>Let me speak for everyone when I say thank you for your contribution to
the
>list.
Thank-you, it's nice to hear a few kind words instead of just another
rant.
>My question is, once you've successfully completed the change from
silver >to
>gold, does the card work with the standard orinoco client manager?
Once you change the silver to gold (you reflashed the card), then you
need to get the latest drivers (real drivers, not the hacked driver).
Try downloading the Spring 2003 drivers from the Orinoco website.
Contact me off list if you need a copy, or I can zip up the CD and/or
post it as an iso.
Once you install the latest drivers, then install the latest client
manager. You may even want to reflash the card again, with the latest
firmware (if you'd like) just to get the WEP+ and other features.
>Also, have you ever tried this on a BRONZE card?
I'm not too familiar with the Bronze card, but I do know that this
version definitely will NOT work on a Bronze card, (simply because the
firmware is not supported).
Mark
P.S. You take a chance EVERY time you reflash the firmware of your card,
if something goes wrong in the middle of a flash... your card will be
rendered useless. If you're looking to save a buck or two, thinking
that you can just reflash the cards, well... I'd personally spend the
extra few bucks and just get a Gold card (if you really wanted/needed
the 128bit WEP).
P.S.S. I don't know the exact reasoning as to why this works, or why the
Orinoco Silver and Gold cards are identical. My only theory is that the
Silver cards (were meant to be "Gold cards") that must have "failed"
performance testing, and therefore became "Silver" cards. Similar to
that of processors. The old 486/33 processors were simply 486/66
processors that "failed performance testing" (were often 486/63, and
just couldn't quite make the cut). But if you simply replaced the 33Mhz
crystal on the motherboard, with a 66Mhz crystal, then you could
"overclock" a 486/33Mhz processor (and make it in "theory" a 486/66).
Most of the time everything ran fine... but anytime you do something
like this... it could/will lead to system stability issues.
I haven't seen any difference between a hacked silver card, and a real
gold card. But then again, I haven't taken 15 of them, and tried to do
any "performance/load testing" on them. I'm sure if I did, there may be
a slight difference (in throughput?), or maybe the cards would even lock
up. I don't know.
P.S.S.S. Orinoco was recently "bought out" by Proxim, and I have heard
that the newer Orinoco cards have a different firmware version on them
(that this hack will NOT work on). I apologize if you have one of those
cards. The hack won't work. No, I have no plans on creating a new hack
to support the newer cards, nor do I ever plan on finishing the XP
driver hack. (I apologize, I just don't have the time)
<RAMBLE MODE ON>
Question: "Why are you such a jerk?"
Answer:
I get about 1,800+ E-mails a day, either people from around the world
asking about wireless service, or asking about how to do things, or
people complaining that something just doesn't work, etc. Asking if I
can write new drivers. It can be very frustrating. Please understand
that I do this as a hobby, and I'm NOT getting paid to help people with
free wireless service, or on ways to create PoE adapters, or even tricks
on how to reflash an Orinoco card, or other stuff like this. Some
people understand it, and understand the consequences (and risks that
you take) of trying to do these things. Others burn a whole through
their board, while trying to solder a wire to their antenna, and then
scream at me for writing a "How To" that doesn't work.
I can't cover EVERYTHING (nor do I have the time or patience to give a
class on how to solder). All I can do is put the info out there, there
will be some geeks that will thank me for the info, there will be others
(the layperson) that has never even soldered, and they'll destroy their
board, and curse me to hell. I get it each and every day.
I apologize in advance, and I do ask that you DO NOT try to reflash your
Orinoco Silver cards. If you're going to do it... then I'll explain how
you might want to go about doing it, but if you ruin a card or two...
then please don't curse/flame me. It's a chance that you're taking
ANYTIME you try to reflash a card.
I've smoked a brand new RG-1100 while trying to re-flash it with the
latest firmware. (and there is NO reset button on an Orinoco RG-1100)
back to the factory it went. <SIGH> Does that mean that Orinoco is
stupid? Or that the firmware doesn't work? Nope, it worked on the
other 100+ RG-1100's that I've upgraded. It just happened to be a
fluke. My laptop went into sleep mode, while I was re-flashing it, and
<POOF> I smoked a RG-1100. (Orinoco was kind enough to send me a
replacement).
I wish everyone the best of luck, and please understand the information
is strictly for "informational purposes only". I do not recommend doing
it, nor do I recommend creating your own PoE adapter or even your own
CanTenna. Yet, I help people do it all the time. If you do it
correctly, they seem to work. If you do it incorrectly, then you can
smoke a card (or even a Soekris device). I've watched people drop a
bead of solder (cross pins) while making a PoE adapter. They tried to
save $30 on a PoE adapter, and smoked a $250 Soekris device. Was it
worth it? I have friends and neighbors that come to me crying because
they smoke an XBOX, or lift a PCB trace. Or they reflash their TSOP,
but understand... if you don't know what you're doing, then please don't
do it!
I get E-mails from people in the UK explaining how great it was reading
my "How To" and now they have a new Senao 200mW card, with a 24dBi
high-gain antenna, and they're happy with their improved signal/range.
<SIGH>
Then I need to write back (in a polite as possible way) explaining that
what they are doing is ILLEGAL, and ask them nicely to shut it down.
Then they try to argue with me, saying that I'm a %^&*(@#$ and there is
no reason why they should shut it down, and I'm just jealous. <SIGH>
Then I need to explain how a 200mW card, with a 24dBi card is about
50.23 Watts (EIRP), and how the maximum legal limit in the U.S. is 1
watt and the maximum legal limit in their host country (the UK) is only
100mW (and they're operating at 500 times their legal limit.
They're also radiating their neighbors, and children who happen to sleep
less than 20 ft away from the antenna.
All this great Wi-Fi stuff is new and intriguing, but at the same
time... understand that 2.4Ghz is the same frequency as a microwave
oven! I have a guy in Egypt that just got his hands on a 10 watt 2.4Ghz
military amp. He was bragging about 40+ miles that he was broadcasting
signal (with a 24dBi antenna). Yeah, that's great. I was real
impressed. If you do the math, that's 2511.88 Watts (EIRP). Most
microwave ovens are only 800Watts.
So this proud gentlemen was "cooking" his neighbors (whether he realized
it or not). He had this antenna mounted on the roof of his house.
<SIGH>
Have you ever heard of Darwin awards?
I'm not saying everyone that is messing with Wi-Fi needs to understand
Electromagnetic theory, or how to do Maxwell equations... but don't be
ignorant.
I apologize for the long rant, and I really do need a vacation. Once I
finish the two protocols that I'm working on, and can get the two new
distro's (one of which is the for the Soekris devices) that I'm
currently working on (for the free wireless community) finished (and
released), then I'm going to take a nice long vacation.
Hopefully when I return, I'll be a bit "kindler and gentler". Until
then, I've been running on less than 3 1/2 hours of sleep each night
(for almost a year), and I'm really "burnt out".
I really wish that God would give me the patience and serenity to be a
better person, but until then... please contact me off-list. I'll
answer your E-mails as soon as I can find time. If you wish to flame me
(I get a handful each and every day) please do so off-list.
Thank-you and God bless,
Mark
</RAMBLE MODE OFF>
P.S.S.S. I'm sure someone will read this long rant, and ask "So now how
do you calculate EIRP?"
Try this:
http://www.nextechwireless.net/support/dbcalculator.html
(it doesn't figure in the loss from LMR-400 cable, or the connectors,
but it should keep you legal).
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