Thinkpad T41 and intel 2200 wireless miniPCI

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Arschloch
For the uninitiated out there (me)... 🙂

Can someone please explain the advantage(s) of using the wireless miniPCI adapter versus a standard wireless PCMCIA card?

I have a Thinkpad R40 without miniPCI, so I have a wireless card that seems to work fine for me.

Thanks. 🙂

Advantage to minipci\internal: Significantly better battery life and smaller/neater form factor (nothing sticking out of the lt).
Disadvantage: Wireless strength performance (IMHO, with a Gateway M505) is simply horrible. I went from the GW's built in wireless B to a miniPCI (ie built-in) wireless Intel G card ($30, buy.com), and it is still horrible. I now use a Netgear PCMCIA G card, and it's great and reliable too.

I might take the GW505 apart and play with the antenna wires, but as of right now, I'm very disappointed in the internal NICs in my GW M505.

 

[imported_meyergru]

Disadvantage: Wireless strength performance (IMHO, with a Gateway M505) is simply horrible.

Normally, most people would advise for a miniPCI card in favor of PCMCIA cards, since the miniPCI antennas are built-in and thus can be much larger and / or better positioned within the notebook. This is the case for IBM Thinkpads (or so they tell). As far as I remember, the antenna is build around the display and is thus upright under normal working conditions.

BUT: I have found that my father's R40 has much weaker reception than my T42p, and I have never tried a PCMCIA card myself, so YMMV.

 

[Candid]

Bevor my T41 with build in WLan (2100 and now 2200 BG) I had a T21 without WLan inside. I used a PC-Card for WLan 802.11b (first a DLink DWL-650 later an Enterasys).

With the DLink DW-650 and a DLink WLan-Router I had a very unstable connection when more than two walls where between the PC-Card and the DLink-Router. I could not walk through the whole house and having a stable connection.

That changed totally when I got the Enterasys WLan-Card. With it I had a much better connection and and I could walk through nearly the whole house and did not loose the connection.

Now with the T41 and the build in Wlan miniPCI-Card with both the 802.11b and the 802.11g I have also a very strong and stable connection. It is somewhat better than with the really good Enterasys PC-Card.

At work I learned that there is a big difference between the typical PC-Card WLan adapters. All the lucent technologies equipped PC-Cards of the 802.11b adapters like the Entereasys and many others are work very good. The others most time work very bad in concern.
We tested WLan at our training center and wanted to find a solution only needing one AP for not getting trouble with bad working WLan adapters that don't like several APs in range. At the end we found the Enterasys (lucent technologies equipped) WLan PC-Cards in combination with Enterasys AP as a very well working combination. With my old DLink DW-650 I lost connection while the Enterasys still had a very good (more than 90% signal strengh/quality) connection.

Now with the build in miniPCI adapters from Intel and our Entereasys AP we made very good experiences and we learned that the combination of AP and WLan adapters is the solution and not only having a good WLan card. The benefit of the build in miniPCI adapters is that the antenna can be much better conditioned than in a PC-Card which has a predefinded form factor where the antenna has to be buld in. The Thinkpads do have their antenna(s) placed in the display as already mentioned form meyerg(u)ru 😉.

 

[roks]

Hi All,

Yes.... i am another ones of thos people who thought..."£20 for a intel 2200bg? I'll have that"....

I have a T40, applied that 1802 cmos patch and not there is no LED. Anyway its working.

What I need to know now is how I can backup my BIOS. I tried winphlash and phlash16.exe /bu , that did not work, in fact that re-enables the cmos so had to apply the patch again.

So does anyone know how to extract bios from a T40? I am not asking anyone to tell me how to hack bios...just how to extract it for safe keeping.

Thanks

 

[imported_meyergru]

Originally posted by: roks
What I need to know now is how I can backup my BIOS. I tried winphlash and phlash16.exe /bu , that did not work, in fact that re-enables the cmos so had to apply the patch again.

Yup, this can happen, since updating the bios might change the CMOS layout, so many manufacturers choose to clear the CMOS after flashing the BIOS.

So does anyone know how to extract bios from a T40? I am not asking anyone to tell me how to hack bios...just how to extract it for safe keeping.

Short answer is: You don't. Just get the current BIOS from IBM. Here is a link . Beware, though, since there are different machine types. Also, you need both the BIOS and the corresponding embedded controller firmware.

