Thinkpad T41 and intel 2200 wireless miniPCI

Jackhole

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Dec 3, 1999
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I bought an Intel 2200 pro/wireless miniPCI card to replace the 2100 that came with my computer. When I installed it, I got an error stating that it was an invalid network adapter during bootup. When I called tech support, I was told that they don't work with the 2379DJU models of Thinkpads. Anyone have any workarounds for this problem to make it work or is it impossible?
 

aphex

Moderator<br>All Things Apple
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Jul 19, 2001
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I own a T41 - 2379DJU and i installed the Intel 2200bg Wireless MiniPCI Card (which i purchased through IBM as well) just 2 days ago....

Mine worked (and is working) perfectly fine. In fact, im using it right now to type this responce to you :)

Did you buy the 2200 from IBM? Also, what BIOS you running?
 

Jackhole

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Dec 3, 1999
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Aphex,

I'm running the lastest BIOS, which is 3.04a, I believe. I didn't buy it through IBM, but rather through my distributor. I'd assume they were the same thing and work regardless.
 

aphex

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Originally posted by: Jackhole
Aphex,

I'm running the lastest BIOS, which is 3.04a, I believe. I didn't buy it through IBM, but rather through my distributor. I'd assume they were the same thing and work regardless.

Well im only using 3.03, so thats not the issue. As for the card, IBM places a BIOS Lock (I believe thats what its called) on the system causing it to only accept mini-pci cards designed specifically for IBM systems. As far as i know, the ONLY 2200bg that will work on T41's is the one purchasable off of IBM's website. It all depends on where your distributor gets them. If they were not specifically designated for IBM. it probably wont work.

There was a post about that on here a short while ago, lemme see if i can find it.
 

Jackhole

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Dec 3, 1999
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Well, that sucks! I guess I'll have to pay double what I did for the 2200 miniPCI card from IBM. Thanks for your help, aphex.
 

aphex

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Jul 19, 2001
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Glad to help. I would just sell the 2200bg you got on FS/FT or Ebay. Its a hot item right now and shouldnt have a problem selling at all.

BTW, the one from IBM is $59 w/free 2nd Day Shipping :)

Also, dunno where the guy at IBM got his info when he talked to you, but i just pulled up the compatability chart and:

Hardware Compatibility
The Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 BG Mini-PCI Adapter from IBM is supported on the following IBM systems:

System Name Machine type Model
ThinkPad R50/R51 1829, 1830, 1831, 1836, 1840, 1841 Select wireless-upgradable
ThinkPad R51 2883, 2887, 2888, 2889 Select wireless-upgradable
ThinkPad T40/T41/T42 2373, 2374, 2378, 2379 Select wireless-upgradable

ThinkPad X40 2369, 2370, 2371, 2372, 2382, 2386 Select wireless-upgradable

ThinkPad X31 2672, 2673, 2884, 2885, 2890, 2891 Select wireless-upgradable
 

dman

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 1999
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You can make the adapter work during one bootup if you use the following workaround:

Remove card from laptop (if it's currently installed)
Boot into WinXP
Shutdown into 'standby' mode
Install Adapter
Wakeup from Standby mode...
XP should see and install the adapter drivers and it should then work fine. If you need to reboot, however, you need to remove the adapter from the system.

(I verified this works with the a Dell MiniPCI G card, but, haven't actually tried it with the intel wireless cards(s)).

If we can get a firmware for the intel card that allows it to think it's an IBM card, then it would work fine as well... or complain to IBM to remove their BIOS lock.

Hack Info1 (See the DOS Util--have to wait until my card arrives to test.)

background and technical info
 

dman

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 1999
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bump for update, I installed 2000bg intel branded card, got the 1802 error from the thinkpad. Had to remove the card, and run the no-1802.com patch I posted earlier and now can install the card and bootup w/o a problem on my T30.

Assumption is it'll work on other thinkpads as well.
 

milka16

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2004
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yes works with T40 / intel 2200bg and newest bios 3.06f/embedded controller 3.02... thx!!!
 

imported_meyergru

Junior Member
Jul 24, 2004
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Hi all,


@milka16, 777php, aphex:

I had the same problem with the 1802 error on my T42p with an "non-IBM" Intel 2200BG card.

This can indeed be fixed by setting the CMOS bit with the no-1802 utility. After that, the WLAN activity LED did not work any more, although everything else worked fine.

