Cisco 1811 - wireless upgrade possible?

[segil]

Hi everybody,

I am studying for my CCNA cert and I purchased a second-hand Cisco router, model 1811, with warranty. My supplier told me it was a 1811W (wireless), but he was mistaken, it ‘s a 1811 (without wireless).

According to Cisco’s website they state that an upgrade kit doesn't exist for this model to install wireless. It is a fixed model, without expansion possibilities.

But I was thinking, perhaps the only difference between the 2 models is a built-in wifi card and 2 antennas. So perhaps I could purchase such a wifi card and install it internally. Does anybody know which wifi card is being used? (Intel, Broadcom, etc) and it there some sort of pci-e expansion slot inside to slide in the card? (like in a laptop)

Example of such a card I am talken about:

http://www.hafeezcentre.pk/ads_images/suchal/129533879514suchal.jpg

If that's the case, I could purchase a separate card + antennas and am the happiest man alive

I am a bit reluctant to open the case, since it is still under warranty.

 

[segil]

Update: ok, I opened the casing, despite the warranty. Looks beautiful inside And I see a slot where a wifi card might fit. (model displayed in the picture mentioned in my previous post).

So does anybody have a clue whay kind of wifi card this is? Or how I can find its partnumber?

 

[ADB100]

The card format is Mini-PCI and the Cisco Aironet 1100 & 1200 models use these type of cards. I upgraded an Airnonet 1120B (802.11b 11Mbps) with the 54Mbps 802.11g radio module and this is what it looks like. I have a feeling it probably won't work though. You are missing the holes in the case for the antenna for one as well as the cabling from the tiny connectors (Hirose U.FL-R-SMT) on the mini-PCI card to the antenna or sockets for external antenna. I also think the cookies for the 1811 & 1811W will be different although I could be wrong?
Cisco have some identical hardware (857 & 877) however the cookies (sort of like BIOS?) are different between the two and you can't install 877 IOS on an 857.

If the retailer you purchased it from said it was an 1811W and supplied you with an 1811 then return it for replacement or a refund.

Andy

 

[segil]

Thanks for your reply. Well, it is a secondhand, nearly new, router and I could purchase it for 25% of the normal price. So it is really a bargain and the last one my supplier had.

It is possible that the 857 en 877 are different in operation and capabilities? That might explain the differences in the ios.

I have no idea whether the ios for the 1811 and 1811W are the same or not. But I could try I only hope I will not destroy the hardware when I plug in a wrong wifi card.

Do you have the part number of the mini pci card you purchased for your 1120B? Is it Cisco made, or perhaps an Intel card?

I made 2 photos of the inside of my 1811:

http://i51.tinypic.com/2ikv3o6.jpg

http://i54.tinypic.com/281ah3o.jpg

The holes are easy to make, as well as the antenna It is for lab environment and home usage, not for business purposes.

 

[MrOyvind]

Hi

1812w IOS c181x-adventerprisek9-mz.151-2.T2.bin.
The x indicates 1811w ready.

From show controllers dot11 :
Radio ATHEROS AR5212

Oyvind

 

[segil]

Thanks for the information. Glad to hear this the IOS image is universal and will probably work for both 1811 models.

Is it possible the 1812W series was created for the Chinese market? I could remember a Cisco datasheet which stated that the 1812W model is for the Chinese wifi standard, and the 1811W for the FCC and ETSI standard. But I could be mistaken.

Now I need to find the Cisco mini pci card that holds the Atheros chip

 

[MrOyvind]

Hi

The models is compared here :

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/col...0aecd8028a95f_ps5853_Products_Data_Sheet.html

1812 ISDN BRI Dial Backup
1811 V.92 Analog Modem Dial Backup

Øyvind

 

[segil]

Ok, but in the same datasheet under Table 5:

CISCO1811W-AG-B/K9
Security router with dual 10/100 WAN ports, 8-port 10/100BASE-T switch, V.92 analog modem backup, Cisco IOS Advanced IP Services, 32 MB Flash, 128 MB DRAM, and integrated FCC-compliant 802.11a,b,g wireless capability

CISCO1811W-AG-C/K9
Security router with dual 10/100 WAN ports, 8-port 10/100BASE-T switch, V.92 analog modem backup, Cisco IOS Advanced IP Services, 32 MB Flash, 128 MB DRAM, and integrated China-compliant 802.11a,b,g wireless capability

CISCO1811W-AG-N/K9
Security router with dual 10/100 WAN ports, 8-port 10/100BASE-T switch, V.92 analog modem backup, Cisco IOS Advanced IP Services, 32 MB Flash, 128 MB DRAM, and integrated Australia/NZ-compliant 802.11a,b,g wireless capability


CISCO1812 W-AG-C/K9
Security router with dual 10/100 WAN ports, 8-port 10/100BASE-T switch, ISDN S/T backup, Cisco IOS Advanced IP Services, 32 MB Flash, 128 MB DRAM, and integrated China-compliant 802.11a,b,g wireless capability

"China-Compliant". Does that mean it is solely for the Chinese market? Of also for the Chinese, as well as the rest of the World?

When you look at table 4 in the article:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps5853/prod_qas0900aecd8028a95b.html

It states the same thing. How to interpreter this? Do you use your 1812W in China or the USA?

 

[MrOyvind]

Not sure about the china-compliant.
Use my box in Europe(Norway) without any problems.
You can change the world mode\country code in the IOS as you want.

Some countries like Japan use 13 channels instead of 11(B\G). Some countries have restrictions for the A channels.

 

[segil]

Could you do a "sh diag" ? According to this topic it will also show the part number for the card:

http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t602581-cisco-1800-dot11radio0.html

Thanks.

ps. this topicstarter also uses a 1811W and looks like he has got the same ATHEROS AR5212 card built-in.

 

[MrOyvind]

Dual Band 802.11 A+B/G Radio Access Point
802.11 Radio0 EEPROM contents
Controller Type : 04C1
Hardware Version : 0100
Part Number : 74-3624-02
Serial Number : FOC11131YNL
EEPROM contents (word address: hex):
0x0080: 0602 2201 0205 8D80 005B 0522 4002 8954
0x0088: 2200 0205 1B00 00B7 0522 8002 12A8 2201
0x0090: 0205 3600 016E 0522 0002 2551 2202 0205
0x0098: 6C00 02DC 0522 8002 37F9 2203 0205 A200
0x00A0: 04C1 0100 2802 4A0E 0020 0020 0020 0020
0x00A8: 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020
0x00B0: 4E4C 3159 3133 3131 4F43 FF46 0000 0000
0x00B8: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0010

802.11 Radio1 EEPROM contents
Controller Type : 04C1
Hardware Version : 0100
Part Number : 74-3624-02
Serial Number : FOC11131YNL
EEPROM contents (word address: hex):
0x0080: 0602 2201 0205 8D80 005B 0522 4002 8954
0x0088: 2200 0205 1B00 00B7 0522 8002 12A8 2201
0x0090: 0205 3600 016E 0522 0002 2551 2202 0205
0x0098: 6C00 02DC 0522 8002 37F9 2203 0205 A200
0x00A0: 04C1 0100 2802 4A0E 0020 0020 0020 0020
0x00A8: 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020 0020
0x00B0: 4E4C 3159 3133 3131 4F43 FF46 0000 0000
0x00B8: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0010

 

[segil]

Great, thanks !! That is really helpful. Looks like the spare p/n is 74-3624-02