T43 Wlan - very weak performance

[Rimrunner]

I have problems with recently bought T43's wlan connections.

Here is how the problems have appeared:
-I have tried the wlan Internet connection few times at home. Usually it has worked though once it did not get the connection. It just stopped trying after a while when trying to establish a connection.
-At a computer event with lots of Wlan networks it could not find the proper one that was open for visitors. It simply did not appear on the list of available connections. And I think it found less wlan networks than laptops of other users.
-I tried wlan at a public library around its closing time just to check if it works. It seemed to work fine. Then later, one morning when I went there, wlan connections to open networks worked only sporadically, like just for few seconds. I managed to get some ping replies and to load some web pages but this state lasted just few seconds. In practice I could not use any network, even though I kept on trying for a long time.
-These were my only two experiences trying to use wlan connections outside my home

My T43's Wlan: Calexico2 Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG 802.11b/g

I do not remember getting any direct error messages on screen. However, here is some output from my syslog files when I tried to establish connection to various open wlan networks at a library: https://justpaste.it/1aabd
(note: time leaps at one point in the log, because I changed system time which was initially wrong for some reason. The date was right though)

"Messages" log file seems not to have anything relevant.

Operating system & Desktop environment: Slackware, XFCE

Any ideas what might be wrong?

[RealBlackStuff]

Your problem is most likely Linux.
Similar to: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2223787
Or that wifi card (Intel 2200BG) is suffering from AARP.

Have you ever considered wifi-N? This one works like a charm: http://www.ebay.com/itm/121780385438

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

Operating system & Desktop environment: Slackware, XFCE

Any ideas what might be wrong?

I'm not a Linux guru by any stretch of imagination but would strongly suggest moving to an Atheros-chipped card, yesterday.

Have you ever considered wifi-N? This one works like a charm: http://www.ebay.com/itm/121780385438

+1 and then some. While I'm not running Slackware on any of my systems, I have yet to see a distro where this card doesn't work OOTB and with optimal performance.

Obviously, YMMV.

[Rimrunner]

Your problem is most likely Linux.
Similar to: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2223787

That case looks a bit different to me. He does not get the connection at all.

Have you ever considered wifi-N? This one works like a charm: http://www.ebay.com/itm/121780385438

Well, I might order me one. Thanks for the advice.

I do not know much about network technology but I assumed that the problem could be that such an old hardware gets crowded out in busy environments since it does not necessarily support all the frequency ranges that have been taken into use later. So, I would like to understand this basic idea here: Does this TL-WN861N contain support for more frequencies or is it just faster or more compatible or reliable card?

[ajkula66]

So, I would like to understand this basic idea here: Does this TL-WN861N contain support for more frequencies or is it just faster or more compatible or reliable card?

There's more than one "basic idea" at play here. Let's start from scratch:

1) Intel cards from this era are generally problematic even in Windows, let alone in Linux where *all* Intel cards that I've ever played with behaved a lot worse than in Windows.

2) 2200BG will give you a theoretical max of 54Mbps using the 2.4GHz "G" range. TP Link maxes out at 300Mbps using the 2.4GHz "N" range and is Atheros-chipped, where it's important to state that wireless cards based on these chipsets are far more Linux-friendly, generally speaking.

Do bear in mind that TP Link card will require flashing of the modded BIOS on your T43 before you'd be able to use it.

[kfzhu1229]

Well the other card that can come with T4x - 2915ABG supports 5Ghz @ 54mbps (802.11a). I find that important because some noob friends of mine don't know how to set up 2.4ghz alongside 5ghz on their routers so that I can't connect to their WiFi with 2200bg card. However, 2915abg is even more problematic. For some random reason, the Vista driver results a yellow triangle in Windows 7, while for another random reason with the same driver Windows 10 x86 works with it just fine...

[Dekks]

That case looks a bit different to me. He does not get the connection at all.

Correct that thread refers to installing the firmware file, if you have at least once connected then it's a red herring.

Have you enabled powersaving via tlp or similar utility?

[ajkula66]

Well the other card that can come with T4x - 2915ABG supports 5Ghz @ 54mbps (802.11a).

There are two other cards that T43/p units shipped with:

ThinkPad b/g and ThinkPad a/b/g II. Both of these are Atheros-chipped and would likely perform better in Linux if one didn't want to apply the modded BIOS.

[kfzhu1229]

Oh and one more thing we all forgot. Sometimes the performance issue is actually caused by hardware. In that case try to reseat the miniPCI card and the antennae and see if anything gets better.

[Rimrunner]

Thanks for the advice so far.

Right now it seems that my Embedded Controllers is the version 1.04 while 1.06 is the highest offered for this Thinkpad model. However, my current BIOS seems to be the latest one available for T43, that is 1.29.

Should I update Embedded Controllers before trying to switch to a modified BIOS or is it enough that my current BIOS is the latest one?

This German language page seems to suggest that also the latest EC should be there, but I am not sure if that is a necessary requirement: http://thinkwiki.de/2010_Error_umgehen

[RealBlackStuff]

With such old machines you really should update to EC 1.06, then put in ttav134's BIOS to get rid of Errors 2010 and 1802.

[Rimrunner]

I updated the EC first, then flashed the modified BIOS (the previous BIOS was already the latest). It didn't show any of those (harmless) error messages in the end of the flashing that German page promised. I have no WLAN card yet, so there is no way to try in practice whether a new BIOS works. For some reason the BIOS release date (as shown in BIOS screen) is not the same as for downloaded ISO image at that page (Release Date: 2006/09/06) but from the previous month. But since the flash program finished, I guess it must have re-written the BIOS.

[RealBlackStuff]

If you have some, stick in a wifi card and/or HDD from a HP or Dell or other brand, and that does NOT have any IBM/Lenovo P/N or FRU.
If they all produce no error, then the new BIOS worked.
You can also put in a 32-bit W7 HDD, it should not tell you that Windows is a pirate-copy. Another bonus (Slic2.1) from that BIOS.

[Rimrunner]

I finally got that wlan adapter in my hands yesterday.

Today I changed the wlan adapter (phew, what a screwjob...)

And now my Thinkpad gets stuck in the beginning saying: pxe-e61 media test failure, check cable ... operating system not found.

This means that I failed to reconnect a hard drive properly, right?

While re-assembling the machine, I pushed HD in without attaching it to the connector part. This was probably a gross error. Now I wonder if I should try to get that HD out from there by using some tools (it won't come back from there anymore by inserting and removing the connector part) or should I disassemble the machine again hoping that it becomes easier to remove the HD at some course of disassembling process.

The advice is welcome.

Here is the page from a hardware manual displaying HD removal
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/29104 ... =83#manual

[axur-delmeria]

^
Remove the palmrest, perhaps? You might be able to use a small flat screwdriver to push the hard drive out.

[ajkula66]

Thin pliers, gentle but determined pull should get it out.

Good luck

[Rimrunner]

It turned out I had inserted the HD the wrong side upwards. It is difficult to know how it should be inserted since the label side should face downwards which is counterintuitive and the connector does not click when connected. Maybe there could be some "this side upwards" note.

Anyway, it seems that a new wlan adapter works in my home.

...But also the initial wlan card worked at my home most of times. Next week I am going to find if it works out there in a crowded environment.

Thanks for help again.

[nexgardvietnam]

That case maybe same with me