Wifi module on a laptop

I had the same problem, I tried to do anything, but finally I disassembled the antenna and saw the frayed antenna at the junction of the upper and lower parts.

How to replace the Wi-Fi module in the laptop?

When I ordered cheap Wi-Fi adapters for PC on AliExpress, that I have written about in the previous articles, I saw a lot of different Wi-Fi modules for laptops. I decided to order one WLAN module and replace it in my laptop. Not that I was dissatisfied with the default module or if it worked poorly. The main purpose was to write an article for the website. As I usually do 🙂 But before that, of course, I decided to check everything.

To begin with, let's find out what a Wi-Fi module is. To explain in simple terms, it is a small card that connects to the laptop's motherboard (through the Mini PCI Express port) and adds support for Wi-Fi and usually also Bluetooth. That is, one of this module allows you to connect your laptop to Wi-Fi networks, and connect other devices to the laptop via Bluetooth. I can not claim that all laptops (there are many) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work through a single adapter, but in most cases it is true.

Why change the Wi-Fi module? I have identified two main reasons:

• The first, of course, is a breakdown. It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. Yes, you can replace it with a USB Wi-Fi adapter. I wrote about it in the article How to replace the built-in Wi-Fi module. But this solution has a lot of disadvantages. For example, an external adapter takes up a USB port and sticks out of the notebook casing. Which is not very convenient.
• The second reason is to install a more productive, modern and fast module. There are many older (and not so old) laptops which do not even support the 802.11n standard, let alone 802.11ac (5 GHz). This severely limits the speed of the wireless connection. In that case we can simply replace the outdated WLAN module with a newer one. And even get 802.11ac support and the ability to connect to wireless networks at 5 GHz. At the same time we can solve the problem with the obsolete Bluetooth standard. For example, if your laptop has Bluetooth version 2.0, you can put a new module with BT version 4.0.

Replace Your Laptop's Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Module

I will show you an example of an ASUS laptop. But the instruction will also work for other manufacturers: Lenovo, Acer, Samsung, Hewlett-Packard, DELL, etc. The disassembly procedure, the position of the wireless module itself inside the notebook, the appearance and other details will differ, of course.

All we need is a small Phillips screwdriver, which can be used to disassemble your notebook.

Important! Switch the notebook off, disconnect it from the power supply and remove the battery. If it is removable in your case. A large number of newer models do not have removable batteries.

Turn the laptop over and see if there is a separate cover. Almost every laptop has a small cover on the bottom, unscrewing which gives you access to the hard drive, RAM, and if we are lucky, the Wi-Fi module.

But more often than not, the WLAN module is hidden by the main cover. As in my case. So it is necessary to completely disassemble the laptop.

Important: The screws are likely to be of different length. It is desirable them not to mix up, that there were no problems at assembling the notebook.

Unscrew all the screws and completely remove the laptop bottom lid. Be careful not to hurry. If the cover does not come off, you may not have unscrewed all the screws. Also note that there may be wires going to the cover. In my case, it was necessary to disconnect the small connector that went to the switch that locks the battery.

You can see the Wi-Fi module, which is connected to the Mini PCI Express port on the laptop's motherboard.

There are two wires connected to the module itself. Usually one is white and the other is black. These are the Wi-Fi antennas. We need to disconnect them.

What is a WiFi module for a laptop? What does it look like?

To begin with, let's tell you what a WiFi module for a laptop is. It is an adapter designed to communicate (receive and transmit data) with a router or other wireless network source. The product replaces the network card in case of its absence or failure. Depending on the type, the WiFi module for a laptop looks like a small circuit that plugs into an internal socket, or a small product that plugs into a USB socket.

What is it for?

A WiFi network adapter for a laptop is needed to connect your laptop to a WiFi network and surf the Internet. The equipment provides reception-transmission of information using broadband radio and operates within certain frequencies. The laptop WiFi module converts electronic information into radio waves and transmits them through the air. In addition, the unit receives such waves with subsequent conversion into a digital signal. Structurally, adapters consist of the following elements:

To work properly, the WiFi module for the laptop needs to install the software – a special driver.