 

[roks]

Originally posted by: meyergru

Short answer is: You don't. Just get the current BIOS from IBM. [/quote]

I know that already, I wanna save the one I got already......I might have a play with when i have some spare time. 🙂


On another note, IBM software installer did not install the wireless card drivers, when tell it where to look it still does not find it. So I edited the .xml file that was in the driver directory (with hexedit, change to 2701 and 2702) and hey presto! it now see installs the software.

the above trick work with F5 key as well.

thanks

 

[imported_meyergru]

Originally posted by: roks
I know that already, I wanna save the one I got already......I might have a play with when i have some spare time. 🙂

If you take a close look at my link, you'll see that all former versions of the bios are kept on that webpage as well.

The Fn-F5 software patch strategy is covered earlier in this thread. Although it seems most people have upgraded from a 2100BG card (so all drivers and software had been installed), changing the XML files to get the software installed is clever. I always downloaded and installed these things manually.

 

[roks]

Are you talking about the ibm link? these bios is not in .rom or .bin format, can I change that somehow?

 

[imported_meyergru]

Yes, you can. But you wrote:

I wanna save the one I got already

The BIOSes on the IBM page are either diskette (bootable, can also be used on an El Torito CD-ROM boot sector, see earlier post by dman) or non-diskette images (executables for Windows that start after a reboot), so they can easily be used to restore the BIOS should this be neccessary. No "saving" needed here.

However, if you insinuate to hack the BIOS, say so, please, and don't fool around. And go find out for yourself in that case, I won't tell, as I already wrote in my post from 10/03/2004, since this is dangerous and pointless.

 

[roks]

Originally posted by: meyergru
And go find out for yourself in that case, I won't tell, as I already wrote in my post from 10/03/2004, since this is dangerous and pointless.

Thanks man.....I did manage to backup my bios with phlash16.exe. I will now try and fix the LED by hacking the bios as shown here http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~mjg59/thinkpad/bios.html
and here http://www.paul.sladen.org/thi...wifi-card-pci-ids.html

I'll let you know if I had the guts to actually flash it with the modified bios 🙂

 

[imported_meyergru]

I'll let you know if I had the guts to actually flash it with the modified bios

I can understand that attitude, since I did it myself ;-). But believe me, it's more like an intelligence test before you can prove your guts (and there is one more uncertainty before you actually flash the hacked BIOS than you imagine by now). You'll face several problems in doing this (and you won't use a diskette drive, even if you have one, wink, wink!). Matt and I deliberately chose to not disclose how to do it exactly, and he states this prominently on one of the pages you quoted (I did too, on my german info page).

Apart from the confirmation that one is able to do it, nothing much can be gained, I can assure you. Even the instructions on the IBM BIOS firmware diskettes to change the boot images are not really feasible without the proper tools. I just tried it because I once thought that the WLAN LED activation was done by the firmware, but that turned out to be a fallacy, so the whole action was a complete waste of time (TM).

 

[roks]

Even the instructions on the IBM BIOS firmware diskettes to change the boot images are not really feasible without the proper tools

What exactly are you mean by this, I am a bit lost.

I just tried it because I once thought that the WLAN LED activation was done by the firmware, but that turned out to be a fallacy, so the whole action was a complete waste of time (TM).

Are you saying the BIOS hack does not fix the LED issue? I thought it did. 🙁

If thats the case then I may have to re-think this. 🙁

 

[imported_meyergru]

There are files on the IBM BIOS diskettes with instructions how to exchange the images (IBM logos and such), but you cannot actually carry them out, lacking the utilities.

Are you saying the BIOS hack does not fix the LED issue? I thought it did. 🙁

If thats the case then I may have to re-think this. 🙁

If you actually read this whole thread, all that has been written before (see my posts from 07/26/2004, 09/12/2004 and most notably, 10/03/2004). Nothing is gained over the no-1802 fix by hacking the BIOS except that a full reset of CMOS memory will make the 1802 error show up again. But, as I have also verified, flashing the newest BIOS with the IBM-provided tools will not reset CMOS. That would only happen if you play around with the OEM tools, like it did when you tried.

The WLAN LED issue is purely within the Intel hardware. Maybe it is a kind of firmware/microcode issue, but has nothing to do with either the BIOS nor the Thinkpad's embedded controller firmware.

Point cleared, I hope.

 

[roks]

crystal clear man 🙂 .......all that time wasted trying to extract the bios....oh well at least I've learned something.

Gonna look for a good deal on the ibm version.....no more than £30 tho.

 

[roks]

Just to let you guys know that if you edit the .xml file in the driver directory of the wireless card, the Fn F5 key works without any fixing.


I noticed this after I rebuild my laptop yesterday and I think its better that editing two files.

 

[roks]

Hi, All,


I just wanted to know if you guys we're able to enable/disable the wireless card from the BIOS after using the cmos hack?

I dont remember if I was able to but I just upgraded the bios from 3.08a to 3.12 and I can enable/disable the wireless card, and the Centrino logo comes up, at boot time, when the its enabled.

