While it is possible to get a Sony TR with more than just 802.11b wireless through import or the latest highend TR2AP3, many TR owners are left out in the cold unless they choose to buy a PC Card 802.11a or 802.11g card. Well, I figured out a way to upgrade the plain old Intel Centrino-based 802.11b into 802.11a, b and g. My experience and photos can be seen at:
presumably the Netegriti 802.11a & 802.11b & 802.11g PCMCIA Combo Card - WiFi Certified! Up to 108Mbps would do the same job if you were too scared to do the job you did. It also is a bit cheaper at $69.
Otherwise it looks as though you did a great job, very impressive. I guess i am too chicken to take my precious tr apart, any desktop no problem, but i couldn’t bear it if i messed up with my tr
Slightly off-topic, but has anyone managed to find any wifi software that works with the hardware in the TR2AP3 offering better functionality than the Windows Zero Config? I’m happy with the internal wireless, but think XP does a lousy job of managing different wireless networks - and provides very little information about the available networks.
Tried Boingo but it seemed a bit buggy. Has anyone used anything better? Or know where you can get some ‘utilities’ from the actual hardware manufacturer??
[quote author=“avidpaker”]I wonder if this would work in my TR2AP3? I absolutely despise the lan-express one, it is junk!!!
I suspect that this upgrade would work as well in the TR2AP3 since it’s just a matter of swapping the card out. I think the TR2AP3 uses the same miniPCI interface.
Is the lan-express one really that bad? I think it’s either based on the Orinoco chipset or the Intersil chipset. If it’s the former, then it should be pretty decent but if it’s the latter then I can understand why. My experience with Intersil based products are that performance and range is anemic. What makes the card junk? Wireless range? Slow performance? Dropped connections?
[quote author=“twynne”]Slightly off-topic, but has anyone managed to find any wifi software that works with the hardware in the TR2AP3 offering better functionality than the Windows Zero Config? I’m happy with the internal wireless, but think XP does a lousy job of managing different wireless networks - and provides very little information about the available networks.
Tried Boingo but it seemed a bit buggy. Has anyone used anything better? Or know where you can get some ‘utilities’ from the actual hardware manufacturer??
TIA,
Tom
Is there any indication of what the actual chipset is? Usually in the drivers there’s some clue of what chipset it is. I’m thinking it’s either Intersil or Orinoco. If you can determine which one it is then you can search the net for “OEM drivers”. These may include a generic configuration app that works better than the Windows Zero Config stuff. Many of the OEM drivers I’ve seen have some sort of config application that turns off the built-in XP stuff.
For those of you who installed the Netegriti EM-500AG cards, here’s an updated driver I found on Fujitsu’s site that has the latest version of the driver and an updated Atheros Clienty Utility. It also happens to support 108Mbps and SuperG technologies assuming your chipset supports it. I don’t think the Netegriti cards do but the ACU is updated for even more control.
When you download it and extract it, a main directory and will create a couple of subdirectories. The actual driver is in the WinXP directory. The ACU (Atheros Client Utility) is located in the Ateros 1.41 (yeah, it’s misspelled) directory. Don’t run the SetupDRV.exe in the main directory as it will try to install the Fujitsu specific stuff as well…and it will be in Japanese.
I just tried it on my Netegriti 802.11a/b/g card (which is Atheros based) and it works like a charm.
I’m referring to the latest Atheros based stuff out there on the market that they’re calling Total 802.11 or Super A/G. It’s Atheros’ moniker for their products. Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, etc all use Atheros or Broadcom chipsets and they don’t always say which technology they’re using so you’ll need to look for little logos saying which “super” technology they’re using or contact the company to make sure.
You “may” be able to hit these enhanced speeds over 54Mbps if your Atheros chipset is one of the newer ones. I’m guesstimating that newer Netegriti cards may be using the newer chips and may possibly support the new technologies. As it is, the Netegriti card should be able to do 108Mbps with compatible 802.11a wireless access points.
I should also mention that the software may add a registry startup item that loads:
DisableWinXPWZCS.exe
You probably want to disable this as it sat there and sucked up 200,000+ handles in Task Manager effectively making my system use 1.4GB of memory and dragging it to a stand still. It’s not necessary for the utilityor driver to work.
[quote author=“gr00vy0ne”]I’m referring to the latest Atheros based stuff out there on the market that they’re calling Total 802.11 or Super A/G. It’s Atheros’ moniker for their products. Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, etc all use Atheros or Broadcom chipsets and they don’t always say which technology they’re using so you’ll need to look for little logos saying which “super” technology they’re using or contact the company to make sure.
You “may” be able to hit these enhanced speeds over 54Mbps if your Atheros chipset is one of the newer ones. I’m guesstimating that newer Netegriti cards may be using the newer chips and may possibly support the new technologies. As it is, the Netegriti card should be able to do 108Mbps with compatible 802.11a wireless access points.
Thanks. I didn’t realize there was only 2 standards…I really ignored the ‘high speed’ notifications because I figured i’d never use an add-on 802 card in order to get the matched speeds. I need to try this at work to see if I can jump on our DLink 108.
Hey all, I am going to attempt to install the wireless upgrade to my TR2 this weekend. However, gr00vy0ne mentions about the importance of proper grounding techniques when working with electronics. I haven’t had much luck in finding research in this area. Can anyone please go through the basics of grounding, so that I don’t end up frying my computer? Any input is appreciated! Thanks.
Your local electronics store may have a wrist strap that can help minimize the risk. Or you can simply ground yourself by touching a piece of metal to make sure you’re not loaded with any static electricity.
Don’t be in a very dry room. Sometimes it helps to have a glass of water somewhere in the room (not near where your working) to help moisturize the air. Dry air produces static.
