wifi card recommendation for X230

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PRAGUEGUY · #1 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 1:32 pm

I am planning to upgrade my laptop, currently have standard Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6205.

I will probably have to resort to Amazon, and use some Bios modding...
Can anybody please recommend some better card? I do not really care for Bluetooth, so I do not much care for dual BT wifi cards.

I WOULD PREFER NON INTEL VERSIONS. The reason for my change is a persistent problem that , accordig to many other forum postings, is common to Intel cards and is caused by some bad coding of the driver.
So I want to use some premium card that is not from Intel.
Also, I would welcome any recommendations for good Eshops that supply to Europe, Czech Republic.

I would consider a pcmcia card so that I can keep the existing card, just to make sure that at least I have the functionality I have now.
Any recommendations welcome, together with any benefits/shortcomings of the suggested card.
Thanks in advance for your help.
.

#2 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 1:58 pm

This one is near unbeatable: Atheros AR5BXB112 AR9380
Drivers in your home-country: https://www.atheros.cz/
You'll need a BIOS with whitelist removed.

PRAGUEGUY · #3 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 4:01 pm

Real BlackStuff
thanks,

1.In what respect is it unbeatable? (is it this one? http://www.amazon.co.uk/CrownTrade%C2%A ... d_add_1_dp)
2. How about these alternatives?

http://www.czc.cz/linksys-wpc200/44616/produkt
http://www.czc.cz/intel-dual-band-wirel ... 89/produkt

http://www.bscom.cz/atheros-cm11-hp-521 ... si_d22468/

I saw some guides for bios flashing...it does seem that x230 can only be modded the Hard(ware) way... due to some wicked new security measures.
Really deplorable...what is the point of limiting customers like this.
I would have to find some technician to do this for me, I am absolutely not up to doing this, technically.
(I do not know if I am violating forum rules...this one, Discussion on how to defeat the **password or Security Chip on thinkpads specifically or lenovo/IBM branded computers in general will NOT be allowed.)
As I am technically not able to judge, if removing the whitelist constitutes "defeating the ** password...] if it is, tell me, I will edit this out, thanks

see great guide here...
https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread- ... ware-Flash

#4 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Mar 15, 2015 6:24 am

It beats any Intel 1000/5100/5300/6200/6300 series cards.
I have built dozens of FrankenPads, and because it has continuous top-performance, nearly all of them got this Atheros card,
except when the customer insisted on something else.
I have yet to hear ANY complaints about this card.
This card is also 802.11N capable in both 2.4 AND 5ghZ, with speeds of up to 450Mbps.

The Atheros card on Amazon is the correct one, but you can get them cheaper from China.
The PCIe card you mention has Bluetooth (which you don't want), and is also Intel (which has problems according to you).
That card would also need a modded BIOS.
The PCMCIA cards only 802.11a/b/g but don't need a modded BIOS.

Forum-discussion of bypassing Whitelists is allowed, although AFAIK no forum-members do any programming themselves.
The tutorial you mentioned is not bad, definitely doable.

PRAGUEGUY · #5 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:20 am

The local official Lenovo service partner came back, and said the only replacement they could give me is the following card
Realtek, FRU P/N: 60Y3249.
It was hard to figure out what card it was..but most likely it is the following

60Y3249 - RealTek RTL8188CE (labeled as "REALTEK RTL8188CE"

[/URL]

http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/prod ... ProdID=272

this is the gobledegook form Realtek...anybody can make sense of it? Is it the same, better ,
or worse than what I have now? (Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6205) I would only change it to get rid of some problems
I believe relate to Intel driver issues. Would I get significant drop of performance,
compared to the current Intel?

#6 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:24 am

Don't do it!
Check Google: REALTEK RTL8188CE problem.

If you don't want to mod the BIOS, check these N-capable items:
Linksys WEC600N (300Mbps, Dual Band, PCI-Express Expresscard)
TP-Link TL-WN811N (300 Mbps, PCMCIA)
TP-Link TL-WN725N (150 Mbps, USB)

PRAGUEGUY · #7 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:07 am

Thanks a lot...you mean these are supposed to be whitelisted?

I found one card, the same Centrino that I have, in a second hand store.
I wanted to buy it for experimenting...but it came from a Dell.

The vendor said, if it does not have a FRU No on it, it is "not guaranteed" to work on a Lenovo...even if it is the exact same product!
cant believe it.
PCMCIA would be great...It is not so clumsy as USB, and I could still keep my Centrino which is perfectly ok but for that one critical situation (my office secure wifi network)

thanks

#8 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:20 am

Before you buy, check what external SLOT-type you have, older PCMCIA or newer Expresscard/PCI-express!

