R60 WiFi Indicator

[Bruce Guttman]

I am resurrecting an R60 and have a dual core Intel T2400 (1.86G), WiFi card, 1GB RAM, and a 15" XGA Display.

I have a disk with VISTA on it and it seems to be working OK, except that the WiFi indication on the LED bar doesn't light. The WiFi is working fine; I can see from the display that it is on, I can connect to Web sites, etc.

I thought the LED worked with another OS (but my memory may be going).

Incidentally, Vista claimed it to be an Artheros card, but I thought I remembered seeing Intel on it. Could this be the problem?

[Harryc]

Is it the original WiFI card that came from the factory? What is the machine type/model # from the sticker on the bottom of the machine? It will be a (7) digit alpha-numeric, .e.g. 7647-3CU.

[Bruce Guttman]

Hi Harry

It's a 9457-Y27.

Here is what came off the Lenovo site:

Original description: Based on 9457-CTO: Celeron M 420(1.6GHz), 512MB RAM, 60GB 5400rpm HD, 15in 1024x768 LCD, Intel 950, CD-ROM, 802.11abg wireless, Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Fingerprint reader, IEEE 1394, 6c Li-Ion batt, WinXP Home

I've already replaced the Celeron with a T2400 Intel Core Duo 1.86 and put in a second stick of 512MB RAM. Original 60GB drive is gone; replaced with an 80 that had an IBM Preload of Vista Home Ultimate. I'm definitely not liking Vista.

I sorta remember the light working with a Ubuntu 10.04 setup. Maybe I'll boot from the CD and see if I can somehow divine the ID of the Wireless card.

[Harryc]

If you go to the Lenovo warranty page and plug in the machine type and serial, on the following page at the bottom you'll see a button for an original parts list. On that list will be the WiFi FRU part number. Just based on the description, I am guessing that you have an Atheros card in that machine. Intel cards would normally say 'Intel' in the 'Original Description'. If you see 'Intel' on the card, that means someone changed the original out for another card. As a matter of course, you may want to just pop that keyboard off and tell us exactly what is printed on that WiFi card's stickers.

[Bruce Guttman]

OK. I popped the hood on this thing. The card is in fact an Atheros. No number on it.

I also started up my Ubuntu 10.04 CD (hard drive removed). The WiFi indicator comes on.

When I get a new drive, I'm going to put XP on it and see if the indicator works.

[Harryc]

Well, it's either this driver - http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-70480

or this driver - http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-67351

Try them both...just uninstall your old driver first.

[Bruce Guttman]

Harry, the second driver worked a treat.

Thanks.

You folks on this forum are great!