Express Card

The vast majority of devices are equipped with an external interface for quick addition of extension cards. Earlier – PCMCIA, beginning in 2003 – Express Card. A brief chronology will help owners get oriented straight away:

• HP – 2004.
• IBM ThinkPad – May 2005.
• Fujitsu-Siemens – 2005.
• Apple temporarily (January 2006 – June 2009) released, then added SD support. June 2012 is considered the last month of the coexistence of the concept within the 17-inch models.
• The products of other companies are devoid of abrupt throwing. The slot is occasionally found. For more details – see the spec sheet.

The main advantage – no need to disassemble the laptop body. The interface is serial, three speed modes are provided:

Specific functionality is described in the vendor's website specification. Ensure that both sides (laptop, card) are compatible. The next requirement is the matching form factor. The most common are:

The second option accepts both card sizes. The older PCMCIA are more bulky. Sometimes they sell matching adapters. Inside the case, the connector physically serves as an extension of PCIe. So the difference is limited to the convenience of connecting the wireless adapter (no need to open the friend).

USB

Serial ports are more often lacking. However, the USB adapter is able to give the gadget a network.

A wireless modem usually uses the 2.4 GHz spectrum. ALOHAnet came a little later than ARPANET. However, the protocol laid the foundation for the creation of Ethernet, later IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi). The first version came out in 1997.

2.4/5 GHz.

Today's access points mostly support hardware in three modifications:

The first two use the 2.4 GHz band, with channels 20 MHz wide. The IEEE 802.11n variant introduces the ability to use the 5 GHz spectrum. The channel width is increased to 40 MHz, doubling the bit rate. Adapter capabilities are taken into account by routers, introducing network broadcast modes:

A brief example shows the presence of combined modes designed to ensure the interests of all wireless network devices served by the router. There is a curious peculiarity: the lion's share of routers broadcasts the Internet at 2.4 GHz. However, setting the pure 802.11n mode makes it impossible for older devices to enter: there is no backward compatibility.

When selecting hardware, take this feature into account.

IEEE 802.11ac

Published in December 2013, the standard uses a single 5 GHz band. Older modems are not able to fundamentally ensure the performance of such equipment. When purchasing an internal or USB Wi-Fi adapter, change your access point at the same time. The purpose of the implementation is to further increase the speed.

60 GHz (WiGig).

Historically, IEEE 802.11ad was announced earlier – at the end of 2009. Experimental devices provided backward compatibility with 2.4; 5 GHz, but showed full speeds higher, outperforming existing protocols by an order of magnitude (10 times). The release came out on December 28, 2012.

The idea was devoid of a friendly customer response. Some trial models have disappeared without a trace. A number of stores continue to sell hardware, including laptop expansion cards, access points. The 6 channels of the 60 GHz band provide a bitrate of 7 Gbps.

Replacing the Wi-Fi adapter in your laptop

Before replacing the Wi-Fi module in the laptop, you must always turn off the device. As the adapter is located inside the computer structure, you will have to open it.

After switching off it is necessary to turn the laptop upside down and unscrew the back cover. Then find the necessary adapter. If it was smoothly found, the next step will be its replacement.

Pay attention! All actions should be carried out accurately. In no case you should not pull the wires and parts, as this can lead to additional damage.

Before replacing the old adapter with a new one, you must carefully remember its connection. Figure out where the black and white wire goes. If you can't remember the sequence, you can take a picture.

After that it remains to put the new adapter and carry out all the above steps, but in reverse order. If all actions are done correctly, the device will work correctly, the connection will be established.

Specifics of replacement depending on the manufacturer of the laptop

Despite the prevalence of laptops, not all owners still know whether it is possible to change the Wi-Fi adapter on a laptop and what differs in the replacement of the device from different manufacturers.

