System freezes randomly after upgrade to Intel 5100AGN

[idata]

I upgraded my Asus G1 which previously had an Intel 3945ABG mini PCIe wireless adapter, to an Intel 5100AGN. The wireless works fine, in both Ubuntu 12.04 using the iwlwifi driver and in Windows XP using the latest Intel driver for this card. The problem is that I am now getting system freezes at random, whereas my system used to be stable in both OSes before.

The first freeze happened within an hour of the wifi card upgrade, but sometimes it can go for hours or a day without any problem. When things freeze up, the mouse, and keyboard are totally unresponsive, even with Alt+Sys Rq + (r e i s u b), and I must force a shutdown by holding down the power button. Aside from the freezing, I have not observed any problems, and the wireless seems to work fine.

Although I do not know for sure that it is an issue with the wireless adapter, I did not have this problem before, it seems to be OS and driver independent, and only showed up after the upgrade. Asus does not have a hardware blacklist/whitelist BIOS, so that's not it. Are there any solutions? What N wireless adapters are known to work well with Asus G1?

[Jose_H_Intel1 · Accepted solution]

I understand that your system freezes with the Intel® WiFi Link 5100.

Please note that the wireless adapters are meant to be professionally installed by Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) technicians on certified systems only.

Your system must be compliant with the required FCC certifications in compliance with the International Special Committee for Radio Interference standards for radiated and conducted electromagnetic interference in regards of the specific wireless adapter.

Therefore, we recommend you to contact the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to determine if the product is approved for use in your computer.

Installing an aftermarket wireless adapter in your laptop can cause several issues which may affect usage of the wireless adapter or laptop. Some of these issues may include the following:

- The OEM may have installed the wireless adapter with a lock to prevent installation of another adapter.

- Your adapter may not be electrically compatible with your laptop that may cause the adapter and/or your laptop to no longer function.

- Wireless hardware installation and use is subject to regulatory approval, and the adapter purchased may not support your local regulations.

For additional information, refer to:

Regulatory information regarding hardware installation or upgrade

http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/CS-011644.htm http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/CS-011644.htm

[idata]

Thank you for your reply, Joe_Intel.

I have also contacted Asus and I am awaiting their reply. I would however like to point out the following:

- My OEM does not have any wireless adapter lock preventing the installation of another adapter.

- Both my laptop and adapter are functioning.

- I do believe that the Intel 5100 adapter supports my local regulations (Canada).

If you could offer any assistance with the freezing issues I am experiencing, it would be much appreciated.