Network Adapter problem T20

[tims]

Tried a search and found nothing relevant. I have a
T20 that seems to have an ethernet/network port built into the unit but in the hardware listing(in control panel section) it does not show a network adapter. I searched the IBM website for drivers and had windows look for additional hardware, but nothing. the network connection does not work either. any help would be appreciated. this unit was recently purchased second hand and everything else seems to work. I don't have any of the original disks or CD's that may or may not have come with the computer is there a source other than IBM?

[JHEM]

All T20s, T21s and T22s have the Ethernet port built into the unit. However, there were many units that were sold with only the modem card and not the combo modem/ethernet card in the mini-PCI socket.

Flip the unit over and open the mini-PCI access port and have a look at your card. You can easily tell if it's a combo card or not by the presence or absence of the Intel imprimatur on the combo cards.

The combo cards are widely available on eBay.

Regards,

James

[tims]

thanks for the info. looks like it is a modem only, no Intel markings on the card. Just says Ambit on the board itself. are these still available new? thanks again.

[beeblebrox]

if the device manager sees an ethernet card but has no drivers, it would show a yellow question mark on that device.

If there is no question mark, you don' t have ethernet, but just a modem card.

[Rahula]

A few months ago I bought off of ebay a pci ethernet modem combo card for my T20. These are usually under $20. At this moment (Nov. 13, 04) there is one at Buy Now price of $13. check it out:

http://search.ebay.com/thinkpad-pci-mod ... 1QQfromZR8

You have to remove the modem pci card and put in this combo card. The little pci compartment is very crowded and this combo card needs great care to install. IBM site has a short video showing how this can be installed. After iinstalling, you need to download the appropriate driver, depending on the OS , from IBM:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 40371.html

When plugging in the ethernet cable, at the top right corner of the ethernet port a very tiny green light would flash to show all is well.

I did this primarily to connect my T20 to the DSL and not networking. I subsequently bought a PCMCIA wireless adapter card for internet surfing, and since then have not plugged anything into the ethernet port. I am just wondering that if I had bought the PCMCIA wireless adapter in the first place for internet use, could I have dispensed with installing the pci modem/ethernet combo card. It's water under the bridge, but I am curious to understand the technical workings of my T20. Any views?

[MadeInJapan]

I'd say you are correct about not having to buy the ethernet adapter (mini-pci) and only use the wireless PCMCIA card all of the time. But I think you really did yourself a good service by going ahead and upgrading the internals of your machine. You never know where you will be where there is no wireless signal and instead a CAT-5 cable to connect to....such as most hotel rooms. Some day you will be happy that you have wired capabilites.

On a seperate note, except for a very few T-23's, the T-series does not have a built in antena so, there really is no easy way to upgrade to a wireless mini-pci adapter without taking the screen out, cramming antena wires through the hinged area of the screen cover, etc. Also, my understanding is that in the T-series, there is very little room in the mini-pci slot, so you have to sacrifice wired for wireless card or vice versa (have to use a "daughter card, and there's no room for it). I think you're doing the best thing for your machine at this point with the PCMCIA option....it's the same thing I'm doing with one of my T-22's.