Replacing WLAN module (RTL8723BE 802.11 bgn ) of notebook 15-ab292nb to dualband.

[DurenM]

Dear community,
I recently upgraded my notebook 15-ab292nb (Intel i7-6500U) , such that at this moment my only bottleneck is the internet connection. Therefore, I was wondering whether I could also upgrade (1) my WLAN module (RTL8723BE 802.11 bgn)  and (2) the Ethernet connection (10/100 BASE-T Ethernet LAN = 100 Mbps).

As for (1) Tread: RTL8723BE to a 5 ghz card  clearly emphasize the missing 5GHz antenna, however does there exist Wi-Fi modules with build in 5GHz antenna? (as a similar trend finds place in the microcontroller market)
If not, could I upgrade the current module to a 2,4GHz  module supporting Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).

And how can I ensure the connector and pin layout do match?

As for (2) the Ethernet connector (RJ45) is part of the left I/O shield. Here is my question: Will replacing the I/O shield improve network speeds? If so, which I/O shield would you recommend?

Thank you in advance.

( Applied modifications to the notebook:

              1* 8GB LDDR3 1600 to 2* 8GB LDDR3 1600 (Max)
               1TB SHDD seagate to 870 EVO SSD
                renewed thermal paste of CPU)

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

There is one dual band AC wifi card you can upgrade to, and that is this one.

Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11 ac 1x1 WiFi + Bluetooth 4.2 Combo Adapter (MU-MIMO supported) HP part # L17365-005.

You can find this model on eBay, or Ali Express,

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

The card will have the same 72 MBPS throughput as the original wifi card on the 2.4 GHz wifi band, but on the 5.0 GHz wifi band, it will have a max throughput of 433 MBPS when you have an AC router with an excellent wifi signal strength.

The ethernet chip is onboard and cannot be upgraded. Its spec is 10/100 max.

You can use a USB3 to RJ-45 gigabit ethernet adapter for faster ethernet speeds.

[DurenM]

Thank you for your reply.
To summarize, the only improvement when upgrading the Wi-Fi module is the ability to use 5GHz wifi.
I followed your instructions provided in a tread about the RTL8821CE and I achieve  currently a maximal connection speed of 150 Mbps.

According to the table below (source), by upgrading the module I could benefit at least of a connection 3 times as fast (using 802.11n protocol) and even more if I upgrade/enable my router 802.11ac protocol.

About the ethernet chip: if the maximal connection speed is 100Mbps, would I be better off using a strong Wi-Fi connection instead of the RJ-45 jack?

Again a massive thank you for your helpful response.

EDIT: I 'm not able to upload the printscreen of the table, therefore other forms below.

<table style="width:80%; margin:20px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" border="1">
<tbody style="text-align: center;">
	<tr style="background-color:gray">
		<th  valign="middle" scope="row">Frequency</th>
		<th  valign="middle">Theoretical Speed</th>
		<th  valign="middle">Real-World Speed</th>
	</tr>
	<tr>
		<td>2.4 GHz (802.11b)</td>
		<td>11 Mbps</td>
		<td>2-3 Mbps</td>
	</tr>
	<tr>
		<td>2.4 GHz (802.11g)</td>
		<td>54 Mbps</td>
		<td>10 -29 Mbps</td>
	</tr>
	<tr>
		<td>2.4 GHz (802.11n)</td>
		<td>300 Mpbs</td>
		<td>150 Mbps</td>
	</tr>
	<tr>
		<td>5 GHz (802.11a)</td>
		<td>6-54 Mbps</td>
		<td>3 - 32 Mbps</td>
	</tr>
	<tr>
		<td>5 GHz (802.11ac)</td>
		<td>433 Mbps - 1.7 Gbps</td>
		<td>210 Mbps - 1 G</td>
	</tr>
	<tr>
		<td>5 GHz (802.11n)</td>
		<td>900 Mbps</td>
		<td>450Mbps</td>
	</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

If you only have a wireless N router, the best the RTL8821CE card will do is 150 MBPS as you summarized.

So you can:

Upgrade your router to one that is AC or AX, or purchase the USB3 to RJ-45 gigabit ethernet adapter, if you can conveniently connect your PC with an ethernet cable most of the time, or you can do both.

A USB3 to RJ-45 gigabit ethernet adapter will provide the most throughput--close to 1 GB/S.

Remember, the speeds I mentioned are the absolute maximum wireless throughput speeds possible.

I think if you get 100 or 125 MBPS with the Realtek 8821CE card with a dual band N router, then you are doing really well.