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* Compaq WL200 [1]
* Vitals [2]
* Official Details [3]
* Pictures [4]
* Operating Systems [5]
* Linux [6]
* Windows [7]
* Firmware [8]
* Misc Notes [9]
* Known Issues [10]
* WL200 and WL210 Wireless PCI Adapter/Cards Will Not Function When
Installed In Computers with nVidia Chipset [11]
COMPAQ WL200
Very popular PCI card, not manufactured anymore, and can be sorta
kinda difficult to find.
VITALS
* MANUFACTURER: Compaq
* MODEL: WL200
* TYPE: PCI
* EXTERNAL ANTENNA JACK: Reverse Thread SMA [12]
* CHIPSET: Prism2
* POWER: 100mW max. (20dBm)
* RECIEVE SENSITIVITY: -84dBm [13]
* DRIVERS URL: Driver link is dead [14] so try a search [15].
* AVAILABLE NEW: (no longer in manufacture)
* AVERAGE PRICE: $170
* VITALS LAST UPDATED: 13/8/02
OFFICIAL DETAILS
Old model [16] - in German?
Otherwise the same search [17] as above.
PICTURES
OPERATING SYSTEMS
LINUX
Information on getting WL200's working in linux [18] can be found
How to set one up as an AP in Redhat 7.3 [19] using the hostAP
drivers
WINDOWS
Should work without hassles under Windows 95/98/Me/NT4/2000. Compaq
client utility clashes with XP wireless settings and most likely will
just crash the machine.To solve this right click on the config.exe
file click the
compatibility tab and set to run under Windows 95 or 98
compatiblilty.
FIRMWARE
See drivers URL to update to firmware version 0.8.0 which provides
the following (from web site):
Upgrades the firmware to Version 0.8.0 Upgrades the drivers to
Version 1.34 Improves the Encryption GUI Improves the Installation
aplication Adds 128 Bit WEP encryption Adds WiFi [20] compatibility
Adds Power Saving Mode Adds True 802.11 IBSS Ad-hoc mode Firmware
Update utility supports all operating systems Fixes PCI Card IRQ and
PCMCIA issues in Windows NT Adds support for Windows ME
Lots of companies made cards based on the Prism II chipset, and
provide BIOS updates far beyond 0.8.0, which is the latest you will
get from Compaq (eg. 1.4.2 from US Robotics). You can use BIOS
upgrades from any of these companies to update your WL200.
1.4.9 is the latest stable Prism firmware. A flashing tool has to be
hacked to flash this however. I managed to use a Dlink tool and a copy
of the firmware hex file to successfully flash my WL200. (Sneeze)
MISC NOTES
Doesn't require a PCI 2.2 compliant motherboard to work (eg. known to
work in a P200MMX or possibly even earlier machine).
KNOWN ISSUES
WL200 AND WL210 WIRELESS PCI ADAPTER/CARDS WILL NOT FUNCTION WHEN
INSTALLED IN COMPUTERS WITH NVIDIA CHIPSET
RELEASE DATE: August 2002
RESOLUTION
The WL200 and WL210 are not supported [21] on computers having an
nVidia-based chipset.
Despite this I have had success with Geforce4 MX440 on an Asus P4B533
board under W2k. NodeADD [22] - Thats because the P4B533 has an Intel
845E chipset, not an nVidia chipset. CHIPSET != GRAPHICS CARD!
I had problems with the WL200 in rh7.3, 2.4.19 kernel. Downgraded to
7.1 2.4.19kernel again) as I've had that working before and it works
beautifully. I don't really know what the prob is. I couldn't get it
to grab an irq in 7.3.
I had problems with my WL200 under 7.3 with kernels up to 2.4.18. I
switched to RH8 and grabbed kernel 2.4.20 from kernerl.org and patched
the wireless extentions up tp v15. It now works beautifully with
HostAP [23].
The WL210 doesn't work properly in any Windows 98 / ME / 2000 system
I've tried, whether using nVidia or otherwise !!!!
Links:
------
[1] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#compaq_wl200
[2] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#vitals
[3] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#official_details
[4] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#pictures
[5] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#operating_systems
[6] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#linux
[7] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#windows
[8] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#firmware
[9] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#misc_notes
[10] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#known_issues
[11]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#wl200_and_wl210_wireless_pci_adapter_cards_will_not_function_when_installed_in_computers_with_nvidia_chipset
[12] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RTSMAConnector
[13] http://www.intersil.com/design/prism/ser-pii-11mbps.asp
[14] http://www.compaq.com/support/files/networking/wlan/WL200.html
[15]
http://search.hp.com/gwuseng/query.html?la=en&qt=wl200&col=hpcom+ccen+ccenfor
[16] http://www.compaq.de/produkte/wireless/oldmod/wl200.htm
[17]
http://search.hp.com/gwuseng/query.html?la=en&qt=wl200&col=hpcom+ccen+ccenfor
[18] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?GettingCompaqWL200sWorking
[19] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?RedHatWL200AP
[20] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?WiFi
[21]
http://wwss1pro.compaq.com/support/reference_library/viewdocument.asp?countrycode=1000&prodid=516WL200&source=DN020816_CW01.xml&dt=3&docid=10062
[22] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?NodeADD
[23] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?HostAP
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