Replacing the Wi-Fi module on a laptop HP Pavilion Notebook - 17-f155nr

[SanAndreas]

Hi all!
I want to replace the Wi-Fi module in my laptop with a more modern one, preferably 802.11ac. Help me find a replacement that won't cause any problems.

The broadcom bcm43142 module is now installed.

Thank you!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

You can't upgrade to a dual band card unless there are two antenna wires connected to the Broadcom card.

Open up your notebook and let me know if there is one or two antenna wires you can connect to the Wi-Fi card.

Below is the link to the service manual:

c04427554.pdf (hp.com)

Do not rely on the picture of two antenna wires it shows on page 88 of the service manual.

Some model Wi-Fi cards such as the Broadcom single band card your notebook has installed only need one antenna wire for the card to work properly.

[SanAndreas]

Thank you for your response
I am attaching a photo of the Wi-Fi module.

The question is, can’t I install a dual-band module and add a second antenna myself?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

If you want to go through the trouble to add a second antenna wire, then yes, you can upgrade the card.

To do the job right it will take a lot of work as you can see in chapter 6 of the service manual.

Either of these two cards should work with two antenna wires:

Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 802.11 ac 2x2 Wi-Fi + BT 4.0    HP Part # 710661-001

Broadcom BCM4352 802.11ac 2x2 Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0 combo  HP part # 724935-001

[SanAndreas]

Tell me, what are the possible options for replacing the module if you don’t add a second antenna? And is 802.11 ac possible in this case?

Or is it necessary to add a second antenna anyway for 802.11ac?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You can try either card with one antenna wire, and you connect it to the wifi card's main antenna wire. 

I don't believe that the Bluetooth will get any reception without the second antenna wire.

[SanAndreas]

Thank you for your help !

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime. 

Glad to have been of assistance. 

[SanAndreas]

Oh, tell me another question. Now this laptop has a broadcom bcm43142 Wi-Fi module installed and, based on the characteristics of the laptop, it should work in 802.11/b/g/n standards. That is, in the case of 802.11/n, the connection speed should be about 150 Mbit/s at a frequency of 2.4 GHz and about 600 Mbit/s at 5 GHz. However, at the 2.4 GHz frequency the speed does not rise above 38-40 Mbit/s, and the 5 GHz network is not detected at all. The currently installed broadcom driver dated November 22, 2016 is version 7.35.352.0

Why is the speed limited?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

The model Broadcom card your notebook comes with has a maximum connection speed of 72 MBPS.

That's because it's a 1 x 1 card only supporting one data stream up or down. 

You would need a single band 2 x 2 card in order to have double the connection speed that your notebook's card provides.