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- HP Community
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- Notebook Hardware and Upgrade Questions
- Re: ProBook 4730s, Upgrade WiFi

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10-16-2011 09:49 AM
Dear folks,
I have a HP ProBook 4730s. It uses an Atheros AR9285 half card wifi adapter. It max's out at 150mbps on my home network. I was thinking of upgrading to an Intel 6200. I have had success with Intel cards before getting upto 270mbps.
Am I ok to do this? Are there any issues I need to be aware of?
Many thanks
10-16-2011 09:57 AM
Hi, Sally:
If you want to change to the Intel card the only one you can get is the Intel Centrino® Advanced-N 6230. It must be an Intel card made for HP with the specific HP part # on it or it will not work. The part number listed in the service manual is
636672-001.
Please see the service manual, chapter 3, page 25.
http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c03054480/c03054480.pdf
If you live in the USA, you can order it directly from HP at the link below if you want.
Paul
10-16-2011 11:09 AM - edited 10-16-2011 11:30 AM
Many thanks for the reply.
I live in Ireland. I see a couple available in UK but 50 - 60 pounds delivered. No way! These whiteliss are sickening. WiFi cards already meet legislitive compliance so that excude from vendors is redundant. It amounts to the manufacturer talling the consumer what parts they can and cannot buy, and that adds a premium to the part. I'll wait for one to come along on ebay for 5 pounds which is what they are worth.
10-16-2011 01:11 PM
Oh, and yes, wifi cards meet wireless standards, but they also have to be tested and validated with the antenna system that is in the notebooks.
HP unfortunately, maintains compliance by locking out untested/unvalidated cards.
Since HP is a US company, they have to comply with US regs regarding SAR absorption rates and wireless interference. Most countries, I'm sure, have similar regulations.
Any card will work with any antennae. I have had twin channel work on tri-antennae and visa versa. I have even made my own third antennae for an upgraded wifi card and installed it myself. I along with probably the majority of consumers do not like being told what I can and cannot instyall on MY laptop and I do not like being forced to pay premium prices for otherwise cheap devices.
Even if it were all down to US regulations, I believe HP might have one or two customers outside the mighty big brother, or do the US want to police world transmission regulations along with everything else.
Talk about annoying your customers! Its a deal breaker for me.
10-17-2011 06:36 PM
Paul_Tikkanen wrote:That's not the point. It is a compliance issue.
Many countries have similar wireless communication regulations such as what I posted. Not just the USA.
There is nothing you or I can do about how HP wishes to ensure compliance regarding wireless cards in their PC's.
And please keep your political opinions to yourself regarding my country. This forum is not the place for those comments.
Firstly, who are you? Are you a HP representitive? or just a forum user?
Secondly, the whole issue of compliance is already dealt with in the mnanufacturing process of the wifi cards themselves. Notebook whitelists are well known "value adding" devices and remain unpopular with customers.
Thirdly, of course there is something I can do. Infact there's a number of options. (a) Purchase other makes of laptops until HP make a model that suits me! (b)Hack the bios!
And finally......God bless America.
10-17-2011 06:43 PM
I'll just add this for consideration.
The beloved and the almighty HP, list about 5 cards in the service manual of my laptop. One of them as follows . . ."Realtek 8188BC8 802.11a/b/g/n 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0+HS Combo", part number - 602993-001.
But if you go to the HP store here
http://h20141.www2.hp.com/Hpparts/Default.aspx?mscssid=0343B44021424D8C8555CE22DBA1FFEA
and enter that part no, in the search engine, it returns
B/G/N (1x1) WLAN card - Half MiniCard (HMC) combo Tozai
RoHS: Modified
So, is it a 1x1 or 2x2? is itr a dual band or not? Who knows? I gues we have to take pot luck. I have read similar posts in other forums where customers have actually bought HP wifi cards thinking they were upgrading, but the cards were wrong etc.
Round & round it goes, where it stops....nobody knows. Roll up, roll up, try your luck here!
10-17-2011 07:27 PM
Gosh you're a great man for the regulations huh!
Isn't it amazing how some other American manufacturers are not bound by those same laws that poor 'ol HP seem tio be (according to you).....
Yeah anyway, Night now!
God bless America!