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HP Recommended
HP 280 G2 Small Form Factor PC
Microsoft Windows 11

Hiya  🙂

I just bought a second hand HP 280 G2 Small Form Factor PC and I'm trying to source a wifi/bluetooth adaptor. I'm currently using a generic 300mbps USB adaptor but it keeps dropping signal so I'd prefer something onboard.

 

HP gives me the following specs for my model as:

'Intel 3168 802.11ac with PCIe x1 WLAN/Bluetooth combo*
Intel 3168 802.11ac with PCIe x1 WLAN/Bluetooth combo disabled*'
 
I'm aware this is technically an old machine but searching for this netcard second hand on ebay is a nightmare. There's lots available and very cheaply too but pretty much every single (mostly chinese) seller has a disclaimer that their item will not work with HP and/or Windows 11.
 
I'm a bit demented at this point and wondering if there's even a compatible network adaptor but wouldn't know where to start with that. Can anyone help an old lady out please ? thanks 🙂
 
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

171 views not one reply …

 

Old I may be but not entirely stupid so I theorised and experimented. If it’s any help to anyone else this is what I did. 

 

Theorising it’s possible sellers are trying to avoid returns and so won’t guarantee Windows 11 compatibility I bought a second hand Intel 3168NGW card for £3 and splashed £8 on a generic PCI-e Wifi/Bluetooth card adaptor off eBay for the PCI-e 1x slot.  Windows picked it up instantly, no install no additional drivers and it works perfectly for wifi and Bluetooth. 

Tinkering 15 years ago, on what’s now an old Acer Windows XP machine, generic wifi adapters had always worked so I thought “well why not now ? Is HP really so special ?” So I also  took a chance on a generic, unbranded PCI-e Wifi/Bluetooth adapter, again off ebay, for £14 listed as compatible with Windows 10. Handy that came with an additional half size bracket that fitted the smaller PC casing that this HP has. Windows 11 pro picked it up instantly with no issues with wi-fi but Bluetooth had choppy audio issues and kept disconnecting and reconnecting from my Harmon Kardon Onyx Bluetooth speaker. I downloaded the latest Bluetooth drivers from Realtek and that sorted that. 

Perhaps it was such a simple issue that 171 people were just so embarrassed for me that I couldn’t work it out for myself that they didn’t respond.

 

I did though and I’m proud of myself.

View solution in original post

1 REPLY 1
HP Recommended

171 views not one reply …

 

Old I may be but not entirely stupid so I theorised and experimented. If it’s any help to anyone else this is what I did. 

 

Theorising it’s possible sellers are trying to avoid returns and so won’t guarantee Windows 11 compatibility I bought a second hand Intel 3168NGW card for £3 and splashed £8 on a generic PCI-e Wifi/Bluetooth card adaptor off eBay for the PCI-e 1x slot.  Windows picked it up instantly, no install no additional drivers and it works perfectly for wifi and Bluetooth. 

Tinkering 15 years ago, on what’s now an old Acer Windows XP machine, generic wifi adapters had always worked so I thought “well why not now ? Is HP really so special ?” So I also  took a chance on a generic, unbranded PCI-e Wifi/Bluetooth adapter, again off ebay, for £14 listed as compatible with Windows 10. Handy that came with an additional half size bracket that fitted the smaller PC casing that this HP has. Windows 11 pro picked it up instantly with no issues with wi-fi but Bluetooth had choppy audio issues and kept disconnecting and reconnecting from my Harmon Kardon Onyx Bluetooth speaker. I downloaded the latest Bluetooth drivers from Realtek and that sorted that. 

Perhaps it was such a simple issue that 171 people were just so embarrassed for me that I couldn’t work it out for myself that they didn’t respond.

 

I did though and I’m proud of myself.

† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.