A31P - Intel 2915 Wifi Card - Nightmare

[Harryc]

I purchased an Intel 2915 (IBM branded) card on the forum to install in an A31P. First, the A31P would not boot with the 2915 card installed because it got an 1802 error. So I flashed to the latest BIOS and EC program, and ran the no-1802 hack. Now the machine boots up with the card. So then I go to install the drivers (tried both Lenovo and Intel drivers) and neither will install. Windows complains that it cannot start the card. It shows up in device manager, initially as an unknown device, but after installing the driver it is just yellow flagged, with a "This device cannot start (Code 10)" in properties for the card. Any ideas before I bag this upgrade? I had to work WAY to hard for something this simple .

[tim S]

The 2915 should be a real easy install, assuming it works that is! Maybe the mini pci socket is bad, does it work with a modem or something else in there?
You've been around the block too many times for me to think of anything else.
Happy Thanksgiving
Tim S

[sjthinkpader]

For an A31p, normally I would use an intel 2200 or Atheros.

[Harryc]

Thanks for the replies. The slot works fine because I have a Cisco combo card in there presently and it is working. I am going to try an IBM branded Intel 2200BG card next. My opinion is that a 2915 card does not work on an A31P. I doubt the card itself is defective.

[ajkula66]

Harry,

Have you tried booting Mint from a CD and testing what happens there, just to isolate the possibility that the card is defective?

[Harryc]

George thanks, no I have not. I have an R52 arriving in a couple of days. Since that machine came with a 2915 it would make a good test bed. I'll test it then.

[tbartold]

My opinion is that a 2915 card does not work on an A31P..

I didn't have to do anything odd to get it to work in my H3U. No 1802 error or BIOS issues. I'm using the Intel drivers.

[Harryc]

I didn't have to do anything odd to get it to work in my H3U. No 1802 error or BIOS issues. I'm using the Intel drivers.

Now there's an interesting bit of information. Would you mind unscrewing the bottom cover and telling me what the IBM FRU # is of the 2915 card? Also, what BIOS version are you running on that machine? The FRU# that I am having problems with is P/N: 93P4235.
Thank-you

[tbartold]

Unfortunately I lent it to my mom to use. I'll need to get over there and check it out (I don't expect her to open it up) next weekend. However, I'm thinking now that it was not an IBM card, but just a generic Intel 2915ABG card. I know I also swapped it in to my N5U at one point to see if it had better/worse performance than to original card (didn't seem to make much difference in my case).

I would have said "the latest BIOS" but i just checked my N5U and see I'm out of date (using 1GET40WW rather than 1GET41WW). That said, the R model (is that what you're using it in?) would use 1NETxxWW. But you know, I might just have been lucky.