Still no LED....I wonder if I undo the cmos hack will it work now?

Regards

 

[imported_meyergru]

Originally posted by: roks
Hi, All,


I just wanted to know if you guys we're able to enable/disable the wireless card from the BIOS after using the cmos hack?

I dont remember if I was able to but I just upgraded the bios from 3.08a to 3.12 and I can enable/disable the wireless card, and the Centrino logo comes up, at boot time, when the its enabled.

I can't check right now, and I also don't remember, since I never tried to switch from BIOS, I always did it from XP with Fn+F5.

But: I have seen that IBM has chosen to support a few more WLAN adapters. There are now three types of 802.11a/b/g adapters available, product #31P9701 (old Atheros chipset), and the new cheaper ones #73P4301 and #73P4302, which seem to be new Atheros chipsets (one is for U.S.A. and one for Europe with a different channel layout). They are not included in the german dealers inventories, so I have not been able to order them yet. However, there just had to be a new BIOS enabling at least those new cards. Maybe they "lifted the ban" as well, but I doubt that.

Still no LED....I wonder if I undo the cmos hack will it work now?

I can't tell, you'd have to check (with the risk of needing to remove the card once to re-apply the fix). But you might as well get the BIOS diskette version and look for occurrences of the appropriate PCI ID strings on Matthew's page. This is not easy for those IBM-provided versions, though, since they are compressed somehow... normally, you can only investigate this after you save the BIOS in uncompressed form with the right tools.

I suppose IBM will release another version of IBM Access Connections as well to make Fn+F5 work for the new cards. If they do this, the additional PCI IDs have to be in the two files mentioned earlier in this thread as well, so you could check if also the Intel IDs are in there now.

But, again: What gives? The LED won't come on and I surely wouldn't bother trying disabling the fix with the risk of another hour of decomposing my Thinkpad. Any volunteers?

 

[zebbe323]

Hello! ive got the wlan card to work! however, when i installed it, the cables for the card got in between the keybord and an screw, so, one of the cables where nudged(dont know the right word), so the metal in the black cable, became visible.. where are the cables supposed to be aligned? Just above the ATI symbol?

And, how can i get Bluetooth on my computer? Is there a card for it?

 

[Candid]

Originally posted by: zebbe323
And, how can i get Bluetooth on my computer? Is there a card for it?

As far as I can remember the Bluetooth card is under the keyboard on the top left (under the F1-F5 function keys). You should find a slot similar to that one for the WLan card right there.

 

[zebbe323]

Ok, than i just need to find a card...didnt find any on ebay..

On further question... when i use the wlan... at first, i get really good speed, up to 54mbit.. but then, it will drastically slow down.. to almost a stop.. why is that? I thought i might have been the damaged cable, but i fixed that(i think).. what can it be otherwise?

The speed only drops when i try to send LARGE files over the network...
This is really annoying since the WLAN is practically useless when i want to send files between computers... HELP!

 

[gingko]

There is absolutely no need to disassamble the thinkpad after you have installed the 'wrong' pci-card and get the 1802-error.

Press F1 at Startup, enter Configuration, disable wireless lan, save.

Now you can apply cmos-patch or continue wirelessless 🙂

 

[PoorHamlet]

I think that Fn F5 not working is often a problem that has nothing to do with IBM/non-IBM card but has to do with the Intel Sebring API. To make Fn F5 work first uninstall the Intel Sebring API (Control Panel -> Add/remove programs) then re-install the last version of the IBM driver for the board and IBM access connections which will install the API as well. OTOH I heard that the latest IBM card (P/N 73P4301, FRU 93P4262) available from IBM's web store. for $65 is much better than the intel card and will connect at 108 with a suitable D-link. There is a thread about this in the Thinkpad forum Here

-- Ham

 

[imported_meyergru]

@poorhamlet:

Did you try that with the Fn+F5 thing actually? Matter-of-fact, the PCI IDs are in the IBM Access Connections binaries and fixing them does re-enable Fn+F5 (I tried it). Maybe the Intel Sebring API hinders the detection as well, but I doubt that a non-IBM card would be recognized if the DLL and EXE have not been patched.

If the information about the new #73P4301 card's chipset being the AR5004X is true (I've seen reports to the contrary, namely it being an AR5001X), the card also has XR (extended range) technology. At a price of 65$, it is surely the better alternative to IBM's 2200BG variant.

BTW: I did look up the PCI IDs in the newest BIOS as well and they have not changed. This is an indication for no change in the #73P4301 card over the #31P9701 (which definitely was an AR5001X) except for the build format.

@gingko:

That's quite a neat trick and valuable information. I always thought nothing could be done short of disassembly, since you cannot boot with the 1802 error. I did not realize that disabling the card would help.

