T400s - Trouble Running Intel 6300 Wireless Card

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HLG600 · #1 Post by **HLG600** » Sun May 08, 2011 2:43 pm

Picked up an Intel Ultimate N 6300 wireless card as an upgrade to the Intel 5100 that came with my system originally. I keep receiving an Error 1802 message every time I tried booting with the new card. I updated all the drivers for it (downloaded from Lenovo), as well as updated the Bios to 1.20 as well. Nothing.

After speaking at length to a Lenovo tech, this is the exact same card that Lenovo sells. Same spec, both from Intel. However, the only difference is that the one I purchased doesn't have a Lenovo FRU number on it. I don't feel like spending $150 for the "Lenovo-branded" version when I bought the Intel one for $35 shipped. Is there any reasonable way to make this card work on the T400s?

Many thanks in advance.

#2 Post by **Harryc** » Sun May 08, 2011 3:05 pm

There is no modified BIOS available for T400s,

EOMtp · #3 Post by **EOMtp** » Sun May 08, 2011 3:42 pm

HLG600 wrote:... I don't feel like spending $150 for the "Lenovo-branded" version when I bought the Intel one for $35 shipped.

Understood ... but note that the correct Lenovo-branded Intel 6300 card costs < $30 shipped!
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=%2860Y ... m270.l1313

My suggestion: get the right card ... and sell/donate/frame/whatever ... the non-Lenovo 6300 card.

#4 Post by **bill bolton** » Sun May 08, 2011 5:23 pm

HLG600 wrote:Picked up an Intel Ultimate N 6300 wireless card as an upgrade to the Intel 5100 that came with my system originally. I keep receiving an Error 1802 message every time I tried booting with the new card.

The Intel 6300 is NOT on the BIOS device whitelist for any T400 model, as the Intel 6300 was released after the T400.

There is no way that you will be able to use the 6300 card (no matter where it came from) with a Lenovo T400 BIOS. An Intel 5300 card will work with a T400.

HLG600 wrote:this is the exact same card that Lenovo sells.

No, its not the EXACT same.... the Lenovo OEM version (with a FRU) has slight internal firmware differences.

Cheers,

Bill B.

HLG600 · #5 Post by **HLG600** » Sun May 08, 2011 5:51 pm

I appreciate the responses.

EOMtp, the FRU number on those cards is different from the one the Lenovo tech gave me, which is 60Y3233. But if it's all the same, then perfect!

Bill, the Lenovo tech I had a very detailed conversation with said that he's seen the 6300 cards work on this model. Additionally, Lenovo's website offers drivers for the 6300 card under the T400/T400s tab, so fortunately, it appears we are able to use this card...assuming we play on Lenovo's terms.

blackomegax · #6 Post by **blackomegax** » Mon May 09, 2011 12:38 am

update the bios to update the whitelist

HLG600 · #7 Post by **HLG600** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:23 am

blackomegax wrote:update the bios to update the whitelist

I did. I'm running 1.20 right now. It didn't make a difference.

hunterman223 · #8 Post by **hunterman223** » Mon May 09, 2011 10:13 am

The standard non-lenovo, non-fru card will not work, even with an up to date bios and whitelist. You still need the 6300 card with a Lenovo fru, as that is after all what is being whitelisted.

According to the lenovo system service parts page for the T400s, you need fru 60Y3233. Here is the page:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 72793.html

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

HLG600 · #9 Post by **HLG600** » Mon May 09, 2011 1:16 pm

I don't understand then. The 6300 card is not on the BIOS whitelist, but Lenovo lists it (FRU: 60Y3233) as an functioning option for the T400s?

hunterman223 · #10 Post by **hunterman223** » Mon May 09, 2011 4:36 pm

HLG600 wrote:I don't understand then. The 6300 card is not on the BIOS whitelist, but Lenovo lists it (FRU: 60Y3233) as an functioning option for the T400s?

I imagine it is on the whitelist with the latest bios, which you have.

What I mean is, you still need a lenovo branded card with a lenovo fru number. Otherwise it will not work at all. If you find the correct lenovo part with the fru above, it should work.

