IBM T42 Laptop... at my wits end.

I recently purchased this IBM T42 laptop for office purposes, more to the point, to be used if and when we travel out of the office but I am having an issue with the Wireless connecting to my wireless router.

Laptop specs and explanation of problem after.

IBM T42
Intel Pentium M 1.70Ghz
1 GB of Ram
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500
Thinkpad integrated 56K modem
Thinkpad Display 1024 x 768
Intel Pro/1000 MT Mobile Ethernet Connection
Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
SoundMax Onboard Audio
60GB HDD
CD/DVD/r

The Laptop came with some sort of Acronis Back-up as a System Restore when all else fails. It also came with XP Pro w/SP2 but still missing a lot of SP2 updates.

Inmediately after charging the battery all night long, I started the lappy (like a kid in a candy store), it asked me a few questions and I was on the desktop. I began by setting up the Wlan, WAP-PSK and I was connected via Wireless in no time flat. Restart the PC just to see if the setting were correct and, yep... setting for wireless worked like a charm.

So, back at the desktop, first thing to install was Avast Anti Virus, restart, bam, connectivity is good, downloaded all new definitions of AV and any other version updates.

Next in line was Windows Update, this is when all hell broke loose and the misery thereafter. I had to choose to install SP3 right away or install other SP2 pending updates, I choose to update SP2 and then do SP3 so as to avoid any future conflicts. Installation of Windows Update went well and it asked me to restart, which I did. Back in the desktop again I waited a couple of minutes for my wireless connection to begin but to no avail. Made a few changes, try different things and finally I was able to connect again.

I did SP3 updates wired because I knew it was going to take me longer if I did it with the wireless (11mbps wireless vs 100 when wired) and I was hoping that right after I installed SP3, the problem would be fixed... that didn't work either.

I went to IBM to check and see if I could download their latest drivers for network, audio, video and I did so but, again... the wireless was working intermitent and not right after the initial boot. Sometimes it would take me a multiple of attempts before I could connect.

I started to google the problem and I read someplace that IBM had a problem with the ThinkVantage Access Connection software so I got the latest one with the latest drivers for the 2200BG... Nope, nothing wants to work correctly here.

I have already gone back to Acronis once and as soon as I do, the wirless works a few secs after I boot to desktop. I already know there is a problem with SP2 and Access connections but it was supposed to have been fixed on this latest version I use (Ver 5.02).

I am not a PC guru, I do know my way around computers but Network or laptops are not my cup of tea.

I also register with IBM to register my laptop but JEEEEZZZ, that site is so cumbersome, I got a headache after the first few attempts. In their defense, I could have gotten to the wrong site seeing as I wasted all day trying to fix this and my head was spinning.


Any suggestions as to how to proceed from here?

Admins/Mods... please delete this if you can, I am already talking to Lenovo/IBM about it and if they don't help me fix the issue, I will return the laptop and buy something less cumbersome.

Thanks