 OS without any problem and straight out of the box. Win 7 provided the driver automatically (in fact it is quite difficult to halt Win 7 installing drivers automatically!). But the 7128 is a standard b/g card not the new n.
Also, and I don't know if this makes any difference, I am using a 32 bit version of Win 7 and you are using 64. However, I think it is the problem with the newer 802.11n that is the real issue and causes compatibility problems with Win 7. You can find out which version of Edimax you have by looking at the Properties of the card under either the device manager or Network centre and change adapter settings.

It's a matter of comparing apples and pears.

Agreed - there are too many altered variables to get to the bottom of this with a comparison of just two set-ups.

My card, in both Properties and in the Network and Sharing Centre, is simply labelled "Edimax 802.11n Wireless PCI Card." I can't find any more detailed information about it without pulling the card - which I'm nervous to do because it's working fine

 

[Mattran]

Edimax 7728in and Windows 7

Hey,

thought I would post here as I was having issues with installing the above mentioned cards' drivers... I had tried everything I could find online - the Ralink drivers, the newest Edimax drivers (both from their respective websites) with no avail.

I found a post about using the Windows XP 64 drivers in windows 7 - unfortunately they appeared to be part and parcel of the the same driver file I had already tried from Edimax and so this did not work either - then, as a last act of desperation to get it to work I tried running the driver installation file as the administrator and in compatibility mode for Windows XP (service pack 2) and surprisingly it worked. I have now got two edimax 7728in working on windows 7 through using the same method.

Thought I would post here in case anyone else was having the same issue - I found it bloody frustrating!

 

[tolmalP]

Edimax 7728in and Windows 7

Hi Mattran

Thanks for the feedback. By sheer chance I got the same result when re-installing for the nth time the latest Ralink driver and like you it was the installation of the XP SP2 compatibility mode that worked. However, the function was very poor with frequent drop outs and a very slow throughput. The driver that was installed in XP mode was a very old driver, something like 1.48.xxx whereas the one that comes with the Edimax drivers is 3.0.3.0 and with the latest Ralink is 3.0.11.0. After having partial success with the installation in XP mode I tried all the other combinations - Vista, Vista SP1, Vista SP2 etc and none of them worked. What was weird is that returning to installation in XP SP2 mode never worked again either! Despite carefully removing all the drivers between each installation the 1.48.xxx driver never got installed again but usually the 3 series drivers. So obviously Windows 7 decided I was too much an amateur and decided for me!
I decided that installing Edimax was too much like voodoo and sent the card back to Edimax with a request to 'Try harder'.

BTW I've replaced it with the Netgear WN311b card and although the installation was not as straightforward as it ought to be, in comparison it was relatively simple to install and it now works superbly with no drop outs and constant good connection to the WiFi.
Drivers are the devil itself! Glad it worked out for you though.