Thinkpads Forum

Ok, I just pulled the factory-installed Intel 3845 Wifi card from my T61p (8891-CTO, 14.1-inch standard) and installed an Intel AC7260 in its place using a half->full adapter plate.

I wanted to put it into the WWAN slot so the bluetooth part of the card works, but I couldn't get the grey antenna wire to reach so ended up sticking it in the WLAN slot for now. From what I've read on here though, at least a couple of folks have managed to put theirs in the WWAN slot, so either there's some trick to freeing up more length on the grey cable, or they used that third antenna line (the white one) in place of the grey one. I'd appreciate hearing from someone who's successfully running this card in the WWAN slot, and how they dealt with the length of the grey cable?

Second, the corner of my palmrest by the right arrow key has been broken for a few years now - the bit with the threaded insert the screw goes into from underneath hsa broken free from the main part. I tried to glue it while I had it off for this, but that didn't work so I'd like to replace it. From the HMM, it appears I need FRU 42W3820 (palmrest with fingerprint reader, Thinkpad logo), but finding one it turning out to be a bit challenging.

I was looking at this on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Orig-P ... 0008.m2219

Looks like it might be the right size piece, I'd just have to transfer my touchpad and fingerprint reader parts over to it. Can anyone confirm that this is the right one for my non-widescreen unit before I take the plunge on it?

The Thinkpad/IBM logo is replaceable.
With FPR: 42W3820 or 42W2957.
Without FPR: 42W3819 or 42W2956

The link does not have FPR, so could be anything...

I doubt if that 7260-AC will work in the WWAN slot.
Remove any BT from inside the lid.
Then tape pin 51 to get the new BT working: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_OWzdeNmD8

RealBlackStuff wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:11 pm

I doubt if that 7260-AC will work in the WWAN slot.

Since the T61 has the much-maligned Intel Turbo Memory card in the WWAN slot, it has PCIe signals wired in. Therefore, WiFi cards will work. It's likely that you have to tape Pin 20 in order to activate the WiFi.

In my X61, I had to move the Intel 4965AGN WiFi card to the WWAN slot due to issues with the WLAN slot. If pin 20 is not taped/covered, the card is detected, but the WiFi radio is disabled (in some cards pin 20 controls WiFi enable/disable). With pin 20 taped, the WiFi functions normally.

Sorry, linked the wrong auction. The one I meant to link ended, so I'll just have to keep looking (will watch for both FRU numbers, and just transfer my logo/stickers as needed).

With that answered, I'll move onto the bluetooth-related responses, which have me a little confused.

From digging through old threads, I thought what I read indicated that the WLAN card slot lacked the USB "lanes" to allow the bluetooth part of this module to function, and that the only way to get both wifi and bluetooth working was to use the WWAN slot (note to axur-delmeria: this machine never had turbo memory, I bought it new as a CTO direct from Lenovo, and did not purchase that option). As noted in my original post, I found the grey antenna cable wasn't long enough to allow me to put the card there.

RBS, if I'm reading your response correctly, you're saying that I should get the BT function working by simply taping over pin 51 and sticking with the WLAN slot? I must have missed the thread that mentioned that when researching, I will give that a shot at my first opportunity. Certainly beats trying to figure out how to get another inch out of that grey antenna cable.

Oh, one more question, now that I'm thinking of it - is there any way to control via Windows10's Wifi control applets whether I'm using the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz side of the wifi? Or should I try to get AccessConnections working again (had it working, then uninstalled it because I thought it was causing my connection issues. May have been the 3945's ancient drivers playing up with it, I suppose)

so it still has the turbo memory pcie slot in there? then you could cut off the wifi wires and give them longer ends, or just find male to female extension cables from somewhere?

The WWAN/Turbo Memory slot is present, but has never been populated.

One hiccup back in April was that the hold-down screws for the WWAN slot are M2 (vs. M3 for the WLAN slot) and slightly shorter, and since my T61p has an upopulated WWAN slot there were no screws in there waiting to be used. I recently located/acquired a couple, so I may just try moving the card over there soon as time permits. Be interesting to see if I have to tape pin 20 as noted above.

Speaking of taping, I tried taping pin 51 and that doesn't seem to have worked (though I concede my efforts with standard black electrical tape may have been lacking - what is recommended for this?), so while BT has not worked, the wifi half has at least been reliable - none of that weird having to reset the card after boot-up like the old 3945 wanted)

Having no desire to mess with cutting those tiny coax cables or search for extensions, I will simply try the white cable in place of the grey - it's just sitting there under the WLAN slot with the end taped off, so it's worth a try I suppose.