Does HP still block WiFi module upgrades? WiFi upgrade HP 15-ef2126wm

[kozad]

I'd like to upgrade the WiFi m.2 card in my laptop because quite honestly the Realtek WiFi sucks. I am aware that HP used to "whitelist" wifi modules in the BIOS/UEFI thus locking out user upgrades to newer modules - is this still a current practice? I'd like to upgrade to an Intel AX201/AX211/AX411 module, but don't want to waste my time if HP is still preventing replacements in firmware. Thanks!

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

The product specs for your notebook indicate that it comes with a Realtek RTL8821CE-M 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi adapter.

Since that model Wi-Fi card only uses one antenna wire, upgrading to a dual band AX card would require two antenna wires.

If you want to go through the trouble to add a second Wi-Fi antenna wire, there would be only one Intel Wi-Fi card that has any chance of working and that would be this one...

Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 ax 2×2 + Bluetooth 5.0 MU-MIMO M.2 2230 non-vPro   HP part number L35282-005.

You can find the above model Wi-Fi card on eBay.  Search by the HP part number, not the model of the Wi-Fi card.

No Intel card such as the ones you listed would work in a notebook with an AMD processor.

Those are all CNVio2 cards which only work in the PC's they came with.

What Are the Intel® Integrated Connectivity (CNVi) and Companion...

The Intel AX200 would have the same performance specs as the AX201.

If you don't add a second antenna wire, you will not have Bluetooth and the Wi-Fi performance may be slightly degraded.

[kozad]

Adding another antenna would not be an issue, since there's a huge open space where a SATA drive could be. I will take a look on eBay for that card.

So, aside from Intel themselves blocking AMD systems with CNVio/CNVio2 on some wifi cards, HP is no longer blocking wifi module upgrades on their systems?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Generally, no.

HP quit using whitelists around 2014 on most of their notebook PC's.

There are some exceptions and while I am not 100% certain that your notebook does not have a BIOS whitelist, I am pretty sure it doesn't.

I have a slightly older HP notebook than yours with the Ryzen 5-4500U processor, and the card I posted for you is the exact same model card HP installed in my notebook.

I just know for a fact that none of the cards you were looking into would work.

If you need the service manual, HP only has the one for the older model series, but the disassembly procedures may be the same.

Maintenance and Service Guide HP 15 Laptop PC

[kozad]

Thanks - I was mostly worried about the whitelisting, but completely forgot that Intel was cutting costs on their wireless cards by moving some of the hardware from the cards to the chipsets and SoCs. Thanks for that reminder!

Notes for future readers - Intel AX series cards ending in a 0 (zero) are not CVNio2 and should work in any system/PCIe desktop adapter - CNVio cards are locked to certain Intel chipsets, do some googles before you buy one.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Some folks have installed the AX210's in their notebooks and they didn't work for some reason, but the AX200's did.

Others have installed the AX210 in older notebooks (say from 2018), and they worked fine.

It's kind of hit or miss.