HP Notebook Wireless card Upgrade

[Jehú]

Hello, I want to upgrade my BCM42142 wireless card for an Intel 3165 Dual Band Wireless card, since the one that comes from the factory gives me many problems of disconnections and the intel card has better compatibility with Windows and Linux, I have reviewed the maintenance manual of the HP model 240 G5 since my laptop is derived from that but I am not sure of the compatibility.
(Sorry, I don't write well in English)

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Your notebook will only have one antenna cable connected to the BCM card in there now, so the 3165 will work like this...

If you connect the single antenna cable to the 3165's Main antenna terminal, you will have wifi but no Bluetooth.

If you connect the single antenna cable to the 3165's Auxiliary antenna terminal, you will have Bluetooth but no wifi.

There are no dual band wifi cards that work will with Linux where the wifi and Bluetooth only work with one antenna.

This card will work with Windows, but I have no idea if you can get it to work on Linux.

Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11 ac 1x1 Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.2 Combo Adapter (MU-MIMO supported)
HP Part # L17365-005

The card has a maximum throughput of 433 MBPS with an AC router on the 5.0 GHz wifi band, and 72 MBPS on the 2.4 GHz wifi band.

The card has been on back order for ages now on the HP parts store site, but you can get one on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=L17365-005&_sacat=0&_sop=15

[Jehú]

Could I add another antenna to the laptop to have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth working?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Yes, you can do that, but in order to do it right, you would have to order the antenna kit (if it is the same one used in the 240 G5) and completely disassemble the notebook including the display panel area to properly route it.

Of course you could just add an antenna willy-nilly, and hope it works too but I can't tell you that is the best way to go.

Just make sure that you insulate the metal transceiver from touching any metal parts of the motherboard if you choose to install the antenna in a non-standard way.

[Jehú]

Ok just to be completely sure, does this computer no longer bring the white list in the BIOS or does it have it?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

As a general rule of thumb, HP discontinued the BIOS whitelist practice sometime in 2013, with the exception of a very few model series, and I am pretty sure that yours is not one of those that have a whitelist.

I cannot 100% guarantee your notebook's model series does not have a BIOS whitelist, but I am pretty confident that it does not.

HP does not release that info and the only way we 100% know for sure one way or the other is if forum members upgrade the wifi adapters and report the outcome.

Then we can use that feedback to help others.

[Jehú]

Ok, thank you very much for your help, can I leave this post pending to confirm if my laptop has the white list or not?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome.

Yes, please post back and let us know how the wifi card upgrade went.

[Jehú]

Hello, i upgraded my wireless card (Broadcom) to Intel Wireless Dual Band AC 3165 Plus Bluetooh and works fine with Windows and Linux, i can confirm, the BIOS doesn't have white list.

Thanks for the help

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.

Thanks for reporting back that the Intel card worked.