I thought that the firmware might not have initialized the card fully because that magic bit disabled it and fixed the BIOS as well. Even resetting the CMOS bit does not keep my system from booting now, so it seems I "did it right" (TM). Alas, the LED stays off.

Hence, my question is:

Do your WLAN activity LEDs work O.K.? If so, with what card? Original Intel 2200BG or "IBM-type" 2200 BG or other?

I ask for this because there are four possible reasons for my WLAN LED not working:

1. I crashed my notebook and ruined the LED (doubt that).
2. There could be contact problems with mini PCI connector pin #11, i.e. I did not push the card in firmly enough (doubt that, too).
3. The 2200BG NICs are branded differently for IBM, HP, DELL and Intel with different SUB-PCI-IDs. Maybe they differ in functionality regarding mini PCI LED pin (this is not quite clear in the specs). This would mean that the WLAN LED stays off with any T40 series machine using an original Intel card.
4. Maybe none of the 2200BG cards does activate the WLAN LED pins at all. I doubt this, since my "IBM-type" Intel 2100B NIC did in fact show WLAN LED activity. Why should Intel leave that functionality out in a 2100B successor product?

So I think it is #3. To verify this assumption, it would be nice to see if anyone owns an "IBM-type" 2200BG with which the LED does work or maybe someone who owns a "non-IBM" 2100B where the LED does not work.


Thanks in advance...
 

milka16

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2004
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Do your WLAN activity LEDs work O.K.?
no but i read somewhere that the leds work with the ibm card only....

If so, with what card? Original Intel 2200BG or "IBM-type" 2200 BG or other?
i have the original 2200bg because the ibm model costs 4 times more
 

microwave

Junior Member
Jul 28, 2004
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I installed new dualband/tripple mode ( 802.11 a/b/g , Atheros Chipset) mini pci on my thinkpad T42.
My new device isn't cerified by IBM.At first, I patch the bios by using No-1802.com.Then I installed new device . After that, I find a new device's PCI ID and Subvendor , Subdevice ID and I modified my ROM BIOS Image by using PCI ID and Subvendor ID. I register my new device on ROM BIOS. Finally, I
installed the IBM device driver.( As you know , New device chipset is same as IBM's that.)
Wiress Status LED is Operating as same as Intelpro2200BG certified by IBM. Maybe, Upgrade device
driver Supplied by IBM.

I hope that you will overlook many mistakes in my English.

LeoKim



Originally posted by: milka16
Do your WLAN activity LEDs work O.K.?
no but i read somewhere that the leds work with the ibm card only....

If so, with what card? Original Intel 2200BG or "IBM-type" 2200 BG or other?
i have the original 2200bg because the ibm model costs 4 times more
 

catnip

Junior Member
Aug 12, 2004
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I recently installed an Intel 2200 b/g by IBM in a Thinkpad R40 (2862PAU). Of course the BIOS 1802 error appeared. After hacking with no-1802.exe, the BIOS proceeding OK and the wireless indicator LED functioned as expected.
 

imported_meyergru

Junior Member
Jul 24, 2004
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@catnip:

That's very interesting. There could be three reasons for this:

1. My machine is really broken, so that everybody else does not have a problem at all.
2. The R series machines use the WLAN activity pins differently than the T series.
3. Your card is another non-IBM type that functions "by chance".

Was that a genuine Intel card or another "branded" one, like DELL, HP or TOSHIBA? You might check this by searching your Windows registry with regedit for this string: "PCI\VEN_8086&amp;DEV_4220&amp;SUBSYS_" and posting what you have found. This means the full string that is in there, which contains the subvendor and sub-PCI-id.


EDIT:

I just read again and realised that catnip's card is an original IBM card. The only reason why he had to do the no-1802 trick was his outdated BIOS which did not even know his original IBM WLAN adapter.
 

Pinnocchio

Junior Member
Aug 18, 2004
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Just to let everyone know the CMOS fix also works on the R50P

I'll see if I get time to do a firmware flash.

P
 

Nesssalmon

Junior Member
Aug 23, 2004
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Hi I have an IBM thinkpad R40 that I would like to apply the CMOS fix.
I have downloaded the fix, but I am not sure how to load this in ?real dos? as I am running Win XP pro, I believe that I cannot get real DOS.

