Anyone know the hack to install non intel wireless?

Long story short, have a toughbook cf29E had problems with my intell 2200 bg card, code 10 could not start. Bought an engenius 8602 plus S A/G and installed it and drivers cannot detect networks. Checked in bios that it is enabled. Could not see it so plugged in 2200 again and made sure it was enabled. Reinstalled engenius and still nada. Shows up in device manager as having no problems. When i search for wireless networks in windows it says no networks in range. When i go to network connections in control panel it says wireless network connection not connected. And it acts like it has been turned off. I checked it againsed another wirelss network and same result. Just like it has not been turned on. Now i did read about a hack to install non intel wireless cards but you have to cover up a couple of pins, i think it was one of JB007rules posts i cant remember, but does anyone have any details about this.?? Id like to try it to see if i can get this thing working right. Also yeah i did check my router settings, i have another laptop that has no problems. Also windows does detect the hardware of my wireless card.

Thanks

 

If I recall... This is something you had working at one point and then "turned it off" so you could use thethering software for your cell phone... (Am I correct? If so this could have a HUGE impact on the solution!) I think you need to go into network setup and disconnect or delete the tethering software that is causing a conflict with your wifi. There is a spot that asks how you want to connect to the Internet... It is probably set to the tethering software... Tell it to use onboard LAN.

I have installed the Engenous card into every model of Toughbook and have never had to cover or short pins to get it to work.

This probably was created and/or caused by the tethering software you installed... Or the settings it took over to get it to work via tether.

The simple fact is... There is no reason this should NOT work... Unless you changed other settings for your tether. If you don't remember what you changed and don't know how to get it back... Then you should reformat.

 

thanks for the reply toughbook. I have reformatted twice already. I agree with you it should be a plug and play thing but it aint. I have changed absolutly nothing in the setting page and as for tethering im not 100% what could have been done here to cause this. In the bios, like i said i see no wireless option and no cardbuss B controller only A. Also in the bios upon removal on the intel card i lost the centrino logo and now have a pentium M logo. Sorry for all the post but this is getting frustrating. I just want it to work LOL. Also no it never worked i had a code 10 with the intel card but periodically it would work for a minute or two then quit again. So i figured maybe a bad or going bad solder in the board. Also why would it say that my engenius card is disconnected when it sees it??

 

As I mentioned before in a previous thread, you may need to install the client utility that came with the card. You need to make sure that the radio is on within the utility. Then once you get everything working with the utilty, then you can change back to windows contriol if you want. The reason your card shows not connected just means it is not associated to any wireless network.

 

Did you turn off the windows wireless and enable 3rd party support? The Centrino logo goes away with any card other than Intel installed. It comes back if you reinstall the Intel card. Did you try scanning for networks within the Engenious software?

 

JB007Rules gave me these links, I don't think he will mind if I pass these on, the credit goes to him for supplying these links

http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/281167-toughbooks-atheros-ar5006x-mini-pci.html

From here we deduced that it was pin 11 & 13 for Atheros cards.

ALSO, try pin 7: http://www.minipci.biz/pin7.jpg

http://go.notebookreview.com/?id=52...review.com/private.php?do=showpm&pmid=1002586

... Use tape until you figure out which pin then use clear fingernail polish once you nail it down to make it more permanent.

thanks again to JB007 rules on the info and links.

 

I must be missing something because I installed a EnGenus 8602+S card in my in place of the OEM Intel, without altering any contacts, and it works fine.

Perhaps now that I have read about this problem it will cease to do so!

 

Hi thanks for all the replies. Firstly i did install the engenius software and drivers from the website, drivers 1.4 i think. Also it did say the radios are enabled. Also deere 245 what do you mean when you said "Did you turn off the windows wireless and enable 3rd party support?" Im not sure what you mean but i think you mean turn off windows zero config in services?? yeah i tried turning it off and still same result. Im not sure what you meant by enabling third party support? how do i do that and where? ALso yes i tried scannign for networks with the engenius software. Also just a DUMB question but im device manager it says SMC2536W-Ag2 dualband wireless cardbus adapter, now that is right for the Engenius EMP 8602 plus s A/G wireless LAN right?? I think this is an atheros chipset right? anyone know which one?
Azriel I hope you dont start having problems, ive only had this pile for 3 weeks and has already given me so much trouble. I was looking forward to getting this but now im thinking its been a waste. Im trying to get this to use with my wireless Automotive diagnostic software and so far NADA luck with it.
THanks Guys

 

Well since the original card was also giving you problems I would guess that the problem lies eldewhere, either the mini pci slot or the antenna system. One thing to keep in mind is that those u.fl connectors have a very limited amount of connect and disconnect cycles before they become useless due to high resistance. And that would be my guess since you probably have connected and reconnected many times by now.

 

THanks tough to go. So what would you suggest i do now to diagnose? what kind of resistance should i be seeing from the pins or connectors?

 

before you break out the ohmmeter, have you tried installing netstumbler to see if it sees any AP's? It will usually see them when the client utility or Windows cannot. You can then see if there is any signal at all. Next best thing would be to get a pigtail u.fl to SMA and connect a temporary external antenna and see if the signal improves. most u.fl connectors start to deteriorate after just 30 mating cycles. you should see about 15-20 m ohm on a good connector but you need to check directly on the card to directly on the antenna pcb to get accurate readings.

