# Netbook recommendation?



## robspop (Dec 27, 2013)

Sorry this is a bit lazy, but it's not so easy looking through lots of threads and I can't get onto laptop.bsdgroup.de 

I want to buy a small lightweight netbook type computer along the lines of Acer Aspire or Asus eee - that sort of thing.  I'll be buying it off eBbay so it will probably be a few years old with relatively basic hardware.  I only want to be able to do a bit of web browsing, email, etc. on it: the types of thing that people do on mobile phones or tablets but I hate using these as I don't like touch screens much, my eyesight isn't good enough for browsing a phone, and I just don't like the whole Android environment.

My preference would be to run FreeBSD on it, so my question is simply: can anyone recommend a suitable netbook?  I would need the graphics and Wi-Fi to work and probably don't care about much else, e.g. suspend/resume etc.  Obviously some sort of power management also desirable.  

Thanks!


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## wblock@ (Dec 27, 2013)

Acer netbooks are generally good.  Be forewarned that many of the Atom CPUs are 32-bit only.

I've used the Acer Aspire One D250 with success.  Mine came with an Atheros wireless card that works fine, but later versions had other types of cards that did not have FreeBSD drivers.  This netbook is nice because it is easy to get to the hard drive and wireless card for replacement, unlike the earlier ZG5.  It takes a full-size mini-PCIe card like the AR5BXB63.

If you plan to use it a lot, an SSD will make it run much cooler and somewhat faster.


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## sitrucz (Apr 14, 2014)

Do you know of a wireless card that I can replace in the D250 that supports Wireless N?


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## wblock@ (Apr 14, 2014)

Not specifically, but I'd start by looking at this: https://wiki.freebsd.org/dev/ath_hal(4)/HardwareSupport.  That list assumes you are running 10-RELEASE or later.

When replacing a card, be sure to match the original card size.  The D250 uses full-size mini-PCIe cards.  Also match the number of antenna connectors, two in the D250.


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## CurlyTheStooge (Apr 14, 2014)

Stay far away from the Intel Cedarview(N series Atoms and GMA3*** GPU). Those have basically relabeled PowerVR proprietary graphics chips. I have one of these (Asus eeepc 1015CX) running a Debian variant. I have to fall back on VGA and the graphics take a toll on the CPU thus. I don't know about the FreeBSD support for these chips but I'm not really hopeful too.

Regards.


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## sitrucz (Apr 29, 2014)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> Not specifically, but I'd start by looking at this: https://wiki.freebsd.org/dev/ath_hal(4)/HardwareSupport.  That list assumes you are running 10-RELEASE or later.
> 
> When replacing a card, be sure to match the original card size.  The D250 uses full-size mini-PCIe cards.  Also match the number of antenna connectors, two in the D250.



I picked up an Atheros AR5B97 (AR9287 chipset) half height card.  In my situation the card wasn’t easily removable by one of the tabs on the bottom.  I had to take apart the whole laptop to get to the card.

I couldn’t be happier with the card as I didn’t even have to load the kernel modules.  The ath driver must be compiled into the kernel.  I figured out how to set up lagg as well for failover with the wired device.  I’d highly recommend anyone updating a piece of hardware that isn’t fully supported by FreeBSD. It makes it much easier down the road.  My setup is so much better than using NDIS with my old Broadcom 4312 wireless card.


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## ma (Nov 30, 2014)

wblock@ said:


> Acer netbooks are generally good.  Be forewarned that many of the Atom CPUs are 32-bit only.
> 
> I've used the Acer Aspire One D250 with success.  Mine came with an Atheros wireless card that works fine, but later versions had other types of cards that did not have FreeBSD drivers.  This netbook is nice because it is easy to get to the hard drive and wireless card for replacement, unlike the earlier ZG5.  It takes a full-size mini-PCIe card like the AR5BXB63. ....



I have had an Acer Aspire One D250 for some years. It came with a unsupported (only NDIS) WiFi as:

```
none1@pci0:1:0:0:  class=0x028000 card=0xe01b105b chip=0x431514e4 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
  vendor  = 'Broadcom Corporation'
  device  = 'BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY'
  class  = network
```
Regarding your saying about changing the WiFi card: if you open the device from below, the third bay is not for the WiFi card, but for the 3G module and it's empty in my case. Also the service manual is saying this (I have the PDF, 222 pages). Do you mean that I could insert an additional Atheros card there? At  the moment I have to use a USB dongle for WiFi, but there are issues with this in -HEAD, see: https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=195348

Matthias


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## wblock@ (Nov 30, 2014)

Hmm.  I just looked at my D250 again, and you're right, I must have confused it with another model.  The mini PCIe slot on the bottom does not have any antenna wires, so it won't be useful for that.  The wireless card is a half-sized version as sitrucz says, under the palm rest.  Sorry about that.


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## ma (Nov 30, 2014)

I've checked my folders and in 2009 I have had the same situation with a laptop Dell M4400. I bought an Atheros AR5BXB6 (AR5424) mini PCI-E wireless card and if I remember correctly I inserted it in the empty bay of the 3G module. I do not remember what I did with the antenna cables. I will check if the old device is still in our attic and see what I have done. Maybe this is an option too for the D250. If not, one has to disassemble the device totally to get to the WiFi module.


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## wblock@ (Nov 30, 2014)

It is not as bad as the ZG5, where the motherboard must be removed.  Take the bottom screws out, take the keyboard out, unclip the palm rest, and it is right there, near the front.


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## ma (Nov 30, 2014)

The service manual asks to disconnect three cables before one can lift the upper cover after removing the keyboard and screws. I am always afraid to break something while removing these flat cables which do not even have real connectors on the side of the cable. Is this (removing them) really required to get to the WiFi bay?


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## wblock@ (Nov 30, 2014)

Probably, yes.  I found a video that showed them, and they are the type with little slide locks at either edge: 



.

On each side, slide the lock towards the incoming cable.  When both are open, slide the cable out.  Do not touch the cable contacts.  I've never had any trouble with that type of lock, the ones that people seem to break are the flip-up type.  Even those are fine if the person taking them apart is careful.

I do not recommend throwing all the screws in a bowl like in that video, there are two or three sizes that should be kept separate.


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