[colug-432] Intel Centrino

[tom]

On 12/10/2013 03:32 PM, Rick Troth wrote:
> On 12/10/2013 01:10 AM, tom wrote:
>> Whats with Intel Centrino? Linux does not seem to like it. I decided to
>> load XP PRO on my Latitude D600, so I could see if the Intel BG2200
>> wireless card would function.
>
> Since I/we have a Centrino laptop (and pain), I thought I'd respond. 
> In my experience, Linux tolerates Centrino better than Windoze, but 
> may not be the WiFi chips per se. Did not know (until today) that 
> Centrino refers to the WiFi chips and has little to do with the CPU 
> involved. So my review is probably off target.
>
>> A little back story. I installed retroprecise 5.4.3 on it as nothing
>> else Linux would install with the Centrino except DSL. The Linux driver
>> did not work well with the wireless. Poorly. I decided to use the
>> Ndiswrapper. I tried lots of appropriate windows drivers to no avail. I
>> then thought install XP and see which driver is running the wireless,
>> then use that driver on the drive that has retroprecise.
>
> We got my daughter a Sony VAIO with Centrino Duo branding. It came 
> with Windows Vista. Vista sucks (in our experience; "sucks" being a 
> technical term related to personal pain). I installed Fedora and my 
> daughter ran that until she upgrade to a shiny new Dell. The machine 
> was usable on Fedora.
>
> Now you mention your trouble, I remember she did report wireless 
> dropping out. But it always restarted. (Also, we had WiFi trouble with 
> other machines in the house, so was never apparent that hers was the 
> only one affected.) Was a pain to have to kick it manually. I don't 
> remember if Vista did better with the wireless chip set because it 
> performed so badly all around. (I mistook "Centrino" to mean the 
> processor, which I have always thought was _way underpowered for 
> Vista_, "Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 / 1.5 GHz". Or maybe it just needs 
> more RAM.)
>
> The Fedora release was 14, and maybe 13. (I switched other maint to 
> OpenSUSE about the time F15 came out and stopped updating that 
> machine. Long story.) I have also run a recent Debian hack on that 
> same VAIO, which shows no WiFi problems that I recall. I run the same 
> Debian hack on a different (older) VAIO which regularly wants a 
> restart of _wired_ ethernet. (Starts fine at boot, then disconnects, 
> but remains "connected" after first manual intervention.) Dunno if 
> wired falls under the Centrino brand. Not sure if this other (older) 
> VAIO is Centrino branded. Will check when I get home.
>
>> I decided to install SolidWorks on the drive I put XP on while I was at
>> it. That Windows software did not like the centrino either!!
>
> Wikipedia sez INTeL stopped marketing Centrino in early 2010. Links of 
> possible interest ...
>
>   * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrino
>   * https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/34310
>   * https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/41882
>
>
> -- R; <><
>
>
>
>
>
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Thanks for the links. This D600 is pretty old. I believe it was made 
back in aught something. I'm afraid the chipset precedes Linux 2.6.8. 
Will verify though.

The D600 runs pretty well on retroprecise and XP PRO. Intel Wireless is 
hopeless with either. I have seen lots of comments about the same 
behavior on the web.

The wireless is managed by Intel Wireless Manager. It does not want the 
wireless to run on an open network. Lots of hoops to go thru to disable 
the Intel Management, so windows can manage it. Not there yet. I run my 
LAN open. Little problem as I am in the woods, so to speak. I am 
thinking that if I ran WEP, etc it might stay connected.

Tom

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