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Wireless 1500 Driver Timeline
Does anyone (perhaps a Dell staffer) knows when Dell plans to release new drivers for the Wireless 1500 pre-N cards? The current drivers are from July; other vendors using the same Broadcom chipset have released a couple new generations of drivers since then.
I'm primarily looking for better compatibility/performance when used with Marvell chipset-based routers (like the Netgear WNR854T). These are the only routers with gigabit-speed wired ports. The newer drivers from other vendors (like Netgear) mention better performance across different chipsets. I'd like to see this because the performance between the Wireless 1500 and my WNR854T is only about 30-megabit right now, whereas with a Broadcom-based router is runs around 100-megabit.
I'm primarily looking for better compatibility/performance when used with Marvell chipset-based routers (like the Netgear WNR854T). These are the only routers with gigabit-speed wired ports. The newer drivers from other vendors (like Netgear) mention better performance across different chipsets. I'd like to see this because the performance between the Wireless 1500 and my WNR854T is only about 30-megabit right now, whereas with a Broadcom-based router is runs around 100-megabit.
goldygopher
10 Posts
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Posted November 7th, 2006 18:00
I have the 1500, and am having problems....so if you can find a driver for me, it might resolve problem*Here is the "device instance ID"PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4328&SUBSYS_00091028&REV_01\4&6C79FC5&0&00E0*Here is the "Matching device ID"pci\ven_14e4&dev_4328&subsys_00091028*Here are the "compatable IDs"PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4328&REV_01
PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4328
PCI\VEN_14E4&CC_028000
PCI\VEN_14E4&CC_0280
PCI\VEN_14E4
PCI\CC_028000
PCI\CC_0280
Lastly, here are the "Hardware IDs"PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4328&SUBSYS_00091028&REV_01
PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4328&SUBSYS_00091028
PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4328&CC_028000
PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4328&CC_0280
Thanks in advance for any help in finding a newer/different driver.Message Edited by goldygopher on 11-07-2006 02:56 PM
- Rod, thanks for your suggestions about looking at the Device ID strings. The strings that goldygopher posted are the same that I have. I tried Googling around on different combinations of the Device IDs and haven't managed to turn up anything.
The Dell Wireless 1500 is using the Broadcom 4328 ("IntensiFi") chipset. Broadcom doesn't have any drivers for this on their website. The Linux users are just using the standard issue Dell drivers with a wrapper to get them to work, so no real help there.
I'm currently trying to go through the other draft 802.11n cards out there to find if any have compatible drivers. No luck so far. The best I've seen is a Netgear WR511T which Windows will use, but it only connects at 802.11g speeds. Aloha Goldygopher,
If you're looking for a driver that works with the "B/G protocol"... see if the Netgear "WN511T" driver ("click here<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>
"), that "BMPowell" tried (I think the WR511T, in his last post, is a typo) and said that it works with the "G protocol", might make a difference for you.
Aloha BMPowell,
Did you do any modifying or anything special to make the Netgear "WN511T" driver work with your Dell 1500?
I came across this excerpt ("click here") on the Netgear WNR854T website...
The fastest performance is with 300 Mbps, however this uses the 40 MHz frequency and may interfere with other wireless devices in the 2.4 GHz band such as other 802.11 equipment. To avoid this, you can set the router to work in the same 20 MHz bandwidth as 801.11b/g equipment, which reduces its maximum performance to 145 Mbps.
For both speeds, there is an "Only" setting, which stops the router from communicating with any of the slower non-802.11n products. When the "Auto" setting is used, the router automatically drops its speed to the slowest adapter.
I imagine your WNR854T router came with the "Auto" setting enabled as the "default"?
Have you tried to enable the "Only" setting?
Can I trouble you to upload the original "Dell 1500 driver INF" and the "Netgear WN511T driver INF"? Upload them to "yousendit.com" ("click here") and post the links back here... or click on my "Sig" (jumping dolphins graphics) and email the INFs to me.
You could also post them here (in separate posts), but it'll probably make the thread kind of messy...
(Both)
The "PCI" in the string "pci\ven_14e4&dev_4328" refers that it uses the PCI Bus.
The "ven_14e4" refers to Broadcom's vender ID.
The "dev_4328" refers to the 4328 IntensiFi chipset.
I look for all the above in the string when searching for compatible drivers...
I may be wrong, but I don't think the "PCI\CC_028000" and "PCI\CC_0280" really determines driver compatibility... as these strings also lead me to drivers for a Ralink chipset ("click here" - We have a MSI Wireless B/G Mini-PCI that uses a Ralink chipset). You could modify the INF to include the Broadcom 4328 Device ID, but I don't think it will work out...
Although this chipset has been out for a little while now, it doesn't look like there are other OEMs using this chipset... which makes it hard to find other compatible drivers. This also means you might have to rely on Dell for a better driver, right now. Because of this you might want to try signing-up for Dell's BETA Program ("click here")?
Aloha,
Rodgoldygopher
10 Posts
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Posted November 9th, 2006 01:00
I couldn't get that to work. I installed the driver/software, which didn't do much. I went to manually install the driver from the folder that the aforementioned installation created, and windows didn't find an actual driver file there. Can you shed any light on the process bmpowell?
I apologize for not responding sooner! Had things my wife wanted me to do...
