Question Mini Wirelees card won't connect with XP PC

[onespeedbiker]

I wasn't sure which heading this belongs under, if it is better in Legacy I will understand if it is moved.

I have an old IBM Thinkpad R50. It as the OEM XP preinstall, the Ethernet works as does a PCMCIA Wireless card. The computer is more of a curiosity to me, so I have been trying to install a PCI mini wireless adapter (R50 advertised as upgradable to interior wireless adapter). One thing I have learned is the BIOS in these old IBM Thinkpads contain a whitepaper list of PCI mini wireless adapters, and rejects some with an 1802 error. I have tried several cards (they are very inexpensive on the internet). One adapter that passed the Bios was an Intel WBM3B2100 802.11b. Windows first loaded the wrong driver which caused a Blue screen. I rebooted into safe mode and loaded the proper driver I downloaded from https://thinkpads.com/support/Thinkpad-Drivers/download.lenovo.com/lenovo/content/ddfm/R50.html. BTW, the Thinkpad driver is the Intel driver.

After rebooting the adapter showed up in the systray as not being connected. I searched the Network list, but there was only a few of what is usually 8-10 networks and mine was not included; I have a Xfinity router/modem with 802.11ac. It should be noted the PCMCIA Wireless card is an 802.11b device, the same as the adapter card I am trying to install. I could find no solution for this, so I tired the drivers for the Card from Windows hardware driver list. I tried the drivers for my adapter and 2 out of the 3 drivers, (an old and newer versions of the same driver), not only loaded, but showed the long list of networks, including mine. I was able to link to my router, but it would still not connect. I tried all kinds of fixes, including enabling the adapter in Device Monitor and running the Troubleshooter in the Network Connection window with no success.

Does anyone have any ideas? I suspect is is a mismatch of some kind, but I can't figure it out. I have since bought another Intel B-2200BG card; the first one didn't get past the white list gate keeper.

 

[Dave8671]

Support 802.11b might not included with the newer modem types. If you were planning on getting on line with winxp that will be another issue. There are no updated web browsers that support winxp today.

 

[onespeedbiker]

First as I said I have a PCMCIA Wireless card that is also 802.11b that works just fine. Further Firefox has a rather esr version that woks very well with XP. Further after numerous attempts to make this wireless adapter work, I'm starting to suspect it is faulty. After trying different drivers, all identified as for this adapter, some that loaded previously )but didn't connect in the end), all I'm getting now is blue screens. I also noticed the card gets fairly warm, almost hot, which can also cause a wifi adapter not to work. I have one more card on order and if that doesn't work, I'll just use the PCMCIA.

edit: checked again and PCMCIA card is 802.11b,g

 

[Dave8671]

Getting hot is not good sign if light warm that's ok. Have you blown out Since this is a experiment. Try lubuntu for low ram laptops just disable the ACPI on booting for XP preinstalled laptops. I would use a secondary hdd for lubuntu if you decide to try it. I did that for testing different linux distros on laptops.

 

[onespeedbiker]

I would not say it was hot, more medium warm. Have I blown out? not sure what you mean

 

[jsmithepa]

Oh Thinkpad, good luck with that.

I remember working with IBM, they kept everything close to the vest, don't want users messing around with things. Between IBM and Compaq, I stayed away from them 'cuz they just threw enough proprietary stuff at u to make things difficult.

One of my coworkers I remember once got hold of a nice IBM server and tried to revived it, now this guy is no newbie, he builds PC for a company of 500, even him after a few weeks of dealing with it, he started kicking the darn thing and moved on.

 

[AllanGH]

he started kicking the darn thing and moved on.

Too bad....I used to have a NetServer that made a great step stool, if you didn't mind that long step up, and a decent seat when I ran shy of chairs in my office.

 

[onespeedbiker]

I'm pretty sure the issue with the one card (that got past the BIOS whitelist gatekeeper) is I need a card with 802.11 "g" so it will be compatible with my Xfinity router/modem (the card the BIOS allowed as a 2100 that only comes 802.11b) I have 3 XP notebooks; another Thinkpad R61i and a Dell Latitude d500. Both the r61i and d500 have mini-wifi adapters that can connect with my server and both are 802.11 b,g. As mentioned the PCMCIA card in the R50 connects with my server and it too is 802.11b,g. As I said I bought a 802.11b,g card, Intel B2200BG, but the particular model apparently not on white list, because I got the 1802 error (unauthorized wireless adapter).

I really like the old IBM Thinkpads, proprietary stuff notwithstanding. AAMOF, much of the proprietary software was way ahead of it's time. The only issue I have run up against is the lack of a list of allowed wifi mini-cards that the BIOS will accept. Regardless, the R50 does have for a working Eithernet @ 1gbps (rated by XP Network Connections), a PCMCIA card @54mbps, and a modern USB wireless dongle @ 400mbps. Still I want a mini wireless card to work, so I will be giving it one more try. I bought a second 2200BG, but a different model, and it was one of a very few mini wireless cards, that advertise being compatible with an R50, among other specified Thinkpads. My primary concern is a Thinkpad, like most other laptops, are not designed to be repeatedly disassembled, and if I keep doing so, it will not only be a laptop without a working mini PCI wireless adapter, eventually it will become a brick. without a working mini PCI wireless adapter So this will be it..

 

[Dave8671]

I meant blown out the dust from tbe vents omg I spaced.

 

[Dave8671]

Well I found this maybe it will help.

Intell wifi card


Than I searched its FRU number here


FRU number results

 

[onespeedbiker]

Thanks for that. I finally found a website that has IBM's "white list" of approved wifi cards. https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:R50 since I need an 801.11"g" to connect to my router, I found a Phillips (aka IBM) PH12127-E PH11107-E on ebay the same as the card described here which is an 801.11a/b/g. https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/IBM_11a/b/g_Wireless_LAN_Mini_PCI_Adapter

 

[Dave8671]

That should work like a charm. Thought that would point you in a direction.

 

[onespeedbiker]

We shall see I have already been bite with a few cards that advertised they would get past the white list gatekeeper, only to have the dreaded 1802 error, but I'm feeling better abut this one.