Swap out wireless card in laptop?

[XDelusion]

I noticed some laptop's wireless network card connects only with two tiny cables. Might it be possible for me to remove the one from my laptop that Aros does not support and replace it with one that does?

[CritAnime]

If your skilled enough, and crazy enough, then it may just work. Otherwise it will just end up a horrible mess like it did with me and some friends.

[XDelusion]

Well I'm getting used to opening up laptops so if it is possible I should be good. Though the question remains Will it for sure work?

[amigakid]

Well if you can pull it off, it will only work if you can find the correct driver or a compatable driver.

[Flashlab]

I did something similar with my laptop to run OSX on it. So, yes, it can be done. Note though that the tiny wires are the connection to its antennas; there should also be a connection to the motherboard with small slot with pins.

[Amiga_Nut]

IBM and Dell used to only accept their own branded mini-PCI wireless cards and wouldn't boot with a replacement non IBM/Dell branded one etc.

Other than that they're all interchangeable yes.

[whabang]

Most recent ones are minicards and should work. Google for BIOS compatibility before ordering the new card.

[XDelusion]

Actually, now that I have IcarOS set up on this and I've had a chance to spend a good night with it....


I think I'll just wait for MorphOS to get ported to the Power Book. I don't think I'm ready for AROS yet and would just rather use an OS that is all around more polished until AROS catches up to speed.

I do thank you all for the help though!

[Zac67]

IBM and Dell used to only accept their own branded mini-PCI wireless cards and wouldn't boot with a replacement non IBM/Dell branded one etc.

As does HP - but nothing breaks if you do try.

[B00tDisk]

IBM and Dell used to only accept their own branded mini-PCI wireless cards and wouldn't boot with a replacement non IBM/Dell branded one etc.

Other than that they're all interchangeable yes.

Funny thing; I have an IBM Thinkpad 390E - old old ooooold 333mhz laptop from ca. 1998.  So old it didn't have a wireless card built in.  But it did have an internal modem on a mini-pci slot, easily accessible from the outside of the laptop, behind it's own trap-door on the bottom of the unit, next to the RAM.  I removed the modem and connecting cable and test-fit a much newer wireless nic from a ca. 2005 dead Sony Vaio.

Windows 2000 (which is what's running on the 390e) threw a fit about drivers, but yeah, the laptop booted up just fine and plays nicely with the card once the drivers are installed.

I need to tear the thing down and route an antenna wire through the LCD bezel and hinges into the internals of the laptop, but it works fine without it (insofar as Win2000 "sees" the card and will load drivers - needless to say reception isn't quite what it could be...!)

Point being, that slot had a 56k modem in it and now has a "this doesn't work with an IBM" wireless card in it.  You never know until you try.

[XDelusion]

Well, now that I have spent a few more days with IcarOS.... I think I'll do this after all.

I was getting agitated because they system begins to run ultra flakey when UAE is running (even though I have 2Gb of RAM and a 1.4 Ghz CPU). So again, another dead end in regards to finding a stable and fast way to run my old Amiga Apps on a non-Amiga system, with the exception of WinUAE, but you gotta run windows to use that. :/

Anyhow, now that I have played with some of the AROS native apps, I am growing a bit more impressed with it over all. Granted, it still ain't no MorphOS by a long shot, but it's still pretty cool and addictive in its own right, so I might well just stick with it.

In the mean time I have a Compaq, so considering that this is now HP, I dunno if swapping out the Wireless card will work, but I might just order and try anyhow, assuming the price is right.

Now assuming I do order the card and it does work, how do I get it to recognize and further more, how do I get it on-line with the lastest IcarOS? Or is that in the included docs somewhere?

Oh, and which one do I need to order?