Replacing Broadcom miniPCI with Atheros

[Alan Cox]

On Wed, Apr 21, 2004 at 12:42:27PM -0400, Brian Stretch wrote:
> I have a new HP zv5000z Athlon 64 notebook.  It came with one
> of the hated Linux-hostile Broadcom wireless cards.  I tried swapping
> in an Atheros wireless card, which fits... but the BIOS says:
> 
> "104-Unsupported wireless network device detect"
> 
> and I have to shut down and remove the card to get any futher.  It
> sure looks like HP is deliberately disabling non-HP wireless cards,
> given that explicit message. 

It isnt about non HP products. The mini-pci slot has the antenna
seperate from the slot. When approvals are done for wireless they have
to be done including card and antenna, as a result vendors using this
setup have to lock to 'approved' products.

Now its certainly true some of them make good business use of the lockin too

Ask HP what the Linux supported and approved card option is.