HP .

You can change the module on the laptop HP Pavilion or other models in the following way:

1. Turn off, unplug the power cord from the outlet.
2. Remove the battery, sliding both sides of the latches, tilt it up and remove it.
3. Turn the notebook with its underside toward you and remove the protective screw.
4. Slide the catches and pull the rear cover to remove it.
5. Disconnect the antenna cables.
6. Remove the screws that secure the module to the notebook.
7. Carefully remove the adapter.

To install the module back into the HP notebook, all the above steps must be performed in reverse order.

Asus

If the Wi-Fi module has failed in the Asus model, as well as in all other models, first of all you need to turn off the device and remove the battery from it. After that, you will need to unscrew with a screwdriver all the fasteners that fix the RAM cover, and remove it.

Pay attention! On some Asus models, the adapter is held by a small screw, which must be removed. After that, disconnect the two coaxial wires and remove the Wi-Fi module.

Lenovo

If you need to change the Wi-Fi adapter in Lenovo devices, the following installation instructions must be followed:

1. The Lenovo laptop is turned off just before you start.
2. The cover is left open to allow unobstructed access to the keyboard.
3. A plastic tool designed to open the seams is inserted between the keyboard and the body of the device.
4. The tool is gently launched along the sides and top to unlock the tabs.
5. The keyboard is gently lifted up and removed.
6. The ribbon cable connecting the keyboard to the motherboard is found.
7. The cable is removed from the connector.
8. Remove the screws from the case.
9. Turn the notebook over and remove any remaining screws.
10. The device is turned over.
11. The power is disconnected from the adapter, and it is carefully removed.

Conclusion

The article told about how to connect a Wi-Fi module from a laptop to a computer. Considered homemade options with a detailed description and screenshots, so it will not be difficult to connect.

Podgornov Ilya Vladimirovich All articles on our site are audited by a technical consultant. If you still have questions you can always ask them on his page.

What Wi-Fi module to look for

Once it has been decided to replace the module, you should decide on the manufacturer and model of the device. The replacement procedure itself is very simple and the following will tell you how to do it without problems and large time costs. First of all, you need to choose an adapter in a computer accessory store or on the Internet.

It is necessary to be able to distinguish between adapters, as there are internal and external models. For a laptop is ideal for a built-in adapter, as it does not take up space on the surface, does not occupy the socket of the USB interface, does not interfere and is installed in the computer initially. Such a device is connected to the laptop's motherboard via Mini PCI-Express slots.

Approximately this type is likely to have and adapter, which the person wants to change. External devices are connected via PCI-Express or USB slots. Both of these, one way or another, stick out of the case on the front or back.

PCIe Form Factor

The PCI e interface is designed to replace legacy data buses. There are several versions of PCI used for adapters:

• PCI-X. Very rare and obsolete;
• M.2 (c 2015). Its appearance increased the speed of data transfer, and the number of pins of the connector decreased;
• Micro PCIe. It is very rare.

Express Card

The body of most adapters are equipped with external connectors, which quickly add expansion cards. Once they were PCMCIA, and since 2003 – Express Card. Manufacturers have started to use them in the following order:

Important. Devices from other companies are devoid of throwing and the module can be found in different models from time to time.

Replacing the Wi-Fi adapter in a laptop

Laptop devices are most often of a built-in nature, hence it is necessary to disassemble the case to replace it. There is no exact instruction on how to replace the module, because all models are different, and manufacturers place modules in different places, which may be more or less accessible to the average person. In general, the step-by-step instructions are as follows:

1. Turn the notebook over when it is folded;
2. Check whether the adapter is located behind a separate cover;
3. If everything is more complicated, then remove the battery and unscrew all the screws on the case;
4. After that, the covers will be removed, as well as the keyboard, and under them will be the motherboard with the cooling cooler, CPU, RAM, and Wi-Fi module;
5. Having identified the module, you need to unscrew two more screws on it and gently pull the wires and remove the adapter from the PCI interface;
6. Replace the device by inserting a new module and attaching it;
7. Reassemble the housing and all its parts;
8. Turn on your computer and adjust the software as needed.

