Ok, for the last couple of weeks, I’ve been researching the upgrading of the wireless miniPCI card in my TR1. It’s been rough because while there are a lot of miniPCI cards that support B/G and even A, not all of them are the necessary Type 3B size to fit into our TRs. The most common cards are all Type 3A (larger sized card) which fit into larger notebooks.
I know that some of the TRs already come with B/G and A capabilities (like nearly all Japanese import models and lucky US TR2AP3 owners) but it would be nice if the rest of us could possibly upgrade ours to have faster abilities.
So, with the recent availability of the service manuals and a recent acquisition of a new Type 3B miniPCI card, I will attempt to perform an operation on my TR1 and see if upgrading the miniPCI card is possible (which is most likely) and reasonably easy (maybe not likely). If sucessful, I will document all the steps with pretty photos and captions so that any of you that is daring/crazy enough to follow suit can avoid any problems. I suspect there maybe some trade-offs as the wireless on/off switch may no longer work (as I experienced before when upgrading a different branded notebook’s wireless miniPCI card), battery life may change with the card (but probably negligible), and wireless range may change (for better or for worse). So, I will make sure I test to the best of my abilities all of these factors.
Of course, the exciting thing is that this card I bought has B, G and A! If this does work then the only thing missing will be Bluetooth! :cry:
More updates coming in the next couple of days…stay tuned!
Just out of interest, why do you want to upgrade to a/g? I have read that most internet connections will never be able to produce download speeds to warrant it and if it is to move files between computers, you can always use the lan option. It is just that I have read many articles in the uk that advise against upgrading to a/g it would be better to wait, and that you won’t notice very much faster connections.
Great thread gr00vy! I’m actually considering upgrading my TR’s wireless as well, but I’m going to try an internal Bluetooth mod. Basically some Mac modders have stuck a USB Bluetooth adapter inside a PowerBook G4, and I’m looking to do the same thing with the TR. It shouldn’t be too tough, but I guess I have to crack open the case and see if there’s enough space!
[quote author=“Mrs Gadget”]Just out of interest, why do you want to upgrade to a/g? I have read that most internet connections will never be able to produce download speeds to warrant it and if it is to move files between computers, you can always use the lan option. It is just that I have read many articles in the uk that advise against upgrading to a/g it would be better to wait, and that you won’t notice very much faster connections.
I actually do a lot of huge file transfers (DV files and gigs of JPGs) locally on my home network. While I could use a standard ethernet cable it does introduce more cable madness that I’d like to avoid. If you saw what my “lab” looked like then you would understand. I’m already using a Wireless G PC Card on my TR and it’s noticeably faster for transfers. What would normally take well over an hour to transfer (which is totally unreasonable) only takes less than 10 minutes in some cases. 802.11b is fine for just surfing and checking e-mail and even streaming some audio with it’s max 5.5Mb/s transfer rate. On my wireless g connection (not mixed network) I can get a real 20Mb/s transfer.
So, in my case, I have a need for higher bandwidth. I agree that not everyone needs it…but then I’m not just anyone… :wink:
Cellery: that bluetooth mod is hardcore! I guess that’s one way to do it. I might have to look into that once I’ve completed this adventure. Or, you can fill me in once you’ve done it! :D
Currently inside of my TR…the whole process is very tedious…but i got to that miniPCI card slot…i should be back up and running pretty soon. Expect a huge update tomorrow… :wink:
[Edit]
Hell yes! It works! Success!!!! I still have to test it out on my G network when I get home but it works great with the B network here at my friend’s place. Also, the on/off switch works with the new card.
I’m going to be taking pictures of my work and start the documentation process. Hopefully a big post by the end of tomorrow.
[quote author=“cellery”]Great thread gr00vy! I’m actually considering upgrading my TR’s wireless as well, but I’m going to try an internal Bluetooth mod. Basically some Mac modders have stuck a USB Bluetooth adapter inside a PowerBook G4, and I’m looking to do the same thing with the TR. It shouldn’t be too tough, but I guess I have to crack open the case and see if there’s enough space!
I’d love to know how that turns out. I’m curious how the reception is affected by a mod like that, being that both the TR and the TiBook have metal cases. A G5 with BT requires an external antenna in the back for usable reception, from what I’ve read.
After taking it apart, it seems like the TR’s case is mostly plastic with some metal flakes mixed in. It’s definitely not pure metal like the TiBook was, which caused horrible AirPort reception compared to the previous generation PowerBooks. In any case, I need to brush up on my soldering skills before attempting anything! Looking forward to your results, gr00vy.
Here’s a little teaser with the Device Manager…no more Intel ProWireless 2100 device…
It will be hard to test range since I didn’t have the equipment to make an accurate reading. However, I figure if the wireless performance is the same as the old Intel ProWireless (based on number of bars I get at my usual locations) then I should be able to give some sort of feedback about it. The ultimate test will be at my parent’s place the next time I visit them. There is one spot in their house that is hard to get a signal in. The Intel chipset does pretty well there compared to my old P2120 and my sister’s G4 PowerBook.
So, now I have a TR1AP+!!! Now the only thing missing is the Bluetooth. When I was inside the system I really didn’t see a lot of room for a Bluetooth module…but it might be possible. Also, the hard disk seems like it could be upgraded without too much trouble…if they ever come out with 60+ GB sizes…
[quote author=“cellery”]After taking it apart, it seems like the TR’s case is mostly plastic with some metal flakes mixed in. It’s definitely not pure metal like the TiBook was, which caused horrible AirPort reception compared to the previous generation PowerBooks.
True, but most of the outer surface skin of the TR is magnesium, so there will be at least some reflection. The real test is for someone with actual soldering skills. I’d make a molten puddle of my USB port…
gr00vy: I’m definitely excited to hear about your little experiment.
The inside of the TR is definitely more cramped than I had thought, as shown by gr00vy’s pic and my experience. I may have to strip off the plastic covering on the BT adapter to get it to fit. In any case, I got the BT adapter to work after connecting the USB cable wires to the leads on the motherboard.
Cons:
- Bluetooth always on (unless I can somehow tie it in to the Wireless switch)
- Loss of usage of the USB port
The range is about the same, since the palmrest/keyboard component is plastic. I may end up just getting a 3Com PCMCIA Bluetooth card and have it “internal” that way since I never use the PC Card slot anyway.
gr00vy: Does this mean you’re going to be selling your PCMCIA 802.11g card? Let me know if you are!
Ok, I’m still working on my article. It seems I’ve come up with some very interesting issues regarding WPA. It really has nothing to do with the upgrade itself but it’s something that everyone should know.
I’ll cover it more in depth in the article but the basic gist is that enabling WPA comes with some performance penalties so even with 802.11g your performance may not be so rosy. It’s still better than 802.11b but in some cases only a little better. I’ve determined the problem to be with my router and not with the miniPCI card that I bought so that’s a relief.
This is with a Microsoft MN-700 Wireless AP/Router. Most AP/Routers will suffer a 10-15% performance penalty when WPA is enabled. Microsoft’s product suffers a ghastly 50% penalty. I think most of this is due to the immaturity of the specification and firmware updates can help. Ok, back to the article…
Just back from a weekend over seas. Glad to see you guys are still posting great stuff.
Good news - i’ve decided to jump into the tr world before the end of the year and probably the T1 too. I hope gr00vy finished his review on it. I haven’t checked yet…
