Upgraded my old laptop to WiFi 6 - Is it really worth it?
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2024
- In this video we show you the procedure necessary to upgrade your older laptop to a wifi 6 network. In this case we are going to upgrade a computer that uses PCIe mini interface card. We’ll show you the differences with m.2/ NGFF interface cards and how to differentiate them so you won’t buy the wrong adapter for your computer.
We hope this video is of great help if you are trying to decide whether this upgrade is or not worth the money and the time you spend.
Right here the hardware used to upgrade this computer:
PCIe MIni Card: amzn.to/43jW0zI
amzn.to/3hjTq5C
In case you have m.2 slot: amzn.to/3YhaHk2
2.5 inch SATA drive 240 GB (replaces any older spinning SATA HDD): amzn.to/3IsqwMv
2.5 inch SATA drive 480 GB (replaces any older spinning SATA HDD): amzn.to/3HnSibM
m.2 Drive in case your computer uses such interface (less likely if the wifi Card is PCIe mini):
amzn.to/3HlU8Kd
Video Chapters
0:00 - 1. Introduction and preliminary tests
1:26 - 2. Opening UP my laptop
2:57 - 3. Installing the new card and closing
4:43 - 4. Testing my new performance - Наука та технологія
One thing to keep in mind is to get drivers before doing this if you can since you will be without internet if they don't automatically install. You might find yourself connecting to Ethernet temporarily or if you have a second computer downloading the drivers to a flash drive or SD card. Depending on the age of the card, Windows might already have the driver in Windows 10 or 11 but that might be a generic driver. It will most likely still work to allow you to get the drivers from the manufacturer (note that Microsloth is *NOT* the manufacturer).
Thanks
Hi there , it was very useful & informative tutorial video , i have learnt a lot . keep it up . thnx
Now I'm convinced. I just recently bought a wifi 6 router, maxed out my RAM, and switch from HDD to SSD on my old sony vaio SVE14.
That´s right and makes much more difference updating the SSD than the RAM.
I have done mine with an AX200NGW and it is worth it for sure. The best thing is they are not expensive. They are anywhere from $8 to $30 on eBay from the seller of your choosing. They can be cheaper or more expensive but the prices often fall in that range. With WiFi 6 routers being cheaper now it is easier to start the upgrade. Devices like phones can't be upgraded but if you own a Samsung or any modern device you probably already have one that will work with WiFi 6. I *ONLY* keep the 2.4 GHz band so that devices that don't work with WPA3 can still get an internet connection, if I didn't have any I would turn that band off. I know there may be better cards than the AX200NGW but that is a really good card and it wouldn't surprise me if many units have sold.
That's right @Charles Hines, and that continues to be our experience with these cards.
Most Samsung mid range & low end have old WiFi
Mediatek Dimensity is actually very good in WiFi generation (newer better WiFi)
The midrange Snapdragon chip a bit bellow mediatek in newer version of WiFi, but way above samsung
Nicely done.
Thanks a lot ❤❤❤
Nice how to video.
Excellent video. I would like to upgrade my Thinkpad Edge e545 Realtec RTL 8188. The real issue is it is only a single 2.4 band. Also, my Network stopped showing up suddenly. All of the neighbors' networks are shown.
Well, yes, it may be possible that your wifi adapter is nor working properlly. It may also be just misconfiguration of your drivers however wifi 6 for that laptop (released in 2016) may be agreat update like I showed in this video. Important to note that these laptops I upgraded already have SSDs for the system drive which dramatically improved their performance. I would think this one has the PCIe MINI option for wifi 6: amzn.to/3AxMPNU
Hack them and log on. Not srs, semi-srs.
Awesome video! My ASUS X551ca-SX029D has a very old and slow wi-fi card (Atheros AR9485). Can you recommend a compatible one to replace it with that supports wi-fi 6? Thank you sir.
Watching a few videos of your computer model it looks like it is a PCIe mini such as the one seen in this video. Here a link to what you may need, however if you are able to open it, much better. amzn.to/3hjTq5C
@@TechnologyMoments Thank you very much!
You should of done a speed test of before and after
True, I should have done it side by side. It is a big improvement. The "before" test is @ 00:35 and the "after @ 06:40 :-)
I have an old hp elitebook 8460p laptop. I want to put wifi6 there. But I doubt it, since I saw information that hp laptops have a hardware whitelist in the BIOS, did you have any problems with this?
That is correct, those models may be problematic, and you should only attempt an upgrade if you can return the item, other wise go for an external wifi 6 card (amzn.to/3rGYysR )
I like the strap, never knew about those. I always just discharged via metal, never blew any hardware/mobos and I been around a lot of pcs. Is this different with laptops? Anyways, thanks, the laptop I am checking out does support PCIe, I mean PCIe is quite old I see no reason why it should not.
No, you're actually right, I live at a place where static is not a big problem compared to where I used to live. But it is always clever to discharge or wear a static discharge wristband to avoid sparking and damaging your equipment. Regarding old laptops, I still continue to use the laptop in this video thanks to this very simple upgrade (and the SSD drive :-)
thank you for the video! I have one question my moms laptop does not support 5 ghz internet only 2.4 ghz, does i have 5 ghz when i upgrade it to a new wifi 6 card adapter ?
Yes, the adapter I just recommended you (amzn.to/3FzPCJE ) will let you connect to all Wifi networks available. 5 GHz networks (WiFi 5 and WiFi6) among them.
Hi, can my old hp pavillion 15 notebook pc be upgraded with this chip? How am i supposed to check the highest wifi card my system can work with? Thanks for the video
Unfortunately there is no easy answer to your question and even processor and MB have to be compatible, and we've tried in some laptops that are supposed to work with... and no luck. A good reference would be the release date compared with examples you find like this one. Sorry I could not help you better.
Excellent video. I have a hp pavilion dv4-1125nr upgraded with a CT500mx ssd and 8GB DDR2 Ram. My wifi only gets 2.4G. Can I upgrade this wifi card to a Wifi 5 or Wifi 6 card? Could you recommend me some type? Thanks
Those pavillion models are quite troublesome for upgrading their network cards to wifi 6 somo of them have worked and some have not. I would order the corresponding card (if you can return them) after checking which version it uses (PCIe or m.2)
Hi, do I have to install wifi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 drivers before taking the old card out to make it work
Yes, you have to be very careful as if you remove the old card and instal the new one without having an alternate way of conecting to the internet, your drivers will not be downloaded and installed. You can use a cheap usb dongle for this.
Make sure you have the drivers for the dongle, too. They sometimes won't work without one.
Only one Antenna (Main) is connected and the AUX antenna is not connected. Can you explain if there would be some lag due to this or not. Can we install other antenna later or not.
None at all, most manufacturrers today require just one antenna instalation. There used to be the need to have one separate for bluetooth, wimax, or even 2.4 - 5 Ghz radios.
I install an Intel card and supply my own second antenna. With just one you have 1x1 (one transmit one receive) but with more antennas you can get a better connection. When I installed that in a laptop that had just one *cable* (they are thin coaxial), I found an empty space in the case to route it to. You might end up with a little bit of slack doing this, just *GENTLY* coil it (one loop is probably enough to tame the mess). I have some good 3M electrical tape I used to tape down the excess cable. DO NOT CUT THE CABLE, you will not be able to reattach that small connector without shorting it and destroying the WIFi card!!! I installed mine this way to avoid disassembling the laptop display because it is not for the faint of heart!! I am experiencing zero issues of any sort and it works fine! Just have to make sure the antennas are connected. With some laptop WiFi cