bought first IBM- T23, advice needed please

[hannesP]

Hi, thanks for having me in the forum.

Hoping someone can offer me some advice on a T23 I just bought. It was bought as a budget machine for a friend.

The model type is: 2467 PIII 1.13GHz

Areas that I need advice on are a RAM upgrade (currently has 256MB, crucial says it will take another 256?), and whether the floppy can be swopped out for a DVD-ROM (if so does it need to be IBM), also what version USB it is (unsure of BIOS version right now), and can a broadcom wifi card be fitted into this machine?

Thanks in advance

[pianowizard]

The model type is: 2467

What are the next three characters?

The T23 has two memory slots, and each can accept 128MB, 256MB or 512MB PC133 modules. You should find out whether your 256MB is 1x256MB or 2x128MB. If it's the latter, you'd need to remove one stick before putting in a new one.

The USB version is 1.1.

[rkawakami]

And as far as the Broadcom card is concerned, yes, it should work. I've been using an 802.11b/g BCM94306MP (and MPSG) card in my T23s for some time and they work fine. If you have a model with the built-in antennas, then it's a snap to change. If you don't already have the antennas, then you will need to install at least one somewhere in the base. There's several threads here that will detail what's involved. Use the "Search" link at the top of the page and specify "t23 minipci wireless", select the "search for all terms" option and specify that the search be limited to the "T2x & T3x" forum.

Also, any Ultrabay 2000 device can be swapped in for the floppy. You CAN use most any 12.5mm drive (i.e, non-IBM) however you need to have the proper Ultrabay rails and connector, and will have to perform some surgery on the front bezel in order for it to fit the "notch" at the right side of the Ultrabay opening.

[hannesP]

thanks will post back when I have more details. since usb is 1.1 I will need to look for a usb1.1 to ide adapter so i can attach a dvd-rom

[Robbyrobot]

since usb is 1.1 I will need to look for a usb1.1 to ide adapter so i can attach a dvd-rom

Why would you do that? An internal DVD drive for a T23 is cheap enough, and if it just has to be a USB drive, you can use a PCMCIA/Cardbus card to get USB 2.0.

As for a USB to IDE adapter, they do exist and in fact I just bought one for all eventualities, but it's not something you really need.

[hannesP]

well this friend is on a strict budget . As one of the millions of new immigrants to Ireland he tends to send a lot of his money back to his home country.

Anyway, after searching around a little for a suitable internal DVD I think that an external one is probably the cheapest option for him and most time saving for me. I've an old one lying around from a defunct Compaq desktop so he can have that for nothing. Same with the broadcom mini pci- have an old one lying around he can have for nothing.

The machine doesn't need to be perfect, just has to get him on skype, web etc.

[RealBlackStuff]

Have a look at www.adverts.ie in their Computer Hardware FS forum.
You can pick up computers (and parts) there for a song!
You need a (free) registration and sometimes the site is slow, but it is otherwise like Ebay without the (ebay) hassle.

[hannesP]

thanks for the link. got the machine and the serial is hard to make out since its kinda scrubbed off but its looks like the 3 character code is 4MG/ 4M6 ring any bells?

it has 2x128 RAM and it does recognize the broadcom miniPCI card although range is not so great. theres a white tinge in a strip shape on the screen around the bottom just above the buttons, maybe 5 inches long. inverter problem?

so can more RAM be put in this? I didn't really understand if what was mentioned above meant this machine could take more or not. im also wondering about the antenna from the miniPCI, would increasing their length improve range? currently they are around 6 inches long each

[rkawakami]

Probably a "4MG":

Product: ThinkPad T23 2647-4MG [change]
Operating system: All [change]

Original description: PIII-M 1.13GHz (512KB), 128MB RAM, 30.0GB HDD, 14.1 XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD, 8X-3.3X DVD-ROM, Modem(MPCI), Ethernet(CDC), TV out, Li-Ion battery, Win 2000

You can also access the BIOS (hold down the F1 key while booting) and check the machine type in there.

The white strip on the screen could be light leakage from around the backlight. Hard to say without a picture. If you do post one, try to keep the inline image around 50KB or just simply add a link to the pic.

Maximum RAM in a T23 is 1024MB (1GB). Two 512MB PC133 modules. The short range of your MiniPCI Broadcom card can be explained by the antenna placement. If they are only 6 inches long, you probably have them installed under the keyboard or inside the MiniPCI area. This can reduce the range because of the surrounding metal in the keyboard and/or case. Best placement seems to be near the end of the battery bay, just along the outside edge of the base. The length of the cable can work against you. There is a signal loss which increases when the length of the cable is increased. What matters most is the active portion of the antenna at the end. I'm starting up an experiment in a few days which you might be interested in:

WiFi antenna comparison

[hannesP]

thank you so much, you have all cleared up a lot of concerns

I did solder a pigtail on to the antenna and stick it out the back with a 5db antenna attached, that worked pretty good until the solder snapped. will watch your experiment with interest and try to figure a way to fix an external antenna permanently.

the fella is very pleased to be able to skype with his folks again. his only gripe is that the mic and headphone jackplugs have to sit proud from the sockets (like half in and half out). nhc shows the temp at 60 also but he wont be processing much on it probably. so again thanks everyone for helping me help him.