Re: Linux and IBM : "unauthorized" mini-PCI : TCPA updates

[Martin List-Petersen <martin@list-petersen.dk>]

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On Mon, 2003-06-09 at 14:57, Dana Lacoste wrote:
> On Fri, 2003-06-06 at 18:59, Martin List-Petersen wrote:
> > Eerh, dumb question here: Is this MiniPCI Wlan cards in general or how ?
> > I ask, because i've seen MiniPCI Wlan cards and i've seen cards that in
> > fact are PC-Card Wlan cards and a PC-Card-to-PCI bridge put together on
> > a MiniPCI card, just adding another PC-Card slot to your notebook and
> > inserting a Wlan card there (Dell TrueMobile 1150).
> 
> IIRC, it's the antenna PLUS the WLan card that gets FCC licensed,
> so you violate FCC rules by allowing a card without an antenna,
> and this is why even 'regular' pcmcia cards all have their own
> 'unique' antenna jacks, so you can't plug in an off the shelf antenna
> and boost your signal.
> 
> So the theory that the IBM laptops with built in antennas can't
> use just any mini-PCI card makes sense, even if it is stupid.
> They would have been licensed for specific cards only, and would
> be violating the FCC license to use other cards.
> 
> I hope that's all it is.  If they had some other reason I'd be very
> pissed off if I bought a stinkpad.  (Wait a minute, I did buy a
> stinkpad :)

Ever thought that you might buy a sparepart for a notebook that you not
have ?

It can be, that you can't buy MiniPCI Wlan cards in retail. But they are
available as sparepart !

Regards,
Martin List-Petersen
martin at list-petersen dot dk
--
No matter what happens, there is always someone who knew it would.


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