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

[Derek Fawcus <dfawcus@cisco.com>]

I can't say I'm too suprised.

This is fuzy recall,  but I seem to remember reading that 802.11? mini-PCI
cards are not type approved (radio licence) by themselves,  but only in
combination with the system they are to be fitted in.

Hence they're not supposed to be available retail (now someone'll go and
point out where they are :-)

Mind,  that should just mean that the user makes changes at their own
risk,  I wouldn't have thought that the PC manufacturer would have been
required to limit the choice of usable radios.

However given some of the obligations placed upon manufactures of the
radio cards,  so that the user is prevented from changing configuration
of the radio cards themselves,  I'm not too suprised - e.g. limits to
prevent a user from raising the TX power to illegal levels,  despite
the fact that they could easily still use illegal antenna gain.

DF