[ok]minipci wireless card on thinkpad

[pcandpc]

Hello?

I am installing a miniPCI wireless adapter

on ThinkPad, and I'm getting the following

error message upon reboot:

Error 1802:

Unauthorized network card is plugged in -

power off and remove the miniPCI network card.

I called IBM and advised me to update

the BIOS, and that didn't help.

I called the card's manufacturer and told

me that IBM "hard locks" their miniPCI

to work with their own components.

Am I really out of luck?

By the way, the card is from Gigabyte and

the model number is GN-WI01GS.

Gigabyte says the card would work with

Toshibas though.

Thanks.

Edited November 16, 2006 by pcandpc

[bonestonne]

have you tried putting the card in after booting, or is it required to be in before?

[ripken204]

have you tried putting the card in after booting, or is it required to be in before?

it required to be in there before.

but ibm does block them, and there are ways around it

http://www.command-tab.com/2006/02/26/unau...wireless-cards/

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Problem_with...CI_network_card

[pcandpc]

Hi bonestonne and ripken204,

Thanks for your feedback.

ripken204, your links are very informative.

It sounds that BIOS manuevering is something

doable, but there are risks involved as always

in doing something new.

So, I think I'll just wait around and see if new

BIOS updates come along from IBM.

Besides, I could just bypass the error message

by delaying the adapter insertion until after the

complete boot into the OS.

Afterwards, Windows recognizes the adapter

with the driver from the card's manufacturer.

[Zxian]

Do not plug in your wireless card into the miniPCI slot after the computer has been started. You will cause damage to the system.

A PCMCIA card can be safely inserted and removed from the system, but this is not the same as a miniPCI.

I had this problem with my old Compaq laptop. Strangely enough, going to a previous version of the BIOS removed the problem. You might want to try any BIOS version you can find. If one works for you, and doesn't cause any system problems, then keep it.

[LLXX]

So, I think I'll just wait around and see if new

BIOS updates come along from IBM.

I doubt IBM is going to 'unlock' it with a newer BIOS version.

There should be unofficial BIOSes (modded) floating around on the Internet... it's a bit risky but is deemed the best way. If there are reports of many other users with your model that have had success, you will probably be fine too.