Thinkpad X24 Wireless Upgrade

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karmaflux · #1 Post by **karmaflux** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:53 pm

I am about to buy a Thinkpad X24. I have the option of buying a 2662-M6U or a 2662-MQU. Neither of these have integrated wireless, so here are my questions:

What part numbers will I need to order to install the antennas and mpci card? Will the installation procedure require that I cut the case at all? Where can I find a reference on how to install these parts?

Thanks for your help. I know everyone's sick of hearing questions about this but I can't find a comprehensive answer. Could someone who has performed this operation fill me in?

Gee · #2 Post by **Gee** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:11 am

I am not 100% sure, but I was told originally that the Antennaes are already built into the screen.

All you have to do is purchase the Mini PCI card. Remove the keyboard and install the card. You will see cables in the slot to plug the antennaes into the card.

It is also possible to get a Linksys or first generation router and rip it apart. Once you have the router apart, you will see a mini PCI card is used. These cards should be standard and can be used as a cheap upgrade to the expensive IBM one.

n3il · #3 Post by **n3il** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:26 am

Only X24s shipped as wi-fi machines will have the antenna assembly. If it didn't ship with a wireless card - no antennae.

Parts required and information on how to remove the necessary parts and replace them can be found in the HMM (Hardware Maintenance Manual).

HMM index is here:
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.ws ... MIGR-39298

watermark15 · #4 Post by **watermark15** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:30 pm

I have a 2662M6U that has a built-in bluetooth(CDC card) and ethernet modem combo (minipci card). the neat thing is it's wifi ready which means there is a main attena (no aux) available to hook up. the attena is right around the minipci card. but it's impossible to keep ethernet, wifi and bluetooth all internal, unless you can find a wifi-bluetooth combo minipci card. I don't need a modem. so bought a broadcom 4306 802.11g minipci on ebay and a pcmcia ethernet card with xjack. it at least appears pretty "internal", no ugly bump or stick.

not sure about MQU, my guess is it's not wifi ready. so i recommend go for the M6U.

dmdsoftware · #5 Post by **dmdsoftware** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 2:29 pm

I've got a number of the X24 wifi cards. They are the ActionTec cards that were used througout the T2* and X23/4s.

I've installed the cards in a non-wireless X20 without any problems. I picked up a few antennas off ebay that you can install in the case without any problem.

gazingwa · #6 Post by **gazingwa** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 2:43 pm

where in the case do you install the antenna on an x20

dc_slim · #7 Post by **dc_slim** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 3:30 pm

Dmdsoftware, I'd be interested in knowing which antennas you used and how difficult it was to route them in the LCD. I've got an x30 (2673-42u) that I'd like to put internal wifi in, but I haven't attempted it for fear that there wouldn't be enough room in the LCD.

Care to provide any tips? I'm dying to know if it's as difficult to do as I think it might be or if I should give it a try.

dmdsoftware · #8 Post by **dmdsoftware** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 4:04 pm

dc_slim wrote:Dmdsoftware, I'd be interested in knowing which antennas you used and how difficult it was to route them in the LCD. I've got an x30 (2673-42u) that I'd like to put internal wifi in, but I haven't attempted it for fear that there wouldn't be enough room in the LCD.

Care to provide any tips? I'm dying to know if it's as difficult to do as I think it might be or if I should give it a try.

I only have 1 antenna so far, but I've bought a few more off ebay for 9.99.

The antenna I have, I have it wrapped down and to the left of the mini pci slot towards where the IR would have gone (the X20s don't come with IR ports, but there still remains an empty space and cover where it would go). It worked real nice. I'll have to get creative for the AUX antenna (when I get another one). I may run it down along aside the speak cable.

Regarding signal strength, I have just received the wifi cards today, so I haven't had that much time to play with them (b/c of exams). The card itself picked up a signal without any antenna attached, but that's when testing it with one wall inbetween the thinkpad and the access point. With the antenna, the reception is comparable to that of a plug in PC card. Not as great as my X30 with antennas built-in to the LCD.

I've seen an ebay auction with antennas that are designed to be installed into an LCD unit but I'm I cannot comment on how easy/difficult the job would be.

ThinkDad · #9 Post by **ThinkDad** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 11:28 am

I haven't received my x24 (2662-MQU) yet, so I can't check this out myself.

All the IBM literature I can find on the x24 (not much since their access to older tabook entries seems to be disabled) says that Ethernet is on the CDC. Can anyone clear this up for me? If I put in a bluetooth card will I really lose Ethernet?

I would expect Ethernet to be on the motherboard, but when IBM says "Ethernet(CDC)" what's a guy to think?

Thinkpad X24 Wireless Upgrade

Thinkpad X24 Wireless Upgrade

Mini PCI

Wifi

X24; Ethernet on CDC?

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