 

[PoorHamlet]

I didn't try the Sebring uninstall with a non-ibm card. But I swapped a couple of cards among IBM machines, and I wasn't able to make Fn-F5 work until I unistalled the Intel Sebring API before installing the drivers for the cards. This happened both with a T42p that now has the 2200 BG and an X40 than now has a 2100 B. -- Ham

 

[pcbbc]

I can not believe Intel would tool up different production lines for each of the different OEMs, to make what is essentially the same card (except for how each OEM has decided to implement the LEDs on each of their laptops). That kind of thing is much better done in software - Generic hardware is cheap.

The LEDs on the various Intel 2200BG cards are controlled by the driver, W22N51.SYS (at least under XP). This is a common driver which works for all the OEM cards, and detects which card is present dependent on a byte on the wireless cards EPROM (offset 0x4A). This byte has the following values:
00 = OEM STANDARD (INTEL)
01 = OEM DELL
02 = OEM FUJITSU
03 = OEM IBM
04 = OEM HP

When the driver starts it first calls a routine ldControlInit, which assumes a default standard Intel card. In particular this sets up a structure LdCtrl (LED Control) which is used to determine how the various LEDs are controlled(!). This structure is then passed into the various LED control routines (the driver writer appears to have a problem spelling, or perhaps just typing, the word Control sometimes. Perhaps his N key wasn't working 😉 ):
ldCotrolStart
ldCotrolStop
ldControlShutdown
ldCotrolSetOemType
ldCotrolSetLinkUp
ldCotrolSetLinkLedOn
ldCotrolSetLinkLedOff
ldCotrolSetActivityLedOff
ldControlSetAllLedsOff
All of these routines are fairly easy to locate in the source, as they all have very verbose debug output which can be enabled (anyone know how and where it gets put?) and hence litteral strings are dotted around all over the place (helpfully just before each routine they are used in).

Of particular interest is ldCotrolSetOemType. This reads byte 0x4A from the EPROM and changes values in the LdCtrl structure as required. The structure has then following format (driver version 80012-9000):

Offset Contents
000000C0 - On bit values for the ACTIVITY LED
000000C4 - Off bit mask for the ACTIVITY LED
000000C8 - On bit values for the LINK LED
000000CC - Off bit mask for the LINK LED
000000D0 - Unknown?
000000D4 - LED on blink time (ms)
000000D8 - LED off blink time (ms)

The values set for the various OEMs (by ldCotrolSetOemType) are:
000000C0 000000C4 000000C8 000000CC 000000D0 000000D4 000000D8
INTEL 00000010 FFFFFFEF 00000020 FFFFFFDF 00300004 00000BB8 0000012C
DELL 00000020 FFFFFFDF 00000010 FFFFFFEF -------- -------- --------
FUJITSU -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
IBM 01010000 FFFEFFFF 01010000 FFFEFFFF 00301100 00001450 00001388
HP -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------

Note that dashes just mean that the OEM uses the standard (Intel) defaults setup previously in ldControlInit. Also note that driver software explicitly does not blink the Dell or HP LEDs.
There is also a registry setting, "LedEnable", which has to be 1 to enable the Led controller. Hover it would appear that the default value (if the registry setting is not present), is 1 anyway. So this registry setting serves only to disable the LED if required (by adding the key and setting it to zero). I *think* this gets read from one of the subkeys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002bE10318}
Note HP and FUJITSU use the standard INTEL LED assignments (very sensible). I assume therefore that INTEL cards are a direct like-for-like replacement in either HP or FUJITSU hardware. DELL on the other hand appear to have got their LEDs round the opposite way to INTEL (silly, but would still work). However the bit positions for IBM cards are completely different from the other vendors?????

It appeared to be a simple matter of hacking the ldControlInit routine so it sets the bit values and masks up for an IBM card, or alternatively change the ldCotrolSetOemType routine JMP table to assume IBM (or whatever) when it sees an INTEL card flag in the EPROM.
Unfortunately neither of these two stratergies (despite trying many different variations) seem to work. The driver and card still come up, and the RF works. Just no LEDs. Please note that I have also patched and flashed the BIOS on my T40, just in case there is some interaction between the BIOS 1802 message disable and the Embedded controller which is disabling the LEDs - Still nada.

There is also a whole lot of firmware (in Intel HEX format) embedded in the driver (for uploading to the card). I haven't had a go at extracting this yet, but that is going to be my next point of attack. To me it seems the only thing remaining is that there is some dependancy between the driver and the firmware which controls the LED, and the firmware is making its own, independent, check on the card hardware version.

Anyway, HTHaL.
Where do we go from here....?