X23 wireless retro-fit problem

[ThinkDan]

Hello all,

I'm having trouble retro-fitting internal wireless to an X23. It feels like i'm 99% there...

I've taken a non-wireless X23 and fitted into it the IBM high-rate wireless LAN adapter, plus screen with antennae, from a junked wireless X23 or X24 (memory fails me). All parts swapped as per HMM, correct orientation of antennae wires onto card.

In XP Pro SP3 I can use a PCMCIA wifi adapter. That tells me that the networking stack etc is good. If I pop that out and enable the internal wifi, I can see both my wireless networks as expected, but cannot connect to either. Endless timeouts trying to connect.

I have installed the IBM wireless card driver both via ThinkVantage Update and from a direct download from Lenovo's site. Both times I have noticed that the default settings are absent in the network card properties (e.g. RTSthreshold, power management, etc.) I have googled for suitable values, and looked in the INF file to see if upper or lower bounds are given, and cobbled together something that looks sensible.

What have I missed? Can anyone with this combo please write down their current wireless card settings?

Thanks,
Dan.

[RealBlackStuff]

That card could be faulty.
For a good connection, scrounge up an Intel 2200BG.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_trkparms ... p=15&_sc=1
You may need to apply the N0-1802 hack, if it is a non-IBM version.

[ThinkDan]

Thanks, I have one in my X31 so I'll swap them over and see if the problem moves.

[ThinkDan]

The good news is that it was user error

I checked the wireless router and it was set to 802.11g only; changed it to b/g and the IBM card connected immediately once enabled.

I'll pick up an intel 2200BG anyway as I need WPA support and g speeds will be preferable. IBM ones seem rare as hen's teeth but I'm familiar with the POST error workaround.

So the retro-fit was trivial, and only two parts required - screen brackets with antennae attached and a compatible wifi mini-PCI card

[ThinkDan]

Installed the 2200BG card and it is working fine. I'd bought a 'plain' Intel-branded card 2nd hand, and it went in with no POST error problems - by chance it was on the BIOS whitelist, I would assume.