Wifi card upgrade available?

[Russbmw]

Hi

For reasons I can't fathom, HP decided to put a single band wifi card in this machine - so I'm stuck with 2.4ghz.  Very odd, as the 10 year old Acer Aspire that it's replacing picks up 2.4 ghz and 5ghz!

Anyway, looks like replacing the wifi card is an easy enough job, but I don't know if a dual band wifi card exists for this machine?

If it does, can anyone let me know the part number please?

If there's one that incorporates Bluetooth as well, that would be great, as my machine also is missing this feature (again, something the Acer has.....arghh!!!)

Can't really complain too much about the HP though, seeing as I got given it for free!

Thanks

[CF4]

Hi

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/product/hp-pavilion-15-n000-notebook-pc-series/5401225/model/6454651/ma...

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04439615    Page 49

HOWEVER a dual band WLAN module requires 2 antenna's and threading an antenna up behind the display screen is not easy I suspect (don't bank on there being a redundant one just waiting for this upgrade).

So external option, or try a new Adapter and only connect the antenna to the 5.0 Ghz?

Atheros AR9485 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter for use on all computer models  675794-001

Ralink RT3290LE 802.11b/g/n 1×1 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 Combo Adapter for use on all computer models 690020-001

Realtek RTL8188EE 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter for use on all computer models  709848-001

Mediatek MT7630E 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter and  Mediatek Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter for use only on computer models  equipped with an AMD processor 710418-001

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi, @Russbmw

Once you confirm that your notebook has two antenna cables attached to the wifi card in there now, you can upgrade to this card...

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

The card is readily available on Amazon or eBay.

Do your search by the HP part number, not the model of the wifi card.

[Russbmw]

Thanks for the replies guys.  I'll take it apart later and have a look at the cabling situation - and also the fixing screws, as far as I can tell, the Intel card has one centrally located screw compared to what seems to be 2 in the pics I've seen of the OEM one.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I bought the same Intel card for my HP 350 G1 business-class notebook.

It is no different than any of the other typical HMC form factor cards.

There are two screw holes...one on the left side of the card, and one on the right.

Mine screwed into the right side hole...

Here is an exact picture of the wifi card for reference.

[Russbmw]

Weird....every Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 + BT I can find looks like this....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Intel-Dual-Band-Wireless-AC-7265-BT/323413533218?hash=item4b4cf2e222:g:-k...

[Russbmw]

Ah, different numbers!!

HP Customer support told me the AC-7265 was the one?!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You need the 7260, not the 7265.

The 7265 won't work.  It is a M.2 form factor.

Your notebook should have a HMC form factor card.

Just open it up and confirm everything...2 antenna cables...HMC form factor card in there now.

[Russbmw]

That all makes sense - looks the same!

Thanks for your help Paul, much appreciated.

What's the deal with the 2 antenna? The manual says to disconnect both from the standard card, which would suggest there should be 2 cables there to start with?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Sometime around when your model series was released, HP came up with the bright idea of only including one antenna cable to connect to the single band cards. 

...And with the latest single band wifi cards, there is now only one antenna terminal to connect to.  So they are designed to only work with one antenna.

All the service manuals show illustrations of two antenna cables, because some models in any notebook model series do come with dual band cards, and they must have two antenna cables connected to work correctly, if at all.

So, I don't like telling folks, "sure go ahead an install this card," unless they first let me know that there are two cables present, because I am not 100% certain which model series made in 2013 - 2014 have two antenna cables, and which don't.