The WiFi antennas are installed on the Optiplex Micro unit.
The WiFi antennas are installed on the Optiplex Micro unit.
Hi everyone! I'm trying to donate some Dell Optiplex Micros to a local charity. They came with just the white antenna, so I ordered a black one from China. The white one is straightforward—just plug it into the card and run the cable behind the box. But the black one is tricky; I don’t know where it should go. There’s no instructions in the manual, and my searches on YouTube and eBay didn’t help much. The wire seems to end at the edge of the board. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks! zog
Dell 100% should have pictures of the WiFi antenna / card in the service manual. What is the EXACT model of Optiplex or the Express Service Tag / Code? I'll be surprised if they don't show roughly where / how to install the antenna, as Dell, HP, and Lenovo's service manuals are usually pretty on-point.
@kirashi I understand your point, Dell should include images in the manual, but I haven’t located them yet. I believe the issue lies in the fact that WiFi antennas are typically factory-installed, which might explain why Dell doesn’t prioritize documenting them. Speaking of which, I own an Optiplex 7040 and an Optiplex 9020. Both units are quite similar inside. Here are the service tag numbers for each: OptiPlex 7040 – 8SXJFB2 Optiplex 7040 at Dell OptiPlex 9020 – DWRPW52 It seems I might have overlooked it in the documentation.
It seems the manual doesn't cover WLAN setup or antenna installation details. While the OptiPlex 9020 lists WLAN card info, it doesn't provide guidance on routing antenna cables. Your assumption about fitting antennas in the rear IO panel from a previous model might be helpful, but you're right to question the instructions. In an older OptiPlex 780 SFF PC, the antenna was mounted on the rear IO panel, suggesting similar possibilities for your Dell system.