Wireless card replacement - HP Envy 13

[Shoune]

Hi.

I'm looking to replace the original Broadcom wireless card inside my HP Envy 13 with an Intel card, specifically an Intel 8260GW. I've been greeted with a beautiful 'Wireless module not supported' error, code 704, which I assume has something to do with the BIOS having a whitelist.

I've tried disabling and clearing TPM in the BIOS Security options with no success .

Am I out of luck, or could anyone point me towards something I could do to get that card working? 

Thanks.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I am very surprised to read that you received that notice.

Since about 2013, HP had removed the BIOS whitelists from their notebooks.

I have a HP 350 G1 notebook that I bought last year and I installed an Intel 7260 in it with no problem at all.

I only did it because I saw that other forum members had been putting any wireless cards they wanted in their notebooks.

Prior to about 2013, every HP notebook has a whitelist and folks got the dreaded 'Wireless module not supported' notice.

That means possibly that HP is returning to the whitelists.

The only suggestion I can offer would be to install a supported wlan card listed in the service manual for your notebook and see if that works.

You would have to get the specific card listed and it must have the HP part number on it, or it will not work.

Chapter 3, pp 15-16 provide the list of the two wireless cards supported with their part numbers.

Hopefully, the Intel dual band AC card listed will work.

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04996189

If your notebook does not have two antennas present, a dual band card won't work.

A lot of notebooks with these newer M2 single band cards only have 1 antenna present.

Adding a 2nd antenna would require complete disassembly of the notebook including the display panel area to properly route a second antenna.

[Shoune]

Thanks for your reply.

I had indeed read that HP had stopped whitelisting hardware in BIOS, guess I was wrong to feel safe.

Thank you for the manual link, I might just get Amazon to swap the card for me - the Envy 13 does have 2 antennas, so I'll at the very least be able to get rid of that pesky Broadcom card.

I will send an email to support directly just in case they have a solution for me and update back if anything comes out of it.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome.

Yes, please keep us informed, because this is not good news.

If you decide to get the HP Intel card, please let us know if it worked.

Those of us on this forum that help with wlan card upgrades may have to rethink our approach.

[Shoune]

Hi,

Just reporting back that the Intel 7265 does indeed work without a hitch as announced in the repair manual.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

That is great news.

Thanks for letting us know that the card listed in the service manual works just fine.

[Shoune]

Somehow the forum system posted this while telling me it was having issues, go figure.