Group: Hardware/Restrictions/Mini PCIe slot restrictions on wireless cards
From LibrePlanet
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== Description of the issue == | == Description of the issue == | ||
| − | Some manufacturers restrict which wireless cards can be used | + | Some laptop manufacturers restrict which internal wireless cards can be used. |
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| + | At least Dell, HP, Lenovo (IBM) and Toshiba have been implicated. | ||
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| + | When a non-whitelisted card is installed the systems will show an error message (e.g. 'Unauthorized') or otherwise refuse to boot. | ||
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| + | The whitelist is located in the proprietary BIOS. | ||
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| + | The official excuse for this behavior is the regulation of the wireless spectrum by FCC and other national organizations. | ||
Here are some examples: | Here are some examples: | ||
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| The boot software refuses to boot with a non-whitelisted card or if the card is removed | | The boot software refuses to boot with a non-whitelisted card or if the card is removed | ||
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| + | There are ways around this by modifying either the Wifi card or the BIOS. This is something that has to be taken into consideration when trying to assemble a computer system which would require as little proprietary software/firmware to operate as possible. | ||
== Possible solutions == | == Possible solutions == | ||
Revision as of 19:39, 22 January 2019
Description of the issue
Some laptop manufacturers restrict which internal wireless cards can be used.
At least Dell, HP, Lenovo (IBM) and Toshiba have been implicated.
When a non-whitelisted card is installed the systems will show an error message (e.g. 'Unauthorized') or otherwise refuse to boot.
The whitelist is located in the proprietary BIOS.
The official excuse for this behavior is the regulation of the wireless spectrum by FCC and other national organizations.
Here are some examples:
| Brand and Model | Software | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Thinkpad X60 | Stock nonfree BIOS | The boot software refuses to boot if the internal mPCIe WiFi card is not in the whitelist |
| HP Envy 15 | Stock nonfree BIOS | The boot software refuses to boot with a non-whitelisted card or if the card is removed |
There are ways around this by modifying either the Wifi card or the BIOS. This is something that has to be taken into consideration when trying to assemble a computer system which would require as little proprietary software/firmware to operate as possible.
Possible solutions
- Free boot software typically do not implement such restrictions. Here are some more information on the topic:
- The Libreboot project
- The article on single board computers has some information on boot software for single board computers
External links
- Description and solutions on Lenovo hardware
- What the error looks like on an HP
