T30 1802 error "Unauthorized network card"

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Tilyou · #1 Post by **Tilyou** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 2:39 am

This problem resurfaces occassionally -- a Thinkpad fails to POST and presents an 1802 error ("Unauthorized network card plugged in - power off and remove the mini-PCI network card").

The machine is an IBM refurbished T30 sold by Eritech that worked fine for months. Presumably the network card was authorized, and it did work. When the problem surfaced initially there were two error messages:

- one was something about date and time, but that was easily fixed in bios (the date had to be restored from 1988). Thereafter, that error did not recur.

- the other was the 1802 error.

Using F9 to restore bios defaults did not work. The bios is current, or close (March 2005, I think). I can't actualy remove the mini-PCI network card as the error message recommends because that's too scary (it unclips easy, but there's some kinda connector holding it on).

I found potentially useful information here
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... ed+network
and even better here
http://lipa.ms.mff.cuni.cz/~kronus/inde ... e=software
the latter having a "no 1802" BIOS changing utility specific to the T30 (it says) which will (if I understand correctly) eliminated the mini-card check from POST. Of course I may discover the card is fried and won't work anymore, but at least if the thing boots it can be used.

So... may plan is to try the no-1802 solution. Then if the thing boots, check the hell of everything (BIOS update, virus checker, etc.)

Or does someone else have a better idea?

Thanks in advance for any pointers & comments.

Charles

christopher_wolf · #2 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:29 am

You can try the n-1802 LiveCD to flash the card (the link to the no-1802 hack is stickied in the TP Utility Forum); although, I am puzzled as to why this came out of the blue. Perhaps the CMOS battery is near-dead, which would explain why the time was off like that in the first set of errors you got.

_erazor_ · #3 Post by **_erazor_** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:16 am

most likely the bios was updated via the thinkpad updater and the new version only allows original IBM minipc cards.

most likely the old bios didn`t check for the card being allowed or it was patched via the 1802 fix and the update removed that fix.

Tilyou · #4 Post by **Tilyou** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:14 am

christopher_wolf wrote:You can try the n-1802 LiveCD to flash the card (the link to the no-1802 hack is stickied in the TP Utility Forum); although, I am puzzled as to why this came out of the blue. Perhaps the CMOS battery is near-dead, which would explain why the time was off like that in the first set of errors you got.

Sorry, I'm not as sophisticated as maybe I sound. A "LiveCD"?

And I realize my idea of booting to DOS using a floppy to run the No-1802 file (which wasn't even my idea) makes no sense because 1802 is a POST error -- it never get to the point of running the floppy to perform a boot. For that matter, why would it run any kind of CD (even though I know how to up the boot priority of the CD drive)?

confused.

Cholly

bfgun · #5 Post by **bfgun** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:33 am

i saw this once before, try updating the bios without going thru the updater. just go to the driver matrix on www.lenovo.com and look up your machine model.

download the bios update then install it.

Tilyou · #6 Post by **Tilyou** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:45 am

bfgun wrote:i saw this once before, try updating the bios without going thru the updater. just go to the driver matrix on www.lenovo.com and look up your machine model.

download the bios update then install it.

I'm probably being stupid, but how can I do that if I can't get the machine to boot?

The solution makes sense -- just not the implementation.

Charles

Tilyou · #7 Post by **Tilyou** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:05 am

For posterity...

1. the 1802 solution was not a solution in my case.

2. the suggestions to update the bios in a machine that never got past POST are a mystery to me. I don't know how you update the bios on a dead machine.

3. the machine worked perfectly -- except for network card -- when I took out the network card, but let it dangle (I didn't know how to cut the tape & wires that held it after I released it from the clip-bus).

4. I spent hours (dam* computers!) upgrading the bios, re-trying the no-1802 patch, etc.

anyone know any good repair places in the New York area? (I know at least one terrible one!)

CK

Berny · #8 Post by **Berny** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:32 pm

ehhhmm, I'm not familiar with T30, but I think i remember that you can simply skip the 1802 error by pressing escape (ESC). ever tried this ???

danage · #9 Post by **danage** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:35 am

here ist an explanation of your problem and the solution thereto:

1. your cmos must have got reset somehow. christophers guess sounds like a good guess. you might need to replace the cmos battery.
2. there must have been the no-1802 hack in place in your machine. the wlan card you have must have been a "non-authorized" one that was made to work with the hack.
3. to make the card work again, follow the instructions in the thinkwiki (and leave out the no01c9 part).

Tilyou · #10 Post by **Tilyou** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:24 am

danage wrote:here ist an explanation of your problem and the solution thereto:

1. your cmos must have got reset somehow. christophers guess sounds like a good guess. you might need to replace the cmos battery.
2. there must have been the no-1802 hack in place in your machine. the wlan card you have must have been a "non-authorized" one that was made to work with the hack.
3. to make the card work again, follow the instructions in the thinkwiki (and leave out the no01c9 part).

I don't have the machine in front of me, but I believe I kiboshed that theory when I took out the card. I'm pretty sure it was the genuine item. It just stopped working.

The CMOS battery wasn't the problem either. Once the time and date were reset, they stayed reset.

Taking the card out wasn't an elegant solution, and now the card is hanging from the machine. It unclipped easily (the same way RAM unclips) but there's two wires and a ribbon still tethering it to the T30.

Can I cut it free? Cut the two wires, and cut the ribbon?

Btw, after removing the card I used a PCMCIA card for WiFi and it works better than the internal modem.

Til

_erazor_ · #11 Post by **_erazor_** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:08 am

no need to cut the wires. they are just plugged onto the card.

you can just unattach them.

other than that, please just try the 1802 patch, it is riskless and it will make your card work again.

Tilyou · #12 Post by **Tilyou** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:42 am

_erazor_ wrote:no need to cut the wires. they are just plugged onto the card. you can just unattach them..

This is a machine that I sold to a friend, so I don't have it in front of me, but if I recall correctly there's 2 wires and also a ribbon.

Does the ribbon unattach also?

_erazor_ wrote:other than that, please just try the 1802 patch, it is riskless and it will make your card work again.

Are you aware I tried patching the BIOS using a file called "no-1802.com"? I tried it both before and after upgrading to the newest BIOS, but no soap.

Maybe the similar solution you suggest will work, or perhaps the problem is I didn't remove the card before trying the patch.

Thanks for your help.

Til

_erazor_ · #13 Post by **_erazor_** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:24 pm

you have to remove the card before applying the patch.

about the ribbon I`m not sure. the 2 antenna cables can surely be unattached/unplugged though.

danage · #14 Post by **danage** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:34 pm

here is my guess: a bios update resets the cmos 1802-bit.

apply the patch as described in the thinkwiki. it will solve your problems with a 99% certainty.

cLOWN gOD · #15 Post by **cLOWN gOD** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:24 am

Regarding the no- 1802 patch, I noticed the giant disclaimer in block type warning that it's for "ATHEROS CARDS ONLY...".

I'm assuming then, if I try this with a Centrino card (Branded with an IBM FRU incidentally) that I will destroy the card, brick the laptop, or possibly kill off all inhabitants of the nearest metropolitan city?

danage · #16 Post by **danage** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 12:38 pm

the warning is for the 01c9 fix only. the 1802 does not mess with the card at all. do not apply the 01c9 (the one where you select the card), and you'll be fine.

T30 1802 error "Unauthorized network card"

T30 1802 error "Unauthorized network card"

T30 1802 "Unauthorized network card.."

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