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General discussion

To wire or not?

Mar 15, 2005 6:23PM PST

I have a presario 2100. It has a wireless mini-pci slot on the laptop and i found a card that will work. But i havent/ couldn't find the antenna cords for the wifi when i cracked open the slot. Am i outta luck?

Discussion is locked

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Time to call mother.
Mar 15, 2005 8:14PM PST

That is HP and see if they offer such. I know that on hp.com I often find the model laptop and documentation but you have to do that. The 2100 is a series and ... not the model.

Bob

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Model
Mar 16, 2005 12:56AM PST

DA722AV

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Maintenance and Service Guide
Mar 16, 2005 1:15AM PST

compaq.com

... I don't read such for you. I only guide, I don't do your work...

Bob

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Page 4-10...
Mar 16, 2005 1:18AM PST

Has the part numbers you want...

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Based on experience with other brands...
Mar 16, 2005 3:54AM PST

you may or may not be able to do that. If wireless capability was an available option to purchase on that specific model, but at the time you just didn't buy yours with that option, then you might be able to add a mini-PCI card inside. Typically, they installed the thin antenna wires in the case for all systems of that model number coming down the assembly line, but simply didn't install the mini-PCI card in those that had been ordered without the option. Look for the little wires laying somewhere inside there (they are thin wires, usually 2 of them, with tiny little connector buttons on the ends...)

However, if your specific model was not one that had a wireless option, then the factory probably didn't put any antenna wires in there in the first place. You can buy all the mini-PCI cards in the world and none will work as there is no antenna and nobody makes an after-market internal antenna.

With laptops, either they designed the internal layout to accomodate an antenna (which they put into all systems with or without the card installed), or they didn't.

As Robert strongly suggests, you must conduct your own research to find the specific answer about your specific model. We can't do it for you from here. But now you know what to look for.

dw

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It's in the service manual.
Mar 16, 2005 4:07AM PST

I found the service manual at compaq.com in 3 clicks. c00246219.pdf in google and you find it on the first page.

You are right. Not only the wires, but the ANTENNAS are in the lid and it looks like TOO MUCH FUN to add such later.

The part numbers and diagrams are in the manual for easy reference.

Bob

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yup
Mar 16, 2005 4:25AM PST

numbers 13 and 14 in the diagram. The parts list has "no" in the column for user replaceable. The exploded picture shows them below the lid, but outside the case - which is impossible, they have to be inside, connected to the card somehow. I think it was just artistic license to get them somewhere in the drawing, knowing full well that it couldn't matter to an end user as it is not a serviceable part. Note that the diagrams and parts list are for the generic 2100 series, and I stand by my notion that even though the drawing shows the potential presence of the antenna, it may or may not be in that actual one. He's got to find it himself - and if he didn't find it easily the first time (hence the question here) it may very well be that it isn't there at all, never was, and never will be. If so, it's too bad he spent good money for the mini-PCI card. Or maybe he just has to look harder now that he knows what to look for.

dw

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(NT) (NT) This is where a PC-Card wins.
Mar 16, 2005 4:40AM PST
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'xactly.
Mar 16, 2005 5:06AM PST

Everything necessary for correct operation is in the external slide-in PCCard. You can buy just the right one for your needs, particularly if you are trying to connect with one of those proprietary speed-burst types. And even if the antenna wire is found, some laptops have their own treatment of certain functionalities (like the on-off switch) or pin-outs of the mini-PCI slot (alternate brand cards in my Toshiba require a certain two of the pins to be covered with tape before snapping the card into the PCI slot.) I bring all this to the table, not to "argue" any points with Bob, but to further illuminate some of these nuances for the edification of the assembled masses who might be stumbling through this thread... Particularly with laptops, things inside there may not be what you think or hope. Research them completely before spending any money. Happy

dw

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So...
Mar 16, 2005 5:32AM PST

im screwed hu? i didnt see the antenna cables when i looked at it, could they be hiding somewhere? and what do you mean that they 'the lid'?

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Did you look at the picture...
Mar 16, 2005 5:46AM PST

the thin wires connect the nubs on the card to the actual antennas. Those are the little square patches in the drawing. The antenna loops are stuck on the inside somewhere - maybe along the back edge, or maybe the wires lead up through the hinge to a place behind the LCD panel, dunno exactly on yours without taking apart one like it with known wires. Since the wires, by definition, are intended to connect to a mini-PCI card and there is only one such slot on the motherboard, it would reasonable to expect that the loose ends of wires, if installed at the time of manufacture, would be resting somewhere near the slot. If there are no thin wires with tiny little brass nubbins visible somewhere near there, I fear yours was built without them. Sorry. As Bob noted a few posts up, your only solution is a PC-Card. It is too bad your purchase of the mini-PCI card was for naught.

dw

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Digging around
Mar 16, 2005 12:55PM PST

i went in again and dug around... im not atall sure what im lookng for when looking at where the screen meets the deck... and then looking at the wireless slot theres a cord that runs from the back (where the antennas would be) to the front.... but are cover up by some black plastic 2"x2" piece of tape/sticky stuff... so i started tearing it... but the cord just runs past... im assuming its from the sound card and speakers to the headfone jack and mic jack.
im screwed... but i was gonna buy the parts and take it to a serivice place here.

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Did you read the service manual?
Mar 16, 2005 8:34PM PST

I noted the page to look at.

Bob