Important! Be careful not to pull any wires too hard. It is necessary to carefully remove them from the connectors and loops in close proximity to them. It's easy enough, and all you'll need throughout the job is a special screwdriver.

Please help

Good afternoon. Can anyone suggest contacts of a competent oncologist who consults remotely? I'm willing to pay. It is very necessary to monitor the actions of local doctors and make sure that everything they do – is done correctly, because there are doubts.

Hello all, a huge request for help consultingly in a rather sensitive issue of a specialist, presumably a nephrologist / urologist andrologist / gastroenterologist or other profile specialists.
The place of action – Yekaterinburg.

A 7-month-old child with degenerated hydronephrosis of the left kidney of the third degree due to a narrowed part of the ureter. Had 3 operations on urogenital system since birth:
1. Puncture nephrostomy on the left side.
2. Operation: Laparoscopy. Formation of wide pyeloureteral anastomosis on the left, on the stent. The cause of hydronephrosis is embryonic adhesions deforming the sublobar segment of the ureter, stenosis of the sublobar segment of the ureter. Resection of the pyeloureteral segment was performed.
3. Cystoscopy. Removal of upper urinary tract stent on the left side
All this happened in the first 4 months of the kid's life, and at the moment the patient cannot "defeat" the infection which was introduced into the body in the hospital, and its name is Klebsiella, which can cause the possibility of kidney failure, and since everything is connected in one mechanism, it can make it even worse.
At the moment a lot of specialists (urologists, andrologists, nephrologists) are vying with each other and recommending to stuff the child with antibiotics, which have achieved only one thing: the emergence of resistance of the bacterium to all available and possible medical drugs for use in children.
Once the infection has disappeared from the urinalysis results, it began to live in the intestines and take root there, no longer responding to treatment.
What to do? What to do? Maybe there is someone who has faced a similar problem and solved it? Naturally not on a gratuitous basis. All information: certificates, conclusions and test results will provide – here described in general terms the essence of what is happening.
Please raise the top, not indifferent comrades. Thank you all for your time.

How not to pay for not hot water? Need advice.

Moved into a new apartment for me and found that when you turn on the hot water first runs cold, very long runs cold and only then warm, even longer runs warm and only then kind of comes hot, but this is not accurate, I never waited, because the inner Jew yelled "Oh hey turn off rather the meter that spins. "

After researching questions on the Internet, I discovered that there are dual-rate meters that only start spinning readings when the temperature reaches 40 degrees or more. Before that, it spins like cold water.

I bought such a meter with telemetry function I've been watching it for 17 days and I see that I have not spent a liter of hot water. According to the meter readings, I have cold water flowing from the taps.

After making sure everything works, I asked the meter manufacturer to contact my resource company where I send my meter readings (unified billing center or ertz in simple terms), so that the manufacturer sends my readings directly, and I no longer climb under the sink and shine the flashlight because the inner Jew again starts his rattle: "Oh hey we waste energy of the phone, which we charged at work, to see the reading instead of … to … well, like not to waste. "

The manufacturer immediately sent a scan of an official letter from the head of this very ertz, which says that they do not have the technical ability to take readings on two rate meters.

1. I am about to come from the building manager to seal the meters. And there is a suspicion that I will have to directly convince them to seal my two-rate meter, maybe there is some kind of legal spell, which can be pronounced and the employees of the control room will think that it is better not to communicate with me and do as I want?

2. What to do with URC? I am not willing to pay for cold water at the price of hot water. How can I convince them to accept my readings? Or should I just add cold water from the hot tap to cold water from the cold tap and pay them this way?

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