If anyone could let me know I would really appreciate it.

Many thanks in advance

Robert
 

MoFunk

Diamond Member
Dec 6, 2000
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I have fought the same problem this weekend! I downloaded the fix, and made a dos boot cd with nero. Before I burned I put that CMOS thing on and burned the image, booted to dos and ran it. Just an FYI, it never appears to do anything but you should be able to boot up without that stupid error. Mine has been pissing me off because that card came pre-installed by IBM. WTF? You would think that if they are going to do something like this they would use an "authorised" card! LMAO
 

MoFunk

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Dec 6, 2000
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After many calls to IBM, I finally have a fix!!!! This is for an R40 2682RDU but you should be albe to do the same thing with yours

Go to this page http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/pageRedirect.do and at the right enter your product id. You should then get a list of drivers (or you may have to select that from the drop down list) then download the following (make sure it is the most recent version)

Access connections, the ebmedded controller, the latest bios (no disk flash) power management, hotkey update, wireless driver.

Once you have all that downloaded follow these steps

1. Uninstall IBM access connections

2. Update embedded controller - this will boot you into a dos window, when the flash is done reboot

3. Update Bios 1.15 - this will boot you into a do window, when the flash is done reboot

4. Install power management - reboot

4. Install Hotkey update - reboot

5. Install Wireless Driver - reboot

6. Install Access connections - reboot

7. Update the embedded controller again.


This is what I had to do. I talked to many reps at IBM until I got this fixed. The last guy I talked to had me do steps 1-6 and all worked fine until a cold boot, then the wireless card would not be found by windows. I added step 7 and the thing has worked like a champ ever since.

Hope this helps a bit.
 

imported_meyergru

Junior Member
Jul 24, 2004
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@MoFunk:

You finally have a fix for what? The 1802 error problem, the WLAN LED inactivity or what?

Excuse me for asking, but your steps are at least incomplete: When did you install the Intel 2200 BG? If you did this first, none of your steps would work for anybody, since you can't start the Thinkpad in the first place. Guessing from your previous post, you did not employ an original Intel card anyway, but an IBM card. Did that give you an 1802 error at boot?

You said that the wireless card was not found by windows, this was never the problem for any of the other people here. Once the 1802 error can be suppressed (one way ot another), the card is recognized perfectly by the OS and can be used (modulo configuration errors).

So what did you mean, is the new firmware or embedded controller software fixed for the plain Intel 2200 BG with regard to the 1802 error (did you use a real Intel card at all or is it an IBM one)?

Does your WLAN LED work?


FYI: I have another confirmation that the WLAN LED does not work with another T40 and an original Intel 2200 BG, so my machine is NOT broken. I get the impression that we mix problems here. catnip and MoFunk seem to employ IBM cards in an older R40. Maybe their original firmwares did even throw the 1802 error with the IBM card, since the PCI IDs were not listed. So, a BIOS update or the CMOS fix both work and their WLAN LEDs show activity (since it's an IBM card).
 

gmanjr

Junior Member
Sep 4, 2004
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Does anyone have another location for this "no-1802.com" file? The current link is dead and I'm in desparate need of it.

Thanks,
G.
 

imported_meyergru

Junior Member
Jul 24, 2004
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@gmanjr

Yup, the link is dead. I have not saved a copy of the file, but the source code was in a newsgroup, so I have created a new version with a message, since many people said that the no-1802 program apparently did nothing at all (which was untrue).

You can find my version here.
 

dclive

Elite Member
Oct 23, 2003
5,626
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Can anyone tell me where to get a good deal on an *Intel 2200* wireless card? (I'd like to preserve that Centrino-goodness) I've seen it at newegg, shipped, for $47 - are there better deals out there? Someone said $30?

I see it on ebay for $35 + $8 s/h, but for a few bucks I'll stick with newegg. Any $30 deals from real stores that take credit cards?
 

hyderabadi

Member
Jan 16, 2003
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Like Nesssalmon (on this thread), I have the same question: how to load no-1802.com in ?real dos? as I am running Win XP pro? I would appreciate it if someone can point me in the direction of (or PM me) a step-by-step guide to this whole procedure of installing (and getting to run) a non-IBM mini-PCI wireless card. Thanks.

PS: What is the size in bytes of no-1802.com that has worked for you?