 

I was talking about wireless zero. I thought there was also a checkbox to enable 3rd party support. I may have been mistaken though.
I put a engenius card in my cf 50 and did nothing to any of the pins. I thought the pin issue was for laptops and cards that were oem to specific manufacturers. Such as a Thinkpad bios that sends a disable signal to anything but the original type of card. You block that pin, (pin 20 I believe) to prevent the card from being disabled.
As we speak, I am tinkering with an 881u USB WWAN card. It worked fine until I took it out of the case and wired a smaller battery to it. Windows found it and Sierra Watcher found it, but it would not finish initializing.
It turns out I had not connected any antenna. I wasn't trying to connect to any networks, so I thought I didn't need one. Once I reconnected the antenna it initialized quickly and works great.
Point is your problem may very well be the antenna. Silly thing to check, but is the card fully seated in the socket? I have had that issue with ram before. It locks, but it isn't fully seated.

 

Thanks tough2go and deere245. I just run netstumbler and it didnt find anything, or any APs active, Im currently running the TB with the cover off any seeing if i can manipulate the antenna wires to see if it will get a signal. Im sorry for all the bother I fix pickup trucks, which ironically have lots of wiring and processors, but im knew to TBs and all this GPS, which incidently worked great yesterday on my way to the inlaws. I dont think WWAN has anything to do with my wireless tho right? Also right now i am trying an atheros driver direct rather than the engenius 1.4 driver that wasnt digitally signed or whatever. Im sorry but im a persistant person and dont let anything beat me, well mechaincal or electrical anyways.

Thanks again

 

Careful running without the cover, this could fry your CPU as you are running without the heatsink and pipe. Hope I am not too late.

 

lol yeah i had a cool fan blowing on it not perfect i know but still by the way no luck with the wires, I know its something simple and really dum.

 

Last thing you could try is in your network connections try disabling and then reenabling the card.

 

You said you played with the wires.... Did you unhook any and, if so, did you put them back exactly as they were?

 

yeah i tried disabling and then re enabling and yes i also hooked up the wires exactly where they came off. Is there and isolated method of testing the antenna boards and wires?? or just ohm them out? like i said its gonna be something dum as occasionally it works for a few seconds then dont.

 

I have had this issue as well on a CF-50 and a CF-29. Try this.... install the Intel 2200bg card and load the Intel pro/Wireless 2200 software too. There is software on and off setting in this utility.

Verify it’s turned on and then remove the Intel proset software. Hopefully Windows will then pop up and say a wireless network is detected.

-Nick

 

Tried that Twice lol

Thanks for the suggestion tho. Im close to testing the durability of this pig.

 

I think we are coming to the point where someone who knows CF-29s VERY well needs to take a look at this.... From the ground up.

You had this working, then installed tethering software, then switched back and it doesn't work. You have either;

1. Broken something
2. Installed something incorrectly
3. Are leaving something out, however miniscule, that would solve this issue.
4. Bought a bad Engenous card

We are rapidy coming to the "Diamond Point"..... I have a 2 carat diamond... I can explain its "4 Cs"... But until you see it... You just won't know. If you see my point.

If it was working once... It should work now.

 

That is not your wireless card, but some card that sits in the pcmcia slot.
For the right card in device manager see picture below.

 

That card may be creating a conflict. Have you physically removed the
SMC2536W-Ag2 dualband wireless cardbus. Then uninstall it?
FYI This is a SMC2536W-Ag2

View attachment 54082

 

ok that was weird about the SMC thing, thats the software it installed when i went to the engenius website. After i went the the atheros website and installed their drivers it went from SMC to WAN 5006X but still dont work. Toughbook the wireless never really worked on this thing thats why i wanted to get an engenius. Im also not 100% what you mean by tethering software, im sorry for my ignorance.

 

I cut and pasted the original poster's posts from other threads to put all of the information in one post.
You said it worked when you got it. You got GPS working. OEM gps or aftermarket? Where is the GPS connected?


Hey all,

I have just bought my cf 29 E and am just getting everything set up. Finally got GPS to work but unfortunately my wireless has an exclamation mark and a code 10 in device manager. Im running windows xp pro SP3 and have googled the problem and gone to microsoft page to try to figure it out. The card is an intel 2200bg. Ive reinstalled drivers and followed pretty much every other tip i can find. What am i missing. It worked when i first got it. But me being me had to format everything and set it up MY WAY lol. sorry im sure this has been covered before but im stuck and cant find any other info.

thanks.


Another post

thanks for the reply guys. Unfortunatly in the bios it didnt even see the intel card as an option however occasionally it would work for a little bit. Im using the engenius drivers for the 8602 plus s and the software that came with it, its called wlan client utility. Is this better than the wireless configuration of windows.?? also i defaulted the BIOS and still nothing. Im going to try to install old intel card again but i dont think thatll help. Also my router is set to run in mixed mode as in a,b,g etc. Its a linksys wrt310n router with dd-wrt in it.



The bios does not say "Intel". It says Wireless LAN under the advanced tab. enable or disable are the options. You must have the Intel card installed for this option to appear and you must enable it for any wifi (WLAN) card to work.
That's why Toughbook said to install the Intel card and enable it in the bios, then replace it with the Engenious card.


Another post
Hey again folks,
Another problem for the gurus. i have a cf 29e. Just had it 3 weeks had more problems with it than its worth. Anyways i just received my engenius wireless card to replace the pile intel 2200bg. Installed it installed drivers, now every time i start i get an error saying resource conflict bus 02 device 01 function 00. Any ideas?? I have reset my settings in bios, nothing changed im also getting a code 10 in device manager saying it cannot start.

Any help or advice would be gratefully appreciated.
Many thanks

A hardware conflict has been created somewhere. I say disconnect the GPS since that seems to be where the problem started.

 

What's that crack supposed to mean!

I think that you will find out that they are quite durable, but really can't be made into a "Silk Purse."