Upgrade wifi pci card to dual band + bluetooth

[neelabh87]

Hi, 

   I have hp 15-da0296tu laptop that has 2.4ghz wifi band. I am wondering if  I can upgrade the pci wifi adapter to dual band 2.4ghz/5ghz + bluetooth. Is it possible to upgrade the wifi pci adapter to support 5 GHz band in this model ? My laptop is out of warranty.

Any response shall be greatly appreciated.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Yes, there is one model dual band AC Wi-Fi card you can upgrade to and that is this one:

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 on the 5.0 GHz Wi-Fi band with an AC router and an excellent signal.

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

I see some Intel 3165 cards listed on the eBay listings, so don't buy those.

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

RTL8821CE - Buy RTL8821CE with free shipping on AliExpress

On the Ali Express listings, make sure the card has the HP Part # of 915620-001.

Below is the link to the service manual, where you can find the wifi card removal and replacement procedure:

HP 15 Laptop PC Maintenance and Service Guide

There are also these related service videos:

Replace the Optical Drive | HP Notebook 15, HP 250 and 255 G7 Notebook PC | HP - YouTube

Replace the Base Enclosure | HP Notebook 15, HP 250 and 255 G7 Notebook PC | HP - YouTube

Replace the Battery | HP Notebook 15, HP 250 and 255 G7 Notebook PC | HP - YouTube

Replace the Wireless Module | HP Notebook 15, HP 250 and 255 G7 Notebook PC | HP - YouTube

[neelabh87]

Thanks for response. I will update you after inserting this new wifi pci card.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Looking forward to reading about the results.

Below are the links to the latest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers for the RTL8821CE:

Wifi:

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp145501-146000/sp145749.exe 

Bluetooth:

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp143501-144000/sp143863.exe 

[neelabh87]

Hi,

    Alixpress is not delivering the wifi card to my location in INDIA due to logistics issue and in eBay shipping charges are much higher than the product cost. Please suggest, from where to buy this product ?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Find an eBay seller that will ship to India or visit a local PC repair shop and see if they have any RTL8821CE Wi-Fi cards they will sell you from their inventory of used computer parts.

It is a very common card that has been used in notebooks for several years now.

[neelabh87]

I found an Realtek RTL8821CE WiFi card from a local shop. But its part number is not matching with the one you have mentioned in the post. It has HP part number : M09715-002 and on the card something written on it : AW-CB491NF REV02. I am wondering if it will be compatible with my laptop model or not ? Please suggest.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Yes, that model should work too as long as it has only one antenna connector terminal.

I think that is the newer revision of the hardware.

[neelabh87]

Yes, it has only one antenna terminal as I can see. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I'm pretty sure it should work then.