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DeVista-fying Gateway MT6458: Marvell TOPDOG driver??? 9

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wahnula

wahnula

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Jun 26, 2005
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Hello,

I am cross-posting this in the XP forum, I know we are not supposed to do this but I am desperate. This Gateway MT6458 (Turion TL50, ATI RS485M) notebook was purchased by a co-worker upon recommendation from a slimeball Best Buy salesman, who was told how it would be used, it was for his hospital-bound disabled wife. Asking a 100% competent person tho learn a new OS is hard enough; in her condition it would be a paperweight. Its "Vista Experience" was 2.1, I think. Woof.

I asked him to return it for an XP model, but he did not want to pay the 15% restocking fee, plus the salesman told him it would be fine by the end of the year...but he did not tell him his printer and scanner would not work with it nor that he could not join the company Domain with Vista Home...GRRRR [nosmiley]

Anyway, I have done all the standard steps:

Index hardware
Clone Vista drive
Load XP
Hunt-and-peck for drivers

I have done this several times with Gateway and others with excellent results, but I have found a nut I cannot crack: The built-in wireless NIC, a Marvell TOPDOG PCI-Express 802.11n Wireless Adapter [EC85]

I thought I had hit paydirt at the Marvell site that had an XP driver for the TOPDOG, but all it did within XP was identify the device, and Windows noted it would not work properly. "Wireless Network Connection" does not appear in Network Connections. Device Manager reports it as "Marvell TOPDOG PCI-Express 802.11abgn Wireless" but it still has the yellow !. The other PCI-E device, the Marvel Yukon NIC, is working fine, so I doubt it is a bus issue. There are no other !s in Device Manager and I must say it is a peppy PC w/ XP, with Vista it was a DOG, and not a topdog!

I have also tried every wireless adapter driver on Gateway's site, Realtek, Broadcom, as well as tried to run the Vista driver. No joy.

Thanks folks.

Tony



 
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Thanks kjv1611,

I've already been there. Note the Topdog drivers are only for Vista. I tried them anyway! Gateway was no help so I've got a call and support email in to Marvell. Worst case I buy another card, around $40, but it would be nice to keep the hardware package intact.

Tony
 
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Great link, kjv, but I see no mention of topdog? In the hopes that Marvell uses the Atheros chip I tried their drivers...some were bad (wouldn't unzip) the one in the link was wrong, but that's a good tack...trying to find out the chip maker. Atheros does not have any drivers on their site (that I could find). I know there's only a handful of chipset makers in all wireless cards, the problem with this one is it's the idiotic "pre-N" card. Thanks for your persistence! At least I know I am not in this alone!

Tony
 
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Oh well... Sorry that one didn't work out. I remembered a couple of the ebay listings saying something about top dog in them, and thought that was one of them. Guess I looked a little too quickly at them. :0)

Well, I hope you end up finding it. If I get a chance, I may try a little more digging.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
 
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There comes a time to cut your losses...Marvell did not return my calls or emails, the very first panel I opened on the bottom of the laptop contained the mini-PCIe wireless card...looked amazingly similar to this:


so I gave the Intel drivers a try. Nope. Anyway one is on the way, these are available NOWHERE except Directron. My time is valuable and so is wireless connectivity...with any luck I'll recoup something for the TopDog on eBay.

Thanks kjv1611 for giving it the old college try!

Tony
 
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Sorry you couldn't find the necessary driver.

But on the bright side, the one you picked out should have better support, being from Intel. [smile]

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me
 
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UPDATE: Intel adapter is installed, recognized by XP, all is well. I know this topic will come up again...[smile]

I was surprised it was drop-shipped locally, UPS Ground delivered at 9am today...about 21 hours from placing order to in my hands [thumbsup]

 
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Tony - I'm looking too - just got the Gateway. How can I get the CD/files of the conversion - so far- to XP? I'm new here and I don't see a way to email or PM you .
thanks
Chuck
 
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Chuck...here's a hardware list:
Video: ATI Radeon XPRESS 1150 NB
Audio: Intel SigmaTel 9250
Modem: Integrated Conexant V.92 Ready
Network Interface: Marvell 88E8038 10/100
Wireless Network Adapter: Marvell TOPDOG 802.11abgn PCI-E Wireless
Adapter

Good luck!

Tony
 
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Many of these drivers are on Gateway's site:


but you won't find an XP driver for the TopDog, you will have to replace it like I did, unless one is released soon. The link for a replacement PCI-E 802.11 a/b/g/n card is above.

Everything here is in open forum, no PMs, no emails, no edits, very little interaction w/ the mods...in fact I'm not even sure who the mods are.

This way, everything gets shared. Can't say I'm thrilled about the no-edit policy (mistyped words etc.) but I guess it insures the information stays as posted and does not change.

Tony
 
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tony - thanks for keeping up on this, I - and you probably know what I mean - have been trying to find stuff on this that you start forgetting what you saw and more importantly - where.
Now do you have a mt 6456 or 6458 - I can't remember.

Now jdesants had the link to the 5 files - I remember - sound, Lan, modem, probably video and chip set. Now do I also need the ones on gateway for the mx3702 - if so which ones besides jdesants 5 . It's 1:30 am and starting to loose it.
Lastly - you gave up of the wireless driver for now and got a new card? Which one?
you say above UPDATE: Intel adapter is installed, recognized by XP, all is well. I know this topic will come up again...
What intel adapter??
 
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It's a Gateway MT6458. I got that hardware list from emailing Gateway support. The wireless card link is a few posts up:


You remove the cover that holds the WLAN adapter, on the MT6458 it is held in place by a single screw, as is the card itself. Carefully remove the antenna wires with needle-nosed pliers, press-fit them with your index finger to install on the new card.

I have found it is best to take a break when you start getting tired...that's when mistakes happen.

Tony
 
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so you put in the Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN and it's working great - is that correct?
what about the 3945AGB Intel card - would it work and is it an OK card?
 
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The card you listed will probably work, but there are three antenna wires in the laptop, only two terminals on the 3945AGB card. I wouldn't know if the antenna config is important, or if trial and error could damage the card.

Tony

 
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Tony - so the 4965AGN is a direct replacement for the topdog - is that what you found when you changed it - any problems. It looks like it's about $35-40 + SH/
 
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Read the thread...it worked from first power-up. Just be careful with those little screws!
 
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Tony, I am going through the same thing converting to XP.
Appreciate the info on the wireless but I have another problem.

My LAN card does not seem to work. I am on a home network and when we go through the steps on this model it shows connected on the task bar but I cannot reach the internet. I am connected via a hub with a Directway dish. The other computers in the office do not show reading this laptop.
The hub does not light up. Device manager says it is working. When I try "repair" I get "failed to query TCP/IP settings of the connection" and the box hangs up till I log off...

Any suggestions...

Thanks,
Tom
 
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