Wifi card to antenna connector is missing

[Ctreats]

I have had issues with my Wi-Fi connecting very poorly to the Internet. I recently ordered a replacement Wi-Fi card but when I opened up the laptop I found that the antenna cable is not connected to the Wi-Fi card and it wasn't the WiFi card at all but a missing connector between the card and the antenna cable. 

The antenna cable comes out of the display enclosure as it should but where it's stowed it's about three inches from the card and the antenna end is too big to connect to the Wi-Fi card terminal. 

I would post a picture but I have no link to attach one where I am posting this inquiry. 

Can anyone help? 

Thanks in advance

[BeemerBiker]

Your laptop uses the single antenna Realtek card for Wi-Fi

857334-855

Realtek RTL8188EE-VJ 802.11b/g/n 1x1 Wi-Fi adapter

Our senior expert, @Paul_Tikkanen recommend these Wi-Fi cards

I do not have any experience with your laptop but some older laptops had a list of approved Wi-Fi cards in the bios and if your card is not on that list it may not work.

[Ctreats]

Thanks for the info BeemerBiker. 

It's not the card that is the issue it's that there is no connector between the card and the antenna cable. It appears to be missing. The original card is still installed but nothing is there to connect the two.

[BeemerBiker]

It is not easy, but it is possible to attach an antenna and poke the cable to where it does not hang out or get tangled badly.

 Different antennas and adapters

[Ctreats]

That really helps! 

I was able to get a few photos of my card, antenna (unstowed) and the distance between them if that helps to finally solve this issue.

Take a look and see if you have any suggestions?

Thanks

is there a connector missing between the ends?

[BeemerBiker]

That Wi-Fi card is not the one listed in your parts list.  It has two antenna connectors.

Looking at eBay I see this pair of antennas that MIGHT fit.  I have bought antennas before and found they did not fit as they all look alike.

Looking at the photo of your connector it appears to be bent and not exactly circular.   Possible the assembler damaged it and did not bother to fix the problem.  This series of photo resembles your laptop.  If the existing cable cannot be relocated then just add two of the wire antennas about the motherboard.   If the antennas have exposed metal cover the exposure with tape to ensure no metal parts touch the motherboard.  If the antennas are numbered A and B that is same as left and right.   You Wi-Fi card shows 2 and 1  possible the following is the coding

Antenna 1: Wi-Fi + BT

Antenna 2: Wi-Fi

Typically bluetooth antennas are shorter than Wi-Fi according to Google's AI

[Ctreats]

The connector photo was actually a little angled but the connector is round. 

From the link you sent of the full disassembly it looks as though it's just the antenna cable itself that is routed all the way to the card (full photo with bottom cover removed).

Is it possible that when the assembler put the original antenna cable in that there is more cable stowed around the display and it was never connected? Or maybe a shorter cable was installed in the display housing? 

So frustrating but I really do appreciate finally seeing a full disassembly of my laptop and not another 17! 

Thank you so much for all your help and guidance!

[Ctreats]

Well, I am happy to say that I have found the culprit, and apparently, someone had taken the laptop apart in the past and done some work on it, and that work included installing something that was not original as well as cutting cables that shouldn't have been cut, but it definitely explains the lack of Wi-Fi reception!

Can you take a look at these photos and tell me what I need to replace the parts? I searched online but couldn't find anything that looks like these even with the numbers on the parts entered in the search field.

Thanks again in advance!!!