Wireless card upgrade on T43

[uberT]

It looks like I am going to be forced to upgrade my wireless card in the T43 because of the new Belkin N router I just purchased. I can't get the speed cranked up on the router because the router and clients all must share the same security format (WPA2-PSK + AES). The T43, of course, can't support this due to its age.

Would I ever find an OE card (B/G/N) for the T43 where I don't have to worry about this "white list" issue?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Harryc]

I don't think you'll be a able to find an 'N' card that doesn't post an error. Start with this thread for ideas/work-arounds.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=75677

[MnR]

Hi,

You might want to look here: http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-Thinkpad-T41-Wi ... 5d27b311dd

I have dealt with this dealer and he is a fair dealer.

MnR

[Harryc]

The instructions from that dealer -

1. reboot into dos by using a floppy disc or windows install cd
2. run 1802 utility
3. install the card
4. install the driver (available upon request

[uberT]

Interesting. Does the T43 need the 5100 series or 5300 series card?

I was under the impression the "1802" hack will not work on the T43. Is that what you're getting at, Harry?

I think I might have devised a work around for my situation, though I'm not completely thrilled with it. This new router has a "hotel guest" mode where anyone can access the WLAN assuming I give them the passkey code that they enter in a browser window. They are kind of on the outside of the private network. That way I could use the WPA2 level security for all the other machines (inside the network) and let the T43 connect outside of it.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

[uberT]

I know about the Zender BIOS mod and sent him a request. Yesterday I purchased a 5100 series a/b/g/n Intel card for my T61 and I know that I have to wait to install that 'til I hear from Zender.

Harry, I assume the Zender mod will work on the T43?


Would there be another card that works in the T43 that has WPA2 capability? I'm not hung up on the N mode aspect of it. We've got a couple on WIN7 machines on the network and I'd like to be able to get them "up to speed" without disabling these WINXP machines.

[ajkula66]

Any Intel 2915ABG or IBM (Atheros) a/b/g II should meet that (WPA 2) requirement.

And no, "1802 hack" doesn't work on a T43, you would need a modded BIOS.

Finally, you can't use Intel 5100 or 5300 in a T43, these are mini-PCI-e and T43 uses a straight mini-PCI.

[uberT]

OK, thanks, ajkula.

I found yet another solution tonight...I'm just learning this new router. It has a setting so you can select WPA and WPA2 simultaneously. The WPA machines get the TKIP encryption while the WPA2-capable machines get AES Pretty sweet! I've had to go back and reset the WPA2 machines back to the WPA2 setting since they were defaulting to the WPA authentication. This appears to completely solve my issue without making any hardware changes. I'm not keen on spending $$$ on these older machines. It's questionnable how much longer MS will continue to support WINXP.

[ajkula66]

uberT wrote:

It's questionnable how much longer MS will continue to support WINXP.

Well, they (MS) are saying 2014...and we might get to see an extension to that...

On a whole another note, T43 runs W7 very well...been there and done that.

Good luck.

[BeeJayEmm]

George is quite right (if there was any doubt). I am using Intel 2915 ABG cards in both of our R52s (which are close cousins of the T43) with Access Connections ver. 3.71 and driver ver. 9.0.1.21 from 2/11/2005. I am using WPA2-PSK with AES through a D-Link DI-624 router. No grief here!

[uberT]

Yeah, that's what worries me. There are a limitless number of combinations of hardware and drivers that might work. It becomes complicated.

I was tinkering for several more hours last night with the router and trying to get my T30 connected to the wireless LAN knowing full well that I should not be able to. I discovered a setting in Access Connections that I've never really noticed before. In one of the drop down menus you can select "let Windows configure my wireless connection". After selecting that option, you can go in and select various authentication routines and WPA-PSK is one of them. It took me a fair bit of re-booting and tweaking, but the old T30 is now succesfully connecting with WPA-PSK (TKIP protocol). This is all very much a surprise to me and may have somethig to do with WINXP Serv Pack 3.