NC8000 and miniPCI wireless

Hi,

I bought a used Compaq/HP NC8000 and I figured out it DIDN'T have any
wireless card inside. =(

Now I've heard that starting from June 2004, HP BIOSes don't boot if
the miniPCI wireless card isn't HP certified.
http://www.notebookforums.com/showth...highlight=mini

I would like to register to this forum, but I don't have one of these
ISP email account.

I've checked my BIOS version and it's the revision right after June
2004. Could someone verify if it's true? Could someone send me a BIOS
released before June 2004? Here's the revision history (my BIOS
version is F.13):
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/fi...sion/8026.html

Thanks,
Deko

"Deko" <> wrote in message
news:G2sff.23630$_...
> Hi,
>
> I bought a used Compaq/HP NC8000 and I figured out it DIDN'T have any
> wireless card inside. =(
>
> Now I've heard that starting from June 2004, HP BIOSes don't boot if the
> miniPCI wireless card isn't HP certified.
> http://www.notebookforums.com/showth...highlight=mini
>
> I would like to register to this forum, but I don't have one of these ISP
> email account.
>
> I've checked my BIOS version and it's the revision right after June 2004.
> Could someone verify if it's true? Could someone send me a BIOS released
> before June 2004? Here's the revision history (my BIOS version is F.13):
> http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/fi...sion/8026.html

Having a eariler BIOS is not going to help. "nc" class notebooks never
allowed non certified cards and stopped the boot process. It was in the
"nx" and consumer class notebooks that the check was included over time.
Your only embedded choice is to use a HP certified card... of course you can
any PC Card that you desire.

Phil

Hey, yes! Go with an inexpensive PC Card (PCMCIA) for wifi. PCMCIA wifi cards
have the great advantage that you can add an external antenna to boost the
signal... Ben Myers

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 12:58:03 GMT, "Philip Doragh" <> wrote:

>"Deko" <> wrote in message
>news:G2sff.23630$_.. .
>> Hi,
>>
>> I bought a used Compaq/HP NC8000 and I figured out it DIDN'T have any
>> wireless card inside. =(
>>
>> Now I've heard that starting from June 2004, HP BIOSes don't boot if the
>> miniPCI wireless card isn't HP certified.
>> http://www.notebookforums.com/showth...highlight=mini
>>
>> I would like to register to this forum, but I don't have one of these ISP
>> email account.
>>
>> I've checked my BIOS version and it's the revision right after June 2004.
>> Could someone verify if it's true? Could someone send me a BIOS released
>> before June 2004? Here's the revision history (my BIOS version is F.13):
>> http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/fi...sion/8026.html
>
>Having a eariler BIOS is not going to help. "nc" class notebooks never
>allowed non certified cards and stopped the boot process. It was in the
>"nx" and consumer class notebooks that the check was included over time.
>Your only embedded choice is to use a HP certified card... of course you can
>any PC Card that you desire.
>
>Phil
>
>

> Having a eariler BIOS is not going to help. "nc" class notebooks
> never allowed non certified cards and stopped the boot process. It
> was in the "nx" and consumer class notebooks that the check was
> included over time. Your only embedded choice is to use a HP
> certified card... of course you can any PC Card that you desire.
>
> Phil

I see... thanks for replying. It helps me.

What do you think of this card? It won't probably work.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=5830613124

I guess I should get that one for a safe bet. XD
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=5830893340

Does 108Mps really worth it over 54Mbps? Are Broadcom cards bad or are
just good as the Intel and Atheros ones?

Deko

"Deko" <> wrote in message
news:LJRff.53881$.. .
>> Having a eariler BIOS is not going to help. "nc" class notebooks never
>> allowed non certified cards and stopped the boot process. It was in the
>> "nx" and consumer class notebooks that the check was included over time.
>> Your only embedded choice is to use a HP certified card... of course you
>> can any PC Card that you desire.
>>
>> Phil
>
> I see... thanks for replying. It helps me.
>
> What do you think of this card? It won't probably work.
> http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=5830613124
>
> I guess I should get that one for a safe bet. XD
> http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=5830893340
>
> Does 108Mps really worth it over 54Mbps? Are Broadcom cards bad or are
> just good as the Intel and Atheros ones?
>
> Deko
Neither of those two cards will work in the nc6000... the Intel card because
it is a Dell version of the Intel card instead of the HP version and the
Broadcom won't work because while certified with other HP/Compaq notebooks,
it was not certified with the nc6000. You should notice that both sellers
use "may" alot about whether this particular cards will work in YOUR
notebook.

Phil

> Neither of those two cards will work in the nc6000... the Intel card
> because it is a Dell version of the Intel card instead of the HP
> version and the Broadcom won't work because while certified with
> other HP/Compaq notebooks, it was not certified with the nc6000.
> You should notice that both sellers use "may" alot about whether
> this particular cards will work in YOUR notebook.
>
> Phil

The 2nd item doesn't seem to use 'may' and the seller's nick is
'compaqparts'.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=5830893340

And it's a HP Compaq nc8000 and not an nc6000 btw.

You are worrying me even thought the label says
"HP Broadcom 54g Max Performance 802.11b/g Wireless Internal Mini-PCI
Card - BCM94306MP"

Deko

> The 2nd item doesn't seem to use 'may' and the seller's nick is
> 'compaqparts'.
> http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...tem=5830893340
>
> And it's a HP Compaq nc8000 and not an nc6000 btw.
>
> You are worrying me even thought the label says
> "HP Broadcom 54g Max Performance 802.11b/g Wireless Internal Mini-PCI
> Card - BCM94306MP"
>
> Deko

What is true for the nc6000 is true for the nc8000 since they share the same
core BIOS. Yes the Broadcom card will work in SOME HP notebooks, but it
will not work in ALL HP notebooks. It will only work in those HP notebooks
with which it was certified, and neither the 6000 or 8000 were ever
certified with any Broadcom based card.

Phil

> What is true for the nc6000 is true for the nc8000 since they share
> the same core BIOS. Yes the Broadcom card will work in SOME HP
> notebooks, but it will not work in ALL HP notebooks. It will only
> work in those HP notebooks with which it was certified, and neither
> the 6000 or 8000 were ever certified with any Broadcom based card.
>
> Phil

Grrrrr... so, which cards are known to work on the nc8000?

I think I'll just resell this laptop and get another one and probably
not an HP since they aren't fair enough.

Deko

Don't get too frustrated. Simply get a PCMCIA wireless card. Linksys and
Proxim are brands which I use regularly... Ben Myers

On Mon, 21 Nov 2005 15:24:31 -0500, "Deko" <> wrote:

>> What is true for the nc6000 is true for the nc8000 since they share
>> the same core BIOS. Yes the Broadcom card will work in SOME HP
>> notebooks, but it will not work in ALL HP notebooks. It will only
>> work in those HP notebooks with which it was certified, and neither
>> the 6000 or 8000 were ever certified with any Broadcom based card.
>>
>> Phil
>
>Grrrrr... so, which cards are known to work on the nc8000?
>
>I think I'll just resell this laptop and get another one and probably
>not an HP since they aren't fair enough.
>
>Deko
>
>

> Don't get too frustrated. Simply get a PCMCIA wireless card.
> Linksys and
> Proxim are brands which I use regularly... Ben Myers

And get an antenna in my way not as good as the integrated ones? I
rather prefer sell this laptop and get another one. But thanks for
comment.

Deko