Lenovo N500 laptops use a BIOS whitelist. Wifi cards have to have a Lenovo FRU number - which means they've been modified to meet the whitelist requirements. In other words, a generic Intel 5100 won't pass, but a 5100 with FRU 43Y6493 should. Reputable vendors will list the FRU if a board is Lenovo-compatible.
The Hardware Maintenance Manual and the BIOS readme are the best references for what's compatible with your machine. From the HMM:
Intel WiFi Link 5100 v 4233-CTO, 32x, 33x, 34x, 35x, 36x, 37x, 38x, 39x, 3Ax, 3Bx, 3Cx, 3Dx, 3Ex
43Y6493
Lenovo 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Express Adapter v 4233-CTO
43Y6487
Lenovo 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Express Adapter v 4233-CTO
43Y6480
... još uvijek možeš doći po ovaj Atheros i probati, dam ti ga for free ... ali izgleda da neće ići.
Možeš pratiti
ova uputsva da dodaš na whitelist.