T23 Internal Wifi Project

Message

covertash · #1 Post by **covertash** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:13 am

Hello everyone! I think I got bit by the upgrade bug and feel the need to take apart my T23.

I want to partake in installing a new Intel MiniPCI Wifi card and wire the antennas underneath the keyboard. My questions are in regards to the antenna. Specifically, how long of an antenna should I get? I see these on Ebay:

One is 2ft 8in.

The other is 22 inches.

Also, I'm rather confused on where exactly I can mount those metal pieces. Seeing that in the above two examples the metal pieces are of different sizes and shapes, is one better than the other?

Any insight you guys and gals can provide would be greatly appreciated.

(As an aside, does anyone else get as excited as I do over projects for Thinkpads?

)

covertash · #2 Post by **covertash** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:17 am

Anyone have any idea? Does it matter at all?

#3 Post by **rkawakami** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:58 am

covertash wrote:Specifically, how long of an antenna should I get?

The length of the antenna only matters in the respect that the longer the antenna, the greater signal loss you will be getting. The only active part is the small pieces of circuit board/metal you see at the end of the coaxial cable. In the case of WiFi signals (2.4Ghz or 5Ghz), the rule is: the shorter, the better.

covertash wrote:Also, I'm rather confused on where exactly I can mount those metal pieces. Seeing that in the above two examples the metal pieces are of different sizes and shapes, is one better than the other?

Obviously the best place would be in the display lid. However, since it is constructed of metal, the signals will be reduced (both transmitting and receiving). The factory built-in antennas were placed at the outside edges behind plastic trim pieces so that the RF signal could get around the metal. Most people locate the antennas underneath the keyboard, but as it is also metallic, you're best bet is to try to find a space under the keyboard bezel. As for which one is the best, you would need a microwave RF engineer to tell you for sure (I'm not one).

covertash wrote:(As an aside, does anyone else get as excited as I do over projects for Thinkpads? )

Yes. Check this out:

My 600X WiFi project

covertash · #4 Post by **covertash** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 2:04 am

Thanks for your response, Ray!

I'll opt for the shorter antenna and I will be on my way to working on this project as soon as the parts arrive.

#5 Post by **rkawakami** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 2:24 am

In looking at the possible locations for putting a WiFi antenna inside the T23 case, the only place I could find that had an unobstructed view to the outside (i.e. no metal in the way) AND was not next to human flesh (to minimize microwave exposure) was at the right side of the case next to the battery compartment. In other words, near the "M" in the IBM logo on the keyboard bezel. There is an area between the end of the battery and the right edge of the laptop case which looks to be enough room to put one antenna there. That should be all you really need; if you really want, the second antenna could be routed into the lid and possibly placed near the left side hinge.

Good luck!

Website · #6 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:34 am

Take a look at this pic that wireless4laptop has posted on their antenna auctions, for installing an antenna in a T23: Pic

NOTE: I copied wireless4laptop's image to photobucket.com, so that a link to one of their auctions wouldn't be broken after 90 days. This image soley belongs to wireless4laptop, and I am only using it as an example.

covertash · #7 Post by **covertash** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:36 am

Thanks again, Ray!

Do you know if it's possible to enable Wifi with the Fn+F5 key combo once everything is installed correctly? Or would I have to enable it a different way?

covertash · #8 Post by **covertash** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:45 am

tfflivemb2 wrote:Take a look at this pic that wireless4laptop has posted on their antenna auctions, for installing an antenna in a T23: Pic

NOTE: I copied wireless4laptop's image to photobucket.com, so that a link to one of their auctions wouldn't be broken after 90 days. This image soley belongs to wireless4laptop, and I am only using it as an example.

I see. There looks to be a significantly shorter antenna that sits between the heatsink and PCMCIA card slots. Since I bought two antennas of equal length I guess the rest of the slack from the second antenna will probably have to be stuffed in the MiniPCI compartment then, huh?

Thanks for your help!

Davemci · #9 Post by **Davemci** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 12:08 pm

Which mini-pci wifi card are you going to use? I just bought an Intel 2200BG from NewEgg and I really like it better then the Atheros Super-G that I have in another laptop. I connected both of them without an external antenna to my 600x just so see which one had the stronger signal and the Intel won(93% vs 84%). Not by much only about 10% difference in signal strength using KwifiManager (Linux/KDE program). I installed the Intel into the t30 w/antenna.

covertash · #10 Post by **covertash** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 1:03 pm

Davemci wrote:Which mini-pci wifi card are you going to use? I just bought an Intel 2200BG from NewEgg and I really like it better then the Atheros Super-G that I have in another laptop. I connected both of them without an external antenna to my 600x just so see which one had the stronger signal and the Intel won(93% vs 84%). Not by much only about 10% difference in signal strength using KwifiManager (Linux/KDE program). I installed the Intel into the t30 w/antenna.

