Best WPA2 Wireless Card for the X31?

[ParatoOptimal]

What's the best WPA2 Wireless Card for the X31?
Thank you

[Harryc]

Intel Pro Wireless 2200 b/g
http://www.intel.com/network/connectivi ... mobile.htm

[ParatoOptimal]

Thanks Harry

[ParatoOptimal]

I don't suppose there's an 802.11n card for it?

Many 2200bg cards on ebay state they're for Dell computers.
I suppose that doesn't matter as long as it's a mini-pci slot.

[Harryc]

There is no 802.11n card specifically for an X31. You can probably install one, but for most of them you'd need a 3rd antenna (which does not exist specifically for an X31 as well) and you'd have to run a modified BIOS (which also does not exist for an X31) to avoid a boot error. The 2200 b/g card part DOES matter if you do not want to run a modified BIOS. Get an IBM FRU. With that said, there is a no-1802 hack which should work for a non-IBM FRU card. So it all boils down to whether or not you want to run hacks.

[ParatoOptimal]

you mean there are Intel Pro 2200 b/g cards that WILL work and Intel Pro 2200 b/g cards that WONT work?

I just bid on one that came out of a Gateway computer.

[Harryc]

you mean there are Intel Pro 2200 b/g cards that WILL work and Intel Pro 2200 b/g cards that WONT work?

Out of the box, yes that is what I am saying. Almost any 2200 b/g card can be made to work in a Thinkpad using a hack though. The only caveat with the hack is that it is not 100% reliable. In other words you may run across a 2200 b/g card that you can't apply the hack to. That is why I always recommend an IBM FRU. If you are hell bent on getting this Gateway card as an example, do a Google search on it's part# and X31 Thinkpad. If someone else was successful using it, that would be a reasonable indicator that you also might be successful.

[ParatoOptimal]

This is the one I jumped on
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

There's also this one
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

I did see some that said for IBM but didn't list an FRU for @ $14.

[Harryc]

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-ThinkPad-R51-Wi ... 4153fee2bb

[jronald]

Harry
Out of curiosity:
Will the non-IBM 2200bg activate the Centrino features on the X31, with the 1802 hack?

Ron

[Harryc]

Harry
Out of curiosity:
Will the non-IBM 2200bg activate the Centrino features on the X31, with the 1802 hack?

Ron

Wow that's a good question Ron. I 'think' it will because it's just looking for Intel Centrino certified parts for the Wifi, CPU, and Chipset.

[jronald]

Survey Says:
A regular 2200BG card will activate the Centrino, then promptly crashes into the 1802 error.

I did have to look through 6 laptops before I found another Non-IBM 2200 card! I swiped it out of my son's X30 uBuntu, boy he will not be happy if he finds out!

Ron

[Harryc]

[jronald]

All is not as well as it could be.
The wireless light no longer works, but FN+F5 does turn the card on and off. Actually the light worked until I used the F key combo the first time, then it shut off and has not reworked since then.....must be something about the OEM cards. Anyway, a quick look at the bottom right hand corner tells you whether your connected.

Ron

[sjthinkpader]

You may want to update the Hotkey Utility and the Access Connection utility. What is the WiFi card driver version?

[jronald]

Have attempted to update the hotkeys and the drivers
Wireless driver is 9.0.4.39 dated 12/19/2007
Hotkey appears to be 3.11.0001


Ron

[automobus]

You can probably install one, but for most of them you'd need a 3rd antenna (which does not exist specifically for an X31 as well)

If the target ThinkPad has integrated Bluetooth, then would that antenna work? Of course, that means giving-up Bluetooth. I'd bet somebody has tried that before, but I found nothing interesting in a quick Web search.

[Harryc]

Yes I think that would work.

[jronald]

If you are looking for tiny antennas to add, think Apple:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Universal-Apple-Min ... 4a9f24ff9e
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-MAC-Wireless- ... 4aa56c9019
There is one more I like better, Ill see if I can find one. These would need to be placed very low on the LCD, or under the Palmrest/bezel.

Ron

[ParatoOptimal]

Yes I think that would work.

In that case, which 802.11n card would enable all features of an X31?
Thanks

[ParatoOptimal]

I currently use an "N" dongle but would prefer an internal card.

Harry, is that link you posted a good, bad or average price

Is getting an official FRU the same for BT cards?

[ParatoOptimal]

Is 93P4168 the same as 93P3483?
I found one a little cheaper from the same seller.

[Harryc]

Is 93P4168 the same as 93P3483?
I found one a little cheaper from the same seller.

They look about the same to me. Bluetooth is so cheap it doesn't make sense not to get an IBM FRU. Post a WTB Ad in the marketplace forum if you are looking to save pennies on either cards.

[ParatoOptimal]

I did a search on ebay for 93P4168. It delivered the following URL.
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Thinkpad-Intel- ... 2c58e256ef

The seller seems to sell the 39T0077 interchangeably with/as the 93P4168.
I did a search for the 39T0077 at thinkwiki.org but nothing came up.

The seller says people have used it with the
770, A20m, A21m, A30, A31 (a few A31 users required a CMOS mod)

The following required a BIOS update:
R51, R52, T20, T21, T22, T23, T40, T40p, T41p, T42, T43, X22, X31, X40, X41, Z60m

The following required a CMOS Mod:
R32 (unfortunately not all R32 models work even with the CMOS mod), R40
T30, X30

[ParatoOptimal]

I'm about to order IBM FRU: 39T0077. I beleive it's for the T and R series. Will it cause an error on my X31 for not being in it's BIOS list?

[ParatoOptimal]

Do I HAVE TO have the "shield" that goes over the wireless card?

[ParatoOptimal]

Harry,
Will this work?
IBM Intel Pro 2200BG T43 X41 R50 Wireless Card 27K9932
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... RL:US:1123
Someone told me the R50 and R51 have a PCI-e slot and my X31 uses a PCI non "-e" slot.
They all look the same to me.

Some tell me the X31 and t41 use the same wireless cards others say different.
I know they use the same BT cards.

[Harryc]

Per the X31 parts manual, you want FRU# 93P4168 or 93P4170 for the 2200b/g card. I don't know if other parts will work.
Reference - http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-44049

I trust this seller - http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Thinkpad-Intel- ... 2c5ad6123e

[jronald]

No you don't need the shield, but it is nice to have.
The 50, 51, T30, X30 and X31 all have the same type of slot.

As far as the IBM Intel cards, its kind of a crap shoot. Stay around the same vintage and the different number will work/run for each other. I did find that a card for a T43/R52 threw the error in an X30...but did not cause issue in an X31.

Ron

[RealBlackStuff]

Someone told me the R50 and R51 have a PCI-e slot and my X31 uses a PCI non "-e" slot.
They all look the same to me.

Some tell me the X31 and t41 use the same wireless cards others say different.
I know they use the same BT cards.

Any Thinkpad before/lower than the T60 uses MiniPCI cards, from T60 onwards it's Mini-PCIe.
Mini-PCIe cards are a lot smaller, the difference is easy to see:


Any Thinkpad before/lower than the T43/R52/X41 will work using the No-1802 hack, which sets only 1 bit in the BIOS.
Although 100% functionality is not always guaranteed when using non-IBM cards. (99% is enough...)