R40 wifi control unofficial minipci

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kajencik · #1 Post by **kajencik** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:43 am

Hi, I have an IBM R40 2722-BDG with Windows XP and recently bought an intel 2200 BG card to gain the 802.11g ability.
It wasn't aparently the IBM one (there was that 1802 error at startup and even if it was the one from IBM there would be this error I think, because the R40 was never originally shipped with intel 2200 or any ohter 802.11g wifi). Never mind. I succesfully applied the no-1802 patch, and the card works great now. But it cant be controlled through the Fn+F5 and the wifi led is not working.
This is no issue, because I'm using only the windows wireless configuration tool and can control the wireless radio from intel tray icon. I was just wondering if there is a way to get the LED and the Fn+F5 combination working even with this unauthorized wifi card?

Thanks for your help

kajencik

ajkula66 · #2 Post by **ajkula66** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:16 am

First of all, welcome to the forum!

Only an authentic IBM card will get your wireless light to work.

As for F5 button, have you downloaded the "hotkey utilities" from Lenovo's website?

kajencik · #3 Post by **kajencik** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:31 am

Thanks for reply ... and for welcome

Well, the light is not a point, I'd be happy only with the Fn+F5, but when I press it, there comes up a windows saying there is no wireless nor bluetooth adapter present (my r40 dont have bluetooth integrated), in spite of the wifi adapter is working fine. May installing some newer version od the hotkey utility help? Or it's the same issue as with the wireless light?

And as I read, can't the light gets working by changing the wifi card PCI ID, or something similar?

Terrahawk · #4 Post by **Terrahawk** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:00 pm

The Fn+F5 key combo only works with IBM drivers. If you are able to hack a card's PCI ID to be the same as an IBM one and it does work properly with the IBM drivers, then Fn+F5 may work.

kajencik · #5 Post by **kajencik** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:50 am

Ok, I have found some more information, I could be able to change the PCI ID of the card, but it seems the card could be quite easily bricked by changing the ID, which I quite dont want, altough the card was about 13 USD/9 EUR (250 CZK).

Also I'm not sure if even the IBM 2200bg card would work in a R40 with the light and the Fn+F5, because this card was never shipped with the R40, at least that is what I have found out.

ajkula66 · #6 Post by **ajkula66** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:05 am

I've had IBM-branded Intel 2200BG working with no issues, and blinking light in R40 on more than one occasion. Honestly, I never use Fn/F5, so no answers from me on that part.

Hope this helps.

kajencik · #7 Post by **kajencik** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:23 am

Hmm, this sounds hopefully, are you sure it was an intel 2200BG, not the 2100 adapter, and on the R40 with pentium M? Thats why I'm asking so maybe dumb question:

After I got the not IBM intel 2200BG, i switched the intel 2100 which was in the R40 originaly to the R40e, but the 1802 error appeared, even when the adapter was working fine in the R40, and the R40e WAS shipped with the IBM 2100, so I dont know where could be the problem here, maybe older BIOS version.

After removing the whitelist check on the R40e, this card works well and the Fn+F5 too. Aparently, the R40e I have doesn't have a wifi light, so I cant say how this works. (by the way, it has no wifi antenas either, so the signal is very low, can you advice me where to buy cheaply such wifi antenas? I haven't found them in any shop in my country, it seems that I'll have to finally try the ebay.com

ajkula66 · #8 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:24 am

The last R40 that I remember having a 2200BG in was a 15" XGA machine with 1.5 PM processor, can't remember the exact model number right now...and I was the one who put it in, with no 1802 hack...

Upgrading/downgrading the BIOS may be the key to solving your issues here...

I've never added the antennas to any of my machines, but I'm sure that if you search the forum some answers will pop up.

Good luck.

kajencik · #9 Post by **kajencik** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:24 am

I just came to this thread after a long time, and here's my final solution and experiences for above in case somebody will be going through the same issues:

1) Fn-F5 issue: after I bought the BMDC II, (providing BT capability for my R40) The Fn-F5 started to work, I can now control both of the BT(bluetooth) and wifi power state through this, although the intel 2200bg is NOT an IBM one. The wifi LED still dont work.

(So now I came to interesting point, I have working bluetooth led, which can't be seen through my R40 LCD bezel, and not working LCD led

)

2) Antennas

- any antennas for minpci cards from ebay will fit and work IMHO the original ones aren't necessary.
- for me, best shot is the longer ones for wifi and the short one fot the BT
- wifi will work without any antenna for a very short range (1-2 m, no objects in the way), badly, but for testing okay.
- BT practically don't work without the antenna, it only recognized my cellphone when it was lying on the keyboard

- It is a bad idea to use one of the wifi antennas for bluetooth, wifi performance will degrade a lot, not only the range, but also the link quality when on a good signal.

Wayne · #10 Post by **Wayne** » Sat May 03, 2008 11:58 am

When you plugged in the wi-fi card, did you attach a black and white wire? If so that is the antenna and it runs around the screen bezel.

MattB · #11 Post by **MattB** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:54 pm

ajkula66 wrote:First of all, welcome to the forum!

Only an authentic IBM card will get your wireless light to work.

As for F5 button, have you downloaded the "hotkey utilities" from Lenovo's website?

I have a non-IBM 2200BG card in my R40 2897-93U and the wireless LED works fine. Fn+F5 doesn't work though.

frankiepankie · #12 Post by **frankiepankie** » Mon May 05, 2008 2:47 am

Maybe you can fix it this way: http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_w ... h_WiFi_LED

R40 wifi control unofficial minipci

R40 wifi control unofficial minipci

Just an observation. . .

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