Aloha Goldygopher,
A lot of times, you would need to modify the driver's INF and add your Device ID to get Windows to recognize it.
I downloaded the Netgear "WN511T" driver and took a look at the INF...
This driver doesn't seem to reference the Broadcom 4328 chipset. Looks like I gave you a bum-scoop on the driver download. I apologize for that!
(Both)
I downloaded the Dell Wireless 1500 driver and after going over the Dell Wireless 1500 driver INF, I found that it is using a "BCMWL5.sys" driver file. The INF also includes the Dell TrueMobile-1300, TM-1400, Dell Wireless-1350, W-1450, W-1370, W-1470, W-1390, W-1490 and W-1500... which is probably a reason for the 51MB download package.
I did a search and found that the "Linksys WPC300N" uses the bcmwl5.sys driver file, also. The "WPC300N" uses a Broadcom 4329 chipset with a "PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4329" device ID.
Linksys released a previous driver (Version: 4.80.28.7 - Driver Release Date: 7/11/2006) around the same time that Dell released their present driver (Version: 4.80.28.5 - Driver Release Date: 7/18/2006).
Linksys presently released driver (Version: 4.100.15.5 - Driver Release Date: 11/03/2006) is "here". This might be the driver to modify (since the Dell 1500 device ID is not included)?
Or maybe replacing/using just the "BCMWL5.sys" file might make a difference?
I don't have a notebook with the Dell 1500 wireless card, so you guys are pretty much on your own (with the testing)...
If the past release dates (from Linksys and Dell) is an indication of when Dell might release their Dell Wireless 1500 driver update... Dell might release their driver update soon? But, I'm probably wrong with this guess... so don't hold your breath!
Aloha,
Rod- I realized I mentioned the Netgear WN511T (Marvell TopDog chipset) card earlier. I actually meant WN511B (Broadcom IntensiFi chipset). Sorry about any confusion there.
At any rate, both the Linksys and Netgear products using the Broadcom chipset seem to be using the BC 4329 as opposed to the BC 4328 that Dell is using. When I grabbed the drivers from these cards, I could connect at 54mbps but not at 802.11n speeds.
Apple does seem to be using the Broadcom 4328 chipset in their new iMacs, but these drivers are wrapped up inside of Boot Camp and cannot be easily obtained. Aloha BMPowell,
Did you modify the "Linksys WPC300N" driver "INF" and install this driver manually... or did you have the "Dell driver" installed and tried replacing just the Dell "BCMWL5.sys" driver file with the Linksys "BCMWL5.sys" driver file?
I seem to recall, I read somewhere (during a previous search) that the "Apple BCM 4328 drivers" only supported the "G" protocol... but see if this helps to obtain the drivers:
On a Windows XP machine, just open the command line utility (run, cmd) and execute the command:
“Install Macintosh Drivers for Windows XP.exe” /A /v
I found it on "this page".
There's another guide ("click here") that can probably be used, if you have an Intel Apple and Boot Camp installed...
Buffalo Tech also has drivers (version 4.80.17.0 - "click here") for their WLI-G300N adapters (BCM 4329 chipset).
Aloha,
Rod
Dell released (Release Date: 11/15/2006) their updated driver (version 4.100.15.5 / 4.100.15.8 "click here").
(edit)
Just found out Dell Gina has a thread (about this driver) you can respond to ("click here")...
Aloha,
RodMessage Edited by Akule50 on 11-16-200610:05 AM
@Akule50 wrote:
Dell released (Release Date: 11/15/2006) their updated driver (version 4.100.15.5 / 4.100.15.8 "click here").
(edit)
Just found out Dell Gina has a thread (about this driver) you can respond to ("click here")...
Aloha,
RodMessage Edited by Akule50 on 11-16-200610:05 AM
Rod, thanks for posting the link on this new driver. I hadn't noticed it out there yet.
Looking through things, the core bcmwl5.sys and bcm43xx.cat files that all of the manufacturers are distributing seem to be the same. There do seem to be differences in the configurable settings specified in the INF files. With this new INF file, Dell has added new configurable options related to bandwidth usage and BSS mode that both have to be set to get the card connected at 270mbps.
I wrote a post at http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=si_wireless&message.id=28463&view=by_date_ascending&page=4 with directions on what settings need to be configured to get 802.11n to work correctly with this new driver.
~Brian
Akule50
385 Posts
1402
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Posted October 31st, 2006 20:00
From past observation, Dell can be very slow to release new drivers...
The manual for the "Dell Wireless 1500 Draft 802.11n Wireless Network MiniCard" doesn't list which Broadcom draft-802.11n chipset the Dell Wireless 1500 uses...
Who are the other vendors using the same Broadcom chipset?
What's the "Device ID" for the Dell Wireless 1500? (Right-click on "My Computer", select "Properties/Hardware tab/Device Manager, double-click on "Network adapters" & "Dell Wireless 1500 adapter" and click on the "Details" tab)
Post the Device ID and I'll see if I can download/check some of the other drivers for that chipset, when I have time.
A lot of the time, a driver from another vender using the same chipset could be used... as long as the "Device ID" is included in the INF. Sometimes, that driver would have other venders Device ID included... Sometimes, they need to be installed manually through Device Manager...
Aloha,
Rod