HP Whitelist Question

Ok, just got my dv4z today (technically yesterday) and the wireless card works PERFECTLY, until I try to connect to my TRENDnet TEW-633GR Wireless N router.

So, is it possible to replace the BCM4322 inside my dv4z with something else (like the 5300 that would have been in my dv4t)? Because everything else, EXCEPT this Broadcom wireless card in my laptop works perfectly with that router. Including the wireless N card in my desktop.

The only way i've found to bypass this whole issue is to allow the network to be open. Now, being me, to compensate for that, I put on mac address filtering.But even then, when your right next to the router, and it says it's getting 1mbps, something needs to go, and a replacement for that 633GR is at least three times as much as a new Intel 533AN_MMW.

SO, anyone got any ideas? I've been searching the internet for the better part of 2hrs making sure I had SOME clue about this issue, and the one thing that seemed apparent was that only the mini PCI cards had any mention of that whitelist attributed with them.

Also after seeing atleast one person with the exact same TRENDnet Broadcom issue as me, removing this thing seems all the better for long term stability.

ANY help would be apprecianted, as I REALLY love this laptop. Which happens to be my first HP, and only my second ever laptop after my HEL80 (L 8:15 Supra from PowerNotebooks).

 

Alternate approach: buy a Linksys WRT310N from Amazon ($90) or Best Buy ($110 sale this week), flash in the excellent DD-WRT Linux firmware, and since it uses a Broadcom radio that should fix your compatibility problems but good. Or wait a bit until the WRT610N ($150, dual band, more internal memory) gets DD-WRT support.

 

Good idea, more expensive then I was going for but still a really good idea!

Although, in comparison, the router I WAS looking at was actually more expensive then the linksys router. And with simultaneous dual band operation, that WRT610N is looking quite attractive. Physically, and technologically.

Plus, I already have DD-wrt on my Asus WL-500G Premium, and love it. Especially since unlike the TRENDnets interface, dd-wrt actually works on Firefox 3.

My only fear with the 610 is that apparently it seems to have issues stemming from overheating, but a simple fan mod would solve that issue. And since DD-WRT is atleast pretty near to being released (took me 18 pages of a thread on their forum to figure that out! lol) I would have no issue waiting.

Thanks for your reply, because I had not even considered a linksys router.