small rant about company laptop

[MetalMat]

The company I work for just decided to disable all of the wireless modems in the laptops the issue us. This really sucks, especially when I go on the road half the week for sales calls. Now when I am out of the office, the only real reason to bring my laptop is just for streets and maps, and most of the time the cars I rent have navigational systems in them. I know its their laptops and they can do whatever they want with them, it just sucks that I cant get online anymore in the hotels I stay at unless they are wired (which many are not). Im not sure if a usb wireless card will work with it.

Oh, and there is no way I can access the database from the laptop out of the office, only way to do that is through the company issued pda.

 

[AMDMaddness]

will a PCMCIA wireless card fix you up? use your own stuff if you can.

 

[drinkmorejava]

Considering you don't know what they're called, I'm guess you lack the ability to turn it back on. In that case, refer to AMDMaddness's post.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: MetalMat
The company I work for just decided to disable all of the wireless modems in the laptops the issue us. This really sucks, especially when I go on the road half the week for sales calls. Now when I am out of the office, the only real reason to bring my laptop is just for streets and maps, and most of the time the cars I rent have navigational systems in them. I know its their laptops and they can do whatever they want with them, it just sucks that I cant get online anymore in the hotels I stay at unless they are wired (which many are not). Im not sure if a usb wireless card will work with it.

Oh, and there is no way I can access the database from the laptop out of the office, only way to do that is through the company issued pda.

That sucks. Did your IT folks give you a reason for why they do this?

We disable wireless on all the laptops we issue our people too. But then again I work for state government and we have to abide by some pretty strict security policies.

 

[RichUK]

Why did they disable your wireless connectivity? Just tell them it's a business need.

I use a secure company laptop, and I?m still able to use the wireless card. Although I don?t think I?m supposed to.

 

[TG2]

If you cant enable the wireless thats installed, Im going to guess that you cant install new hardware/drivers/software as well.

Ask them to enable it

 

[FoBoT]

just boot it with a CD based linux
or if the hard drive is easy to swap, get a second one with your own OS on it

 

[bucwylde23]

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: MetalMat
The company I work for just decided to disable all of the wireless modems in the laptops the issue us. This really sucks, especially when I go on the road half the week for sales calls. Now when I am out of the office, the only real reason to bring my laptop is just for streets and maps, and most of the time the cars I rent have navigational systems in them. I know its their laptops and they can do whatever they want with them, it just sucks that I cant get online anymore in the hotels I stay at unless they are wired (which many are not). Im not sure if a usb wireless card will work with it.

Oh, and there is no way I can access the database from the laptop out of the office, only way to do that is through the company issued pda.

That sucks. Did your IT folks give you a reason for why they do this?

We disable wireless on all the laptops we issue our people too. But then again I work for state government and we have to abide by some pretty strict security policies.

I am a contractor and we deal with and work for the government. We actually have to physically remove all wireless/bluetooth devices from our laptops. I have a huge stack of wireless cards removed from some thinkpad t43's. such a shame....
But security doesn't like the idea of wireless transmitters in classified areas

 

[imported_Devine]

Originally posted by: chrisg22

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: MetalMat
The company I work for just decided to disable all of the wireless modems in the laptops the issue us. This really sucks, especially when I go on the road half the week for sales calls. Now when I am out of the office, the only real reason to bring my laptop is just for streets and maps, and most of the time the cars I rent have navigational systems in them. I know its their laptops and they can do whatever they want with them, it just sucks that I cant get online anymore in the hotels I stay at unless they are wired (which many are not). Im not sure if a usb wireless card will work with it.

Oh, and there is no way I can access the database from the laptop out of the office, only way to do that is through the company issued pda.

That sucks. Did your IT folks give you a reason for why they do this?

We disable wireless on all the laptops we issue our people too. But then again I work for state government and we have to abide by some pretty strict security policies.

I am a contractor and we deal with and work for the government. We actually have to physically remove all wireless/bluetooth devices from our laptops. I have a huge stack of wireless cards removed from some thinkpad t43's. such a shame....
But security doesn't like the idea of wireless transmitters in classified areas

lol how ironic, Im in the Air Force and I've spent the last two weeks installing wireless access points all over the base

 

[skyking]

the bootable cd is a great idea, if they left the bios that way
typically they look at all the angles though.

 

[SSP]

Originally posted by: TG2
If you cant enable the wireless thats installed, Im going to guess that you cant install new hardware/drivers/software as well.

Ask them to enable it

I knew a guy who said his brand new company issued T42 didnt have wireless built in. I thought they just disabled it, but sure enough, none was in the device properties. I didnt care enought to fiddle around to see if they somehow disabled it in the bios or something.

 

[bucwylde23]

Originally posted by: Devine

Originally posted by: chrisg22

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: MetalMat
The company I work for just decided to disable all of the wireless modems in the laptops the issue us. This really sucks, especially when I go on the road half the week for sales calls. Now when I am out of the office, the only real reason to bring my laptop is just for streets and maps, and most of the time the cars I rent have navigational systems in them. I know its their laptops and they can do whatever they want with them, it just sucks that I cant get online anymore in the hotels I stay at unless they are wired (which many are not). Im not sure if a usb wireless card will work with it.

Oh, and there is no way I can access the database from the laptop out of the office, only way to do that is through the company issued pda.

That sucks. Did your IT folks give you a reason for why they do this?

We disable wireless on all the laptops we issue our people too. But then again I work for state government and we have to abide by some pretty strict security policies.

I am a contractor and we deal with and work for the government. We actually have to physically remove all wireless/bluetooth devices from our laptops. I have a huge stack of wireless cards removed from some thinkpad t43's. such a shame....
But security doesn't like the idea of wireless transmitters in classified areas

lol how ironic, Im in the Air Force and I've spent the last two weeks installing wireless access points all over the base

It just depends on what type of building you are in The wireless wouldn't work even if the card was installed, but that isn't good enough...

 

[tranceport]

I'd have to agree. If you don't know the actual name of it you probably can't fix it.

You're on a tech forum.....