ThinkPad R60 Wireless-N Card?

[BillG]

Been trying to figure out exactly what I can get for a wireless-N card for my R60. After a few hours of web search, I can't get a good answer.

The BIOS on my R60 is 2.23. I'm running Windows XP SP3 but I may install Windows 7 later this year. I have a wireless a/b/g card installed but because of the hostile radio environment I definitely need a wireless-N card.

I have a nice 4965AGN I can install but the BIOS has it blacklisted, so I would need the Zender BIOS hack. But can I use it for 2.23 BIOS? Or is there a wireless-n card I can use without a BIOS mod?

Thanks!

[ajkula66]

Search feebay for 42T0825, lenovo abgn wireless card, atheros-chipped.

[twistero]

If you have a "hostile radio environment" i.e. a clogged 2.4GHz band, you need a card that does 5GHz, which is not necessarily a wireless-n card. Wireless-a also runs in 5GHz, so technically the card you already have (an Intel 3945abg, I assume?) can do 5GHz as well.
Apart from the wireless card, your wireless AP / router must also work at 5GHz. That probably means a dual-band wireless-n router these days, although a 5GHz-capable router will most likely be able to run na-mixed, so wireless-a clients can connect as well.


As for your original question, you could get a 42T0825 as George said above (which is an abgn dual-band card, no BIOS hacking required), or install a modded BIOS and use any modern dual-band card.

[BillG]

Well, I bought what was listed as 42T0825 compatible, and my R60 has the 1802 BIOS error.

[ajkula66]

If you have an older BIOS version, that can happen...

Also, does it have a FRU number on it? Compatible won't do...you need a real Lenovo-issued card...

[BillG]

If you have an older BIOS version, that can happen...

From what I understand it's on all BIOS and I have the most recent.

Also, does it have a FRU number on it? Compatible won't do...you need a real Lenovo-issued card...

It's a real card. It's an Atheros AR5BXB72 card, the exact same as the Lenovo cards. The only difference is the vendor ID number.

I'm thinking of moving both my company network and my entire family away from ThinkPads and using DELL laptops instead, DELL has no blacklist in the BIOS.

[ajkula66]

It's a real card. It's an Atheros AR5BXB72 card, the exact same as the Lenovo cards. The only difference is the vendor ID number.

No FRU # = non-IBM/Lenovo card = "1802 error", it's been that way for well over a decade with a very few exceptions.

[twistero]

It's a real card. It's an Atheros AR5BXB72 card, the exact same as the Lenovo cards. The only difference is the vendor ID number.

Yes, and a different VID is exactly what makes it "incompatible". The white list is a list of VID and PID, after all.
You need the exact Lenovo-branded card, with matching VID and PID, to pass the whitelist. Such a card should have a Lenovo FRU on the label.

[farmall]

You need a BIOS modded without that vile vendor-lock whitelist. They usually feature SLIC upgrades too.

This may help:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 28&start=0