I purchased the same Intel 2200BG card. I bought it off Ebay though after doing a little bit of price hunting. My girlfriend has the same card on her Toshiba laptop and the signal strength was fairly strong in connecting with my Linksys WRT54G, given the concrete walls around us.

#11 Post by **rkawakami** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 1:07 pm

tfflivemb2 wrote:Take a look at this pic that wireless4laptop has posted on their antenna auctions, for installing an antenna in a T23: Pic

I swear that I have never seen that picture! When I was looking around for a place for the internal antenna on the T23 I first came up empty. I think I even posted that opinion in one of the threads here. All of the articles that I have read have indicated that "under the keyboard" is the best suggestion. Last night when I was looking at what's left of my MOSFET-turned-LED experiment system, I realized that there may be enough room at that particular site. It looks like somebody else beat me to that conclusion.

I would NOT put the second antenna next to the heat sink/processor only because I don't know what the extra RF might do when around it. Also, you would probably get very limited reception towards the back of the laptop because of that huge hunk of metal in the way. Looking even closer at my T23 shell, there may be room near the back of the laptop between the keyboard bezel and the parallel port plug. There's two pieces of plastic which appear to sit atop the parallel port, with enough room between them for an antenna. Here's a picture:

http://www.rkawakami.net/images/t23_antenna2.jpg

It would be a tight squeeze but the antenna would be relatively free of metal in the up and back directions, complementing the coverage of the side-mounted, battery compartment placement. Note: if you find somebody else who has previously posted this possible site for an antenna, I again swear that I am not aware of it.

(edit: Almost forgot...

covertash wrote:Do you know if it's possible to enable Wifi with the Fn+F5 key combo once everything is installed correctly? Or would I have to enable it a different way?

No, the Fn+F5 combination does not work with the wireless card that I am using. I have replaced the factory modem/802.11b combo card with a generic Broadcom 802.11b/g model. The wireless utility program I am using with that card has an "enable/disable" menu setting which is used to turn the radio on and off. If you use the factory model and install the software/drivers for it, then yes, you probably could use that key combination.)

(edit2: After re-reading tfflivemb2's post about wireless4laptop's picture, I suddenly realized why they sounded familiar.... This was the seller I bought my first Broadcom card from. It was the one used in my 600X project, referenced earlier. I had to go through my eBay feedback to find them listed on Mar-04-06. At the time I did not yet own any T-series system.)

covertash · #12 Post by **covertash** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 1:08 am

Hey guys, a quick update!

I installed both the Intel 2200 B/G wifi card and the antennas over the weekend and it was a relatively simple ordeal. I layed out my antennas pretty much the same way as the picture from wireless4laptop.com. The only difference is that my AUX antenna is mounted on the front metal base piece of the PCMCIA slot.

The hardest part of the installation ended up being the end where I was trying to hide the remaining slack of the antennas in the MiniPCI compartment underneath the laptop.

All in all, being the first time I did this, from the beginning where I started unscrewing the bottom side till the end where I pressed the power on button, the total installation time took approximately 45 minutes. And that was because I messed up a few times in reassembling the plastic frame surrounding the keyboard.

Once the Intel drivers were installed the card instantly found my Linksys router and I was up and surfing in no time flat!

Seeing how easy it is now to install internal wifi, I'm kind of kicking myself for spending the money on a PCMCIA Linksys card in the first place. If only I knew that Thinkpads were so flexible with upgrades (and CHEAP too!). <Sigh> Hindsight is 20/20 isn't it?

So if anyone else is contemplating to install internal wifi, I'd say do it. The cost of my Linksys PCMCIA card was around $35 shipped, while the total cost of parts for the internal wifi (card and antennas) totalled to $25! And I get better signal strength now! And I don't have anything sticking out the side of my laptop! A worthy investment in my book if you're willing to put in the time.

Dngrsone · #13 Post by **Dngrsone** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:01 am

Do you have the internal ethernet card installed? I am seeing a problem with the BIOS complaining about having two network devices when I install a wireless card while the ethernet module is still installed.

covertash · #14 Post by **covertash** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:46 am

Dngrsone wrote:Do you have the internal ethernet card installed? I am seeing a problem with the BIOS complaining about having two network devices when I install a wireless card while the ethernet module is still installed.

Yep, the Ethernet is still there. It's the card that sits in the same compartment as the wifi card.

Strange, though, since I did not get the same error as you after installation. Initially, I did get an 802.11b error at one point though, but uninstalling my Linksys PCMCIA wifi card drivers got rid of that error message on startup. Perhaps if you had a previous wifi card installed, you might want to try uninstalling it first through the device manager.

Also, are you using an Intel 2200 B/G? I remember reading about certain A/B/G cards generating that error.

Hope that helps some.

#15 Post by **rkawakami** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:49 am

Dngrsone, response in your original thread:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=32948

T23 Internal Wifi Project

T23 Internal Wifi Project

Re: T23 Internal Wifi Project

Who is online