PRAGUEGUY · #9 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 12:24 pm

This is in the manual.
Btw, its mind boggling I get told "depending on the model, you "might have"...how do I figure out what I actually have? the machine type is MT 2320, X230 model.
2320-2QG is the full name.

So, I have Expresscard?
Why did you write Expresscard backslash PCI Express? are they both, or one of these?
Will the Expresscard version work? the pCMCIA is hardly available, seems to be discontinued
-- I have found this,
http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WEC ... B0011E6300
is it the one?
Do you believe It is better than the current one, furthermore, that it will work without any mods?
(I appreciate your help, of course you cannot quarantee it, I may risk it..it is a refurbished card. But still, I would like to check if it will work, thanks)

quote from the manualxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Using an ExpressCard, a flash media card, or a smart card
Depending on the model, your computer might have the following card slots:
• An ExpressCard slot that supports:

– 54 mm-wide ExpressCard
– Smard card
xxxxx

#10 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:47 pm

There are so many different (and false) names floating around, that one sometimes gets confused.
YOU need to check which port you have (most likely the Expresscard/54 which can also use Expresscard/34).
ONLY YOU can see what type of slot your machine has!
That slot could even be empty!

PRAGUEGUY · #11 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:38 pm

Expresscard/54 which can also use Expresscard/34).
I think that is what I have.
I once managed to plug in a USB3 expansion card, and I recall that is what it was... it was narower, probalby 34, and there was a gap to its side, unused space in the slot. It did not hold well, slipped out all the time.
But the slot definitely is not empty.
Are you reasonably certain the following card is not going to be blacklisted?
Unfortunately I cannot find it in my country, or the EU at least...then I would have the right to return if it does not work.
thx a lot

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WEC ... B0011E6300

I will find it tomorrow.

#12 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 5:47 am

I have never heard of any PCMCIA, Cardbus, Expresscard or USB wifi card/dongle being refused by any Thinkpad model (unless defective).

PRAGUEGUY · #13 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 8:28 am

Cool thanks...cant wait to test this toy out...

https://www.alza.cz/tp-link-tl-wn725n-d341839.htm

It is so tiny, cant believe it is a WIFI card!

My corporate access point is approved for the particular MAC address of my current Centrino card.

So I will have to spoof the new card, to emulate the Centrino mac address...I wonder if it will work.
The Ethernet mac address can be simply changed in Advanced properties of the card, in Device Manager...
but for Centrino it did not work.
I have a copy of the SMAC software, http://www.klcconsulting.net/smac/index.html,
it failed with the Centrino...I read that Intel is blocking these spoofs...

PRAGUEGUY · #14 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 2:20 pm

what do you think about this one?

http://www.lan-shop.cz/d-link-dwa-643-49764

Simply, I cannot get the Linksys WEC600N anywhere inside the EU..it just cant be, that there is no good Expresscard wifi expansion card in the EU... the one you recommended, I would have to pester friends to buy them in the US...It is not available on European amazon/ebay, only USA. than means double the price, due to VAT and customs...

also it means zero customer rights ( I cannot really bother my uncle to sort out my consumer complaint, if the card is faulty...
I dont care about price...as I say, if I get it from USA, it costs double, due to weakening local currency, weakening euro, VAT and customs duties.
BUT, IF YOU SAY IT IS THE BEST ONE ON THE MARKET, I WILL BUY IT...
I actually found one, on Ebay...they ship to my country. And it is cheap.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400344427648?ss ... Track=true

Reason is as follows: I will have to submit another requrest to our IT people, who will approve access to our IT network, for the specific MAC address of the card. So, I need the best thing, that will not have faults and perform, as the bureaucracy takes time...I cannot ask for another Mac address every week..
Thanks.

PRAGUEGUY · #15 Post by **PRAGUEGUY** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 8:37 am

Update,
Thanks a lot for recommending the small USB ..it works great
a small technical trick...I needed to spoof a MAC address..I purchased a tool called SMAC, but it did not
work in Windows 7.
However, it works brilliantly in Win XP...I made a dual boot, and I can freely emulate any mac address on the connected USB network card. So I can get into my account that is Mac address filtered...
thanks for the recommendation great card.I did struggle a bit to configure WPA2 on windows XP, but I succeeded in the end.

Lockheed · #16 Post by **Lockheed** » Fri Feb 19, 2016 7:13 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:This one is near unbeatable: Atheros AR5BXB112 AR9380

I was thinking of replacing Intel 6205 in my T420s with it, but I need BlueTooth which I'll lose when removing 6205(?) and I think this Atheros doesn't have BT to replace it.
Can you recommend something else with BlueTooth?

anarky321 · #17 Post by **anarky321** » Sun Feb 28, 2016 5:35 pm

633ANHMW 60Y3233 < this is what i got for my x230 and it works great... 2x2 + BT i think

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wifi card recommendation for X230

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