N100 - Wireless n, compatibility
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:41 pm
Hey guys,
Recent (and proud) owner of a N100. I think this is a pretty good machine in terms of what you get. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo GHz, a 100 GB HDD (SATA, 5400), fingerprint security, builtin bluetooth, wireless n, and a pretty decent 14.1" screen. I expected the sound to be pretty weak given that this is a small machine, but can anyone explain why the speakers are placed like a storm drain. Atleast half of the dust you sweep off the laptop is going to end up down there. Other then that the quality could be a little better, but that keeps the price down so there you go. Now to the issue...
The N100 came with a wireless N, Broadcom card. The card shows as the BC4328, which interestingly enough says a/b/g only on the Broadcom site. I have not been able to connect to my Netgear wireless-G router with this card. It sees the network, but errors with a "limited connectivity" message, which essentially translated to "could not get an IP". I have tried with WEP and without WEP.
However I was able to successfully connect to a linksys and that too at a pretty nice 54MB rate. So I guess in trying to go wireless-N way, Broadcom has managed to create some incompatibility. Please report if anyone has any success with this type of card and a netgear router.
I will be putting the N100 through some linux test later this week, will report how that goes. Right now, none of the live security CDs based on knoppix work because of display issues. Ubuntu started successfully, but the Broadcom wireless shows up as an unrecognized card.
J
Update
Happy to report that the Broadcom card works with CISCO leap enabled network. Was able to connect and surf successfully. If you call Lenovo support they will tell you to use the windows wireless confoguration utility that doesnot have half the features that the Broadcom will support. Just use the Broadcom wireless utility which is an excellent piece of software. Remember its driving a very new piece of technology so be gentle with it..
J
Recent (and proud) owner of a N100. I think this is a pretty good machine in terms of what you get. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo GHz, a 100 GB HDD (SATA, 5400), fingerprint security, builtin bluetooth, wireless n, and a pretty decent 14.1" screen. I expected the sound to be pretty weak given that this is a small machine, but can anyone explain why the speakers are placed like a storm drain. Atleast half of the dust you sweep off the laptop is going to end up down there. Other then that the quality could be a little better, but that keeps the price down so there you go. Now to the issue...
The N100 came with a wireless N, Broadcom card. The card shows as the BC4328, which interestingly enough says a/b/g only on the Broadcom site. I have not been able to connect to my Netgear wireless-G router with this card. It sees the network, but errors with a "limited connectivity" message, which essentially translated to "could not get an IP". I have tried with WEP and without WEP.
However I was able to successfully connect to a linksys and that too at a pretty nice 54MB rate. So I guess in trying to go wireless-N way, Broadcom has managed to create some incompatibility. Please report if anyone has any success with this type of card and a netgear router.
I will be putting the N100 through some linux test later this week, will report how that goes. Right now, none of the live security CDs based on knoppix work because of display issues. Ubuntu started successfully, but the Broadcom wireless shows up as an unrecognized card.
J
Update
Happy to report that the Broadcom card works with CISCO leap enabled network. Was able to connect and surf successfully. If you call Lenovo support they will tell you to use the windows wireless confoguration utility that doesnot have half the features that the Broadcom will support. Just use the Broadcom wireless utility which is an excellent piece of software. Remember its driving a very new piece of technology so be gentle with it..
J