valet connector not recognized by windows

[adamivie]

my network works well i am connected through CAT5 now. There are many systems connected to my wireless including a wii console. nothing wrong with my network or configuration. The adapter is simply not being recognized as a wireless adapter. The interesting part is its still works as a "mass" storage device. any suggestions??

[adamivie]

ok, so i called support. A great support experiance!

To fix this issue i uninstall-ed it from the disk drives section in device manager, removed and reinserted the adapter, it was again recognized only as a storage device. i then formatted the am10 from "my computer" (right click on it)  i uninstall-ed the storage device again and with the am10 removed i ran the setup utility inserted the adapter  when  prompted by setup. it worked like it should and i am very satisfied. thanx

(Mod note: Agent's name removed. Thanks.)

[EleanorWilliams]

All right, used the instructions previously posted, although good information, lacked a few details that I thought might need to be documented. 

First I am using a Valet Connector AM10 (Connector) and one day it decided not to be recognized any longer on a Windows Vista Premier Home OS (hooked up to my TV as a media resource only).   First make sure that it is still working, i.e. tested on other desktops/laptops (XP, Windows 7) and it worked like a charm - so it was this one computer not recognizing it.  So using the previous instructions came up with the following as a process to reconfigure to get it to be recognized again, for my specific OS:

1. While Connector is still installed:
   Go to “Device Manager”
   Is your Connector showing in both “Disk Drives” and “Network Adaptors”
   Yes:           Then your connector is working – reconnect to the internet
   No:            if showing in “Disk Drives” (USB Storage), but not in “Network Adaptors” (Wireless Device), your device is only recognized as a USB storage
   Close “Devise Manager
2. You will need to go to another computer with internet access to download the “Utility Set-up” to a portable storage device to complete the process:
   Go to “Valet Connector AM10” http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/support/valet/AM10/
   Go to “Downloads”
   Save the “Cisco Connect Setup Software for PC” to the portable storage
   Link: http://homedownloads.cisco.com/downloads/utility/Downloadable.Setup.AM10.1.2.10148.2.exe
3. Take the downloaded “Utility Set-up” and “Connector” to the computer that is having the recognition issue.
4. Insert your “Connector”
   Go to “My Computer”
   Point on your Connector, then
   Right click
   Left Click “Format”
         Leave all the information the same (default) with the exception of:
                     “File System” should be NTFS
   Click “Start”, this will take little bit, but when completed, Close, Remove Connector.
5. Insert your portable storage with the downloaded utility setup.  Now, you can start the utility setup on the portable storage or move the file to your hard drive (I moved to hard drive, if it did it once, may happen again).
   Go to the “Utility Set-Up”, let it run
   You will be prompted to insert your Connector
   You will be prompted to enter the password to the wireless router
   You should then get a screen that says “now you are ready to surf the net”
   YOUR DONE

Notes:  I played around with this process using the old instructions and the only issue I was having was getting the Connector to be recognized as a wireless device instead of USB storage only.  After troubleshooting found out the formatting of the device was where I was going wrong, hence the NTFS – the default kept taking it back to USB storage.  So if you run into the same issue, run through all the formatting options to find the right one.