Upgrading my wireless card

So I was among the first to receive a T61p and I have been very happy with it. However, I have one regret ...I didn't get the wireless card with "n".

So now I want to upgrade it but have a few questions before I start doing anything.

First of all, can anyone confirm whether or not all T61p's came with all three antennas installed? I tried searching the forums about this but have read contradicting answers. If it's a sort of luck of the draw thing, is it pretty easy for me to open up my computer and check?

Secondly, I will probably upgrade to one of the n cards that Lenovo offers on its confirgurations...but are those two my only options? Can I use any wireless card I feel like? Again I tried searching about this but read contradicting answers. Some people said the Bios is limited to only using the cards offered on Lenovo's website...others have said they've used any card. One person even claimed to use an Apple N card...and this could be very useful to me because this Apple N card supposedly doesn't even need a third antenna.

Finally...regarding the replacement process itself...has anyone else done this? It seems like it would be a pretty simple thing to do...but is there anything I should know about before I take my computer apart?

Thanks.

 

"First of all, can anyone confirm whether or not all T61p's came with all three antennas installed? I tried searching the forums about this but have read contradicting answers. If it's a sort of luck of the draw thing, is it pretty easy for me to open up my computer and check?"

I think they do. You can easily check by removing the palm rest and keyboard. The card is under the keyboard in the center and rear. Check to see if there is a third uninstalled antenna cable. If there is, count your blessings. Putting in a new antenna is a job.

 

I guess the WWAN card must use its own built-in antenna? You can configure a Tpad with both wireless N, and WWAN (just not WWAN and Turbo memory). If the wireless N uses all three antennas, the the WWAN must be self-contained, which would probably give you some performance dropouts...Or can the WWAN use the third antenna if you do not have N?

 

Yes, Introduction of the WWAN antenna's require radical replacement and re-arrangement. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Rambler encountered the same thing.

 

I just opened it up and took a look.

It appears that I already have three antennas there

So if I put in the new card do I have to be worried at all about the computer not recognizing it?

 

Only 2 antena were installed on mines

 

If it's a lenovo card.... and its a new model card... you may have to update the BIOS. If it's not a lenovo card.... it's not going to boot.

 

So if I want to buy this card: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN, which is a preconfigurable option on Lenovo's website...I wouldn't have to buy any special Lenovo version of it, would I? I can just buy it from anywhere, right? (I noticed that while Lenovo does sell some wireless cards alone, it doesn't sell the N one alone). Plus I'd be able to get it from buy.com for under $30

 

You need to buy it from Lenovo and here's why.

Cards have a Ven Number which works with Plug and play.

Dell, HP and Lenovo have cards made with their own Ven numbers. So only WIFI and WWAN cards sold by that vendor are compatible with respective BIOSs.

 

why would you want N anyways? is your internet connection any faster than 54Mbps?

Do you share files on your network wirelessly?

 

Yep .