Replacing the Wireless card of a T61p

I have an US Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN card.
I need to change it to an European one (also Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN), because of the extra channels (12 and 13).

To do this, do I just need to change a configuration or I have to buy a new one and install it?

Is it easy to install? Or does it have to be a specialized shop?

Also, can I buy any european Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN card? Or different laptops use physically different versions of this card.

Finally, should it have a signature with an IBM FRU?

EDIT: Here's the other thread on the subject (with the answer).

 

I was surprised in another thread that the card has to be Lenovo to be recognized and accepted by the BIOS.

If that is true, you may want to just get an inexpensive wireless usb dongle or pcmcia card if you need those added channels.

Or, at least compare the cost and time with a Lenovo part purchase.

 

Who's posting this false information that the card has to be Lenovo? Put a link up.

Just checking the configuration page lets you see this is not true:
-ThinkPad 11a/b/g Wi-Fi wireless LAN Mini-PCIe US/EMEA/LA/ANZ
-Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
-Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 4965AGN (supporting Centrino Pro)

I have an intel wireless card in mine.

 

Answered for you: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=202691

 

no, Elfroggo..

I don't need to put a link up because I have direct experience. It's well known among wireless fans and WWAN users that there is a bios check for specific Ven numbers in HP, Lenovo and Dell notebooks. The Ven numbers of wireless cards are modified specifically for HP, Lenovo and Dell notebooks in the think pad series.

IF you want to check the hardware manual under BIOS posting errors you may lookup BIOS posting errors 1802, 1803 and 1804 which are the BIOS error messages issued by the bios when non- lenovo wireless cards are installed internally in the mini-pci express slot.

In my own experience I received one of the 18xx errors when I purchased a Sierra verizon WWAN made for a DELL. The same card made by Verizon worked fine.

The 3000 series does not seem to have this bios feature as I have installed an atheros card not purchased from Lenovo.

For more information... you may google No-1802 Error.

I accept your apologoy for your incorrect contradicition.

 

Already seen your answer, optomos. Thanks. Now I just need to know how to change the wireless mode.

And, yes, apparently the Wireless card has to be from Lenovo (like Renee said):

 

How to change the wireless mode?

 

I think he means change it to use channels 12 and 13... I have not seen a posting indicating that it can be done by driver/software only. Those frequencies are not allocated to WAN in the US. so a card capable of broadcasting in that range would not get FCC approval. I'm betting that it will require a hardware change. PCCard or USB would be much easier.

 

actually... from what I've read, US cards are coded to listen passively on 12 and 13 but will not transmit. You'd have to have a European router and card to do that.

 

Correct, listening is OK, broadcasting is verboten. However, it is not clear if the hardware is disabled or not. Here is what Intel has to say about it:

WiFi Products

Moving From One Regulatory Domain to Another and Channelization

Symptom(s):
Unable to determine how the channels work when I move an adapter from one regulatory domain to another. For example - I have a Japan adapter which does 802.11b channels 1 through 14, and I travel to the U.S. where only channels 1 through 11 are allowed.

Solution:
There are three basic regulatory channel ranges.

1 through 11 for Americas
1 through 13 for Europe
1 through 14 for Japan

When scanning (checking for available wireless networks) - the adapter only does active (transmitting) scanning on channels 1 - 11, and does passive (receiving only) scanning on channels 11+.

When in ad hoc mode (adapter to adapter) - only channels 1 to 11 are selectable or usable.

When in infrastructure mode (adapter to access point) - the channel that the adapter utilizes is the same as the access point (AP) is using. Hence the AP is assumed correct for its regulatory domain and the adapter is likewise using only allowed channels. http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/CS-006064.htm


Note the part about assuming that the AP is using a channel that is correct for its requlatory domain. Maybe the card will link up with the other channels, without any changes on your part. Try it when you get there...

 

But it's not clear if that is only applicable to Japanese/European cards... That is, cards can receive/transmit in less channels, but not sure if they can receive/transmit in more channels (US ones)... Not sure, though.

Offtopic: bsodder, I was looking at your sig. Do you know that 32 bits Vista can't use 4 GB of RAM?

 

Its based on the AP/Router that is transmiting the channels. So if he goes to that country and is in infastructure mode, the card will work with those channels.

 

Arlab - yes, I knew that before I bought 4g ram. I plan to upgrade to Vista64 as soon as a couple of compatibility issues are solved. It turns out to be a good decision, based on recent discussions about BIOS 2.07 and the 4g/FX570m issues. Apparently, Lenovo is blacklisting non-Lenovo RAM chips, and will no longer support a planar replacement if non-Lenovo chips were used. Sigh....

 

Whoa, so using 3rd party RAM/WLAN cards in a Thinkpad is unstable/impossible?

I'll have to think twice before ordering mine then...

 

"Whoa, so using 3rd party RAM/WLAN cards in a Thinkpad is unstable/impossible?"

That was third party mini pci express card.

 

Does this apply to processors as well? (has to be purchased from Lenovo), or only parts that are supposed to be FRU?

 

Yes for the RAM. The latest BIOS versions don't allow it. But this procedure is probably illegal, so I guess it won't take long until they drop it. As for the wireless cards, I also think so... but many people have Atheros cards installed and not Intel... Does this mean that those Atheros cards also have approved FRUs by Lenovo? Don't think so...

Don't know, but probably only parts with FRU....

 

Yes I was wrong

thanks for bringing it to my attention