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

#11 Post by **bill bolton** » Mon May 09, 2011 5:16 pm

HLG600 wrote:the Lenovo tech I had a very detailed conversation with said that he's seen the 6300 cards work on this model.

Well, make sure you tell us if you do get a Lenovo supplied 6300 card working without a non-Lenovo BIOS.... and I'll be suitably surprised.

As far as I am aware, neither IBM or Lenovo hasn't ever previously updated a whitelist for an RF based device as part of a regular BIOS update, as this would create problems with their FCC certification on the ThinkPad model concerned (and that does matter to corporate customers).

Its possible that the particular FRU you've been given has had the embedded ID in the firmware tweaked to spoof that of a 5300 card (to satisfy the whitelist test), but that would be a first for Lenovo as far as I can tell!

Cheers,

Bill B.

HLG600 · #12 Post by **HLG600** » Mon May 09, 2011 6:48 pm

I appreciate your insight Bill. I'm wary of ordering the card from Lenovo only to have the same result. Frankly, the 5100 is doing a fine job speed wise, and my only annoyance is the range when I am at home. At this point, I'm between upgrading my router or simply picking up an external adapter to catch the N signal and give me that range I need.

Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Medialink-Wireles ... 729&sr=8-8

mpcook · #13 Post by **mpcook** » Mon May 09, 2011 7:16 pm

HLG600 wrote:I appreciate your insight Bill. I'm wary of ordering the card from Lenovo only to have the same result. Frankly, the 5100 is doing a fine job speed wise, and my only annoyance is the range when I am at home. At this point, I'm between upgrading my router or simply picking up an external adapter to catch the N signal and give me that range I need.

Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Medialink-Wireles ... 729&sr=8-8

Just curious, I have a 5100 in my T400s and it connects at either 2.4 and 5ghz just fine at 300 Mbps (nominally) and works just fine using N protocol. What benefit will you see fomr the 5300?
Thanks
Mike

HLG600 · #14 Post by **HLG600** » Mon May 09, 2011 7:28 pm

mpcook wrote:...and works just fine using N protocol. What benefit will you see fomr the 5300?

Can you please elaborate what you mean by the N protocol?

mpcook · #15 Post by **mpcook** » Mon May 09, 2011 7:46 pm

HLG600 wrote:
Can you please elaborate what you mean by the N protocol?

N as in 802.11agn. Right now I am connected to my Netgear dual band router on channel 157 using 802.11n protocol and it reports 300 Mbps although it likely gets slower real throughput (I think 300 is the nominal speed). I use WPA2-AES security. Works fine unless I get to the far reaches of my property, at which point I switch to my router's 2.4Ghz band which has greater range than the 5Ghz.

I have read on the web about problems with the Intel 5100 agn card, and when I first got it, I considered switching it out for a 5300, however so far it has performed very solidly so I am sticking with it. I think there are only a very few routers that can take advantage of the 6300 which can get 450 Mbps in theory, I believe with three antenna required. BTW I am not a networking expert so please take this as IMHO.

Mike

HLG600 · #16 Post by **HLG600** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:57 pm

Ah, okay. I checked the router (didn't install it myself) and turns out WPA2-AES wasn't activated, capping the connection speed at 54 mb/s. Since my internet speed was always stellar, I never paid attention to this before.

So, the 5100 supports N? My router isn't the best one, a Netgear RangeMax N150, and the connection speed only went up to 65 mb/s, although it can support 150 mb/s. Another laptop in the house with a Intel 6250 + WiMAX card is also connecting at only 65 mb/s. Internet speed is still strong, however.

I'm beginning to suspect a dated modem to be the culprit for the low connection speed. I'll stop by my service provider's local outlet and see if they can provide me with an upgraded modem.

Will post results.

craigmontHunter · #17 Post by **craigmontHunter** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:03 pm

If it is not a dual band router, then it may drop to the speed of the slowest connected client (I remember my old g router would drop to 11mb/s when I connected with my T41 with a 2100b, even for my dad's T61. The Router will not limit your internet connection speed (normally), since a g network can get > 2MB/s, which is plenty fast for almost everything. The higher speeds are good for file transfers and such. If you have a router/modem combo, the ISP may be able to help you (mine only has cheap 802.11g routers - still beats what I used to have, I just use a wire for large files)