Changing the mini pci-e wireless card? Whitelisted Bios?

[DOOM]

Hi,

i tried to change this really sucking broadcom card. But after replacing - the hp2133 dont start up again. I tried two cards, Intel Pro/Wireless and some Atheros. Same result, only black screen, no harddisk spin, no error message.

Seems that HP embed a whitelist into bios.

Unfortuanally i put the pc togeter again and iam not in mood to do all this screws again yet :-)

Somebody have experience in bios patching? I did some search at google and found a few solutions for other hp notebooks. After a quick&dirty search in bios i was not able to locate a whitelist. Maybe they only embed the broadcom id and no other cards. Maybe its enough to remove the pci irq entry. Because without any wireless card the pc boot fine. But i dont know the os will be able to acess the card then?

I think, first i need to locate the bios, i would like to be able to reprogram the flash (SST25LF080) externally if i screw up something.

Some hint or somebody is interested to get on?

DOOM










Datasheet
http://redoom.org/S71248.pdf

Tools
http://redoom.org/tool_8_RC1.rar

[scott4957]

This topic interests me, I would rather have an Atheros based card for use with linux. I have heard people saying that wifi cards used in other HP/Compaq should work find and would be on the list. Any way you could get a hold of something like this and give it a try? I would like an b,g,n or a,b,g,n in an Atheros chip set.

Scott

[DOOM]

Ive ordered a 25LF080 for backup, if it arrives i can begin patching.

[marduk]

Yes I'm interested too. I would like to be able to run aircrack. Honestly though I thought the Broadcom was considered okay. Not so good? Can it inject packets?

Regardless, an Atheros option is interesting.

[mikez]

Depends on the chip set - Broadcom makes a lot more than one model.
With the HP-2133 - it also depends on which one HP shipped in your machine. Four known to have been used.
Usually, the Aircrack drivers are very much up to date - try it and report back - please mention which Broadcom chip set is in your machine.

[dtbriden@fuse.net]

Is Broadcom the actual wireless device? I can't get my wireless to turn on blue???

[mikez]

There are at least two Broadcom devices in there, your wired NIC and your wireless NIC.

Are you using a particular OS? What version of which OS?
The general answer is: device has power, is not enabled; install proper driver and enable.
No details in == No details out.

[medozas]

Hi together ...

I've just been running into the same problem like you. Got a wonderful nice and shiny Intel 4965AGN here and as I want to get that one into the machine -> black tft -> no system.

This is really stupid, who ever got this idea of whitelisting something that way?

Is there any success regarding the "custom" bios? I already have tried F5 E from HP from the Aug. 23rd or so -> no change.

For me it is rather important to have the capability of setting the card into monitor mode. Any suggestions welcome. (except from additional pc card express stuff)

mike

[medozas]

I have just called HP directly o get more information about this.

They said that the only PCIe-cards which can be used in the HP2133 is the Broadcom 4711 and 4712, thats it. They (at the moment) do not intend to extend the support for other models (I asked for the Intel 4965 AGN), and the issue about the "starting failure" (black screen) is known to HP.

Would be great to know, if anyone has made the 2133 to work with any other models, as these broadcoms (sorry) really suck.

Mike

[stadifer]

A different WLAN card would be fantastic. I was on my MiniNote about 20' from one of my Cisco AP's at work which has a 7DBi omnidirectional antenna. Using the command line SSID scan utility in Xubuntu it reported that rating for the signal was 48/100. I was only 20' away on the same horizontal plane!