dv6/7 6xxx series - WLAN whitelist and HP authorized wireless cards

About the wireless:

The dv6-6100 ships with the sole option of the Intel WiFi Link 1000, which is bgn and 1x2 (i.e., it does not support 5GHz wireless). The dv6-6100 service guide (c02842252.pdf) says the Centrino 6230, which is 2x2 and abgn, is an authorized card. Unfortunately, part number 631956-001 is not an abgn card, not a 2x2 card, and not even an Intel card. (It is also not on the BIOS whitelist).

Here's what we know:
HP Centrino 6200 - blocked
HP Centrino 6205 - blocked
HP "Centrino 6230" (Part # 631956-001) - blocked - and this part number is actually a 1x2 Ralink bgn card
HP Centrino 6230 (Part # 636672-001) - blocked
generic Centrino 6230 - blocked (there was a report one person got it to work on an old BIOS...)

Since HP is unwilling to help us, your only option is to return the laptop and buy one from a competitor, or take the high road and install a modded BIOS.

However feel free to keep trying the CEO's office since customer support is useless. (The CEO's office is technically useless too, as I already tried that and they had basically no technical knowledge whatsoever, but at least the person I spoke with didn't lie to my face like several areas of customer support did.)


(made a separate topic because there might be 10 people on this forum interested in this topic and it's drowned in the modding thead by backlit keyboard and LCD replacement posts. And furthermore, this shouldn't even be "modding" because HP's service guide claims we should be able to put an abgn card in this notebook. It's kind of akin to the switchable graphics doesn't do OpenGL thing, but less people care.)

 

So has anyone tried putting a Intel 6230 card in? I see these are running for about $25 on ebay.

 

A non-HP WLAN card is already a guaranteed failure. (Yes, people tried.)

 

It just takes incessant nagging to get someone who knows what they are doing to catch wind of our requests. The wireless card is pretty important to me since my school has pretty amazing wifi speeds, and it sucks if I can't fully utilize it...

 

Except for the 2 who got their 6230 to work on their dv6t 6xxx. They were using standard version (Non-OEM vender specific).
Then again there was several others that reported theirs failed.

There are bunch of high quality counterfeit versions out there.

 

Do you have links to those posts on hand?

 

Wasn't the whitelist cracked a few days ago?

 

If it was, I don't see any evidence of it at My Digital Life.

 

Here you go....the first one I found

http://forum.notebookreview.com/7428382-post3701.html

 

*bump* because this is a good thread.

It is ridiculous that a PC company would block certain hardware/let alone a wireless card in the BIOS. Let the people decide what they want HP!

I started researching the option to upgrade to a 5Ghz wifi card before I bought this laptop and was amazed by this limitation.

 

Well, you can make your own external usb version with some nice antennas.

 

USBMV-D ( Wireless USB Mini Card Adapter ver1.3)

 

Hi all,

New poster to the site. I just ordered an HP dv6t and was having the same problems with the networking card as everyone else (no 5ghz and the wrong product number listed when I wanted to upgrade to the supposedly allowable centrino 6230) however I may have found the right product number. I went through a ton of tech support and chat.

While it does state in the product description it is the right card, let's see what comes in the mail.

So are you ready, the part number to search for is 636672-001

Fingers crossed it is the right item and enjoy.

 

Please report back once you have it. If it actually works, I'm ordering ASAP.

 

So I am the guinea pig, fine. But when I am right it will be out of stock for you :tongue:

 

LOL. I'd be so crushed if it worked and it went out of stock.

 

I sec nd this request

 

It's funny I haven't even gotten the laptop yet and I already am modifying it, but once I get the part I will test it out and report back

fingers are greatly crossed, but the description is right

 

The name is "Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 half-minicard - 802.11B/G/N (Most of World)"... so I'm going to hope the lack of 802.11A is yet another typo in the parts store.'

It would just be too odd that HP really doesn't have the Centrino 6230 after someone in their driver team tested the card and drivers on the dv6t-6100 series.

we'll see in a couple days I suppose.

 

if you look at the HP ProBook 4530s product manual it does list 636672-001 as the intel 6230 card. I got the initial product info from an HP tech support person but a web search pops this information up and adds some confirmation. Plus I don't think there are two sets of intel 6230 cards one with A and one without.

 

When are you estimated to get your dv6t?

 

The laptop is scheduled for August 12, but since i ordered the card today i bet they come within a day of each other
Although of course I will boot the laptop with the card already in there to ensure there are no problems, then i might change it out later in the day

 

this thread is exactly what i was looking for. i've been wanting to upgrade my dv6tqe 6000 to a dual band card since i got it, but have been put off by what i've been reading. if this card which is being discussed actually works, it would be great to have a post on exactly how to install it. replacing drivers, etc. im a newb but hopefully i can follow directions. the hp manual doesn't make it look too hard, but still...

i really want to stream hd 1080p video and currently i get a lot of stuttering unless i stream 720p or less. hoping the new card would allow me to do this. fingers cross. keep us posted and thanks!

 

I found this an interesting read:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4590/bigfoots-killern-1102-wireless-networking-vs-the-world/1

 

thanks for the article, the only problem is that if you can't even get an intel 6230 chip installed unless it is bought directly from hp, try gettign that thing into your laptop when it isn't even listed as being compatable, or any others from that brand

 

mlev, has your Centrino 6230 shipped yet? I've been told the part number is back-ordered, which means "2-4 weeks" (but I'm assuming the worst, that it'll take longer than that).

 

I had both the laptop and the chip sent to my office (better on tax and when delivered during the day I am there) the laptop was delivered today and wouldn't you know it I was out at a Yankee game. The chip is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow and according to the tracking number is in VA.

FYI: The tech guy that ave me the part number said it was in stock, even though the little contact hp person was by the part number.

 

OK, Today is the day. I am just going to keep updating this same post throughout the day. I am in the office and have the laptop, the part is on a truck out for delivery.

So things I will update later.
1. Is the part I receive in fact the Intel Centrino 6230 card

** Key Update - The card is in fact the Intel centrino 6230 card (model number 62230anhmw, which according to the product brief at intel supports a/b/g/n) **

2. Is it in fact compatable with the DV6T

Sorry to report so late, but after uploading drivers, updating this that and the next it still will not load. I may try to update the bios. If someone has some advice as to what i should try to update to get it to work i will attempt it. The card is right although now tech suypport says it is not compatible and is refereing me to the old part number and saying that is the correct part number

3. Does it in fact have a/b/g/n or did hp do something to the chip. (not sure why they would buy a high end chip just to remove the a when that essentially makes it the 1030 chip, but if I understood HPs motives I might be a millionairre by now)

Answers to 2 and 3 will come after I get home from work. I will answer part 1 once the part gets to me.

Mike

 

So it tells you unauthorized WLAN card?

Are you currently running on the F.1A BIOS? I noticed that HP "released" a new Intel Bluetooth driver for the dv6t-6100 Quad Edition on the same day they "released" the F.1A BIOS.........

 

bios is F.17, 6/24/2011, i downloaded the bios f.1a should i run it, do you think it might do something?

 

Honestly, I don't think it will - but you should install F.1A anyway.

If F.1A still tells you the 6230 is unauthorized, you'd better shout off at the CEO's office, ask them to order their drivers/BIOS team to add the 6230 or remove the whitelist. (Because the service guide says the 6230 should work.) Everyone who tried to get the 6230 before you never got the parts store to acknowledge they even carried the card - now that we know there is an HP-branded Centrino 6230, we're that much closer to unlocking dual-band wireless for our dv6/7-6xxx series laptops...

 

i have already yelled at IT but i will instal the bios update and see what happens, you think i need to update the bluetooth and mifi drivers as well as the wireless routers?

 

yeah still not working. I'm going to write an angry letter tomorrow, I'm not exactly sure what I am going to do with the lappy, just based off my two days with their IT and me being so-so on the design. But if someone has any ideas I will be more than willing to test them out. Its so frustrating cause the part is an 6230 card, the manual says they are compatible, IT said they were, it should just work.

The IT guy tried to direct me to the old product number and I was like that is the wron card, then he tried to sell me the ralink and i said I wanted the widi. At no point did he try to troubleshoot the issue with me, just argue.

 

Call resolutions. I forgot their number though, somebody help me out here...

 

1-866-217-6014

7am - 2AM EST.

I suggested in another thread that they should add this as a sticky in the forums. that number is incredibly useful.

 

Can you try taking the card out and boot up then put the computer to sleep and install the card while asleep and then wake up the puter and see if it works. It should work this will just prove the card works and is compatible but the next time you boot it will give you the unsupported card error

 

Agreed, everyone should get on this number, the more the better. I know ill be giving them a call.

 

Tried that after you suested it but still a no go, still says not a recognized module

I plan on calling tomorrow and seein how they can resolve this issue. I'm just hopi there is a simple fix that just isn't obvious

 

General method to remove whitelist from Insyde BIOS

 

A mod of the BIOS is already in progress. Please add to the request at the link below.

HP Pavilion DV6 F.1A sp54024 Unlock/Whitelist remove Request

 

I think I just found someone that got it to work, please see the following link:
Request for whitelist removal dv7-6163us

The Model number is different but its the same filename for the bios, can someone please reconfirm its the case? we may just have struck gold. Please note that he had to rename the partition from HPTOOLS to OLDHPTOOLS before attempting the bios change (since it prevents the bios update for some reason if it recognizes the partition, it seems renaming is enough when before people talked about complete wipe of that partition).

IMPORTANT: If you do decide to flash this, please make sure you know what you're doing. Not only that but please take a backup of your current bios (maybe can be done with HPTOOLS onto an usb) and make sure you find out what exactly is the bios recovery method for these notebooks. As always, there are no guarantees.

 

my tools partition is named "HP_TOOLS". Can anyone chime in on if they have "HP_TOOLS" or "HPTOOLS"?

Also it seems that if you install the modded BIOS, you get stuck with default settings. If you play Minecraft, you don't get manual switching so this might be a deal-breaker. If you need VT, this might be a deal breaker if the default is off.

Hopefully saving settings gets fixed. I can afford to wait a bit.. so I'll jump on one of those Bigfoot Killer-N 1102 cards if this is confirmed working.

edit: I wonder what will happen first, a non-whitelisted BIOS with working saving settings, or this order shipping out?

 

I use Windows XP Mode sometimes so... I guess I'll have to wait. (Unless VT isn't needed for that?)

 

CeelUK, are you using a dv6t or a dv7t the original poster requested mod was using a dv7t

 

As long as the bios file is the same it doesnt matter. As far as I understand all the dv6t and dv7t being either 60XX or 61XX use the same bios, but you can reconfirm in the page.

 

Awesome

 

Neo, sent you a PM hoping you could clear a few things up for me.

 

Sorry, I just settled down most of my stuff from moving into a new apartment at school. The truth is I know as much as you do, probably, about installing the modified BIOS - i.e. I haven't read up any of the safety measures you should take to prevent bricking your laptop. There should be stuff about it at
HP Pavilion DV6 F.1A sp54024 Unlock Request

 

Well I got the card to work on my DV6T using this mod. Everything is good and it even kept the fixed mode graphics so I could switch between the two cards.

 

Yes, but the problem is it really screws up bios menu right?