Upgrading the WiFi card on a laptop to support 5GHz and Bluetooth?
Upgrading the WiFi card on a laptop to support 5GHz and Bluetooth?
Hello,
I need to upgrade my Wi-Fi card because the RF antenna socket on the AUX port broke during soldering. My laptop has two antennas for Main and Aux connections. It’s quite old and only supports 2.4 GHz with no 5 GHz or Bluetooth. I plan to purchase a second-hand model that offers those features. Since the technology is very outdated and Toshiba no longer provides support, I’m wondering if an upgrade is feasible and which WiFi cards would work with my system.
I’ve read that upgrading is possible if your laptop has two antennas.
Details:
Device: Realtek RTL8187B (Mini PCI, also USB 2.0)
Laptop: Toshiba Satellite L450-18P
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T8300
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Motherboard: Toshiba NBWAA LA-5822P
BIOS Date: 11/13/09 (unknown version)
Chipset: Northbridge Intel GL40 rev. 07, Southbridge Intel 82801IM (ICH9-M) rev. 03
Thank you.
It would have been the optimal choice if I had more than three USB ports. I didn’t mention that earlier. My setup uses one port for the VGA to HDMI adapter, another for the mouse, and the third for external storage. I don’t like or rely on USB hub switches, powered or not. That’s why I want to upgrade the card itself.
The issue is that the socket for the card is keyed, meaning you need a different card with the identical notch and contact configuration. It must also fit the same dimensions for mounting screws onto the motherboard. Most existing cards don’t meet these requirements.
Yes, I had already reviewed it and it's a mini PCIe card. The image shows it clearly.
The device appears to be this one: https://imgur.com/a/1menLOQ
You can see it here: https://imgur.com/a/1menLOQ
Lately, many laptops use the smaller half-sized versions with identical connectors.
The opposite side of the connectors appears to have a different configuration, possibly with the notch facing inward and lacking certain contacts.
You are right, there's the missing notch on the other side of my card:
https://imgur.com/a/3Bnzp5F
View: https://imgur.com/a/3Bnzp5F
chip released in 2009 (12 Mb/s)
seems to match the second choice from the list:
Mini PCI, Mini PCI-E, Mini PCI-E Half Height - Guide to Laptop Wifi Cards | ThinkPenguin.com
pci/e full height mini wireless card
could this be compatible?
Wi-Fi 6E Half Mini PCI-E WiFi Network Card 802.11AX AC MPE-AXE3000H 2.4GHz 5GHz 6GHz 5400Mbps Wireless Card BT5.2 MU-MIMO Mini PCIe Wi-Fi 6E Adapter OFDMA vPro for Windows 10/11 PC Laptops : Electronics (amazon.com)
So now the question would be is there enough room in your laptop to use an adapter for a new wifi card since there would be added thickness in the installation. The specs don't indicate how thick the adapter is at the point where the new card socket is:
https://www.newegg.com/fenvi-mini-p...ini_pcie wifi card-_-9SIADXZBPT7356-_-Product
https://www.amazon.com/M-2-PCIe-Con...=1655078746&sprefix=Mini+PCIe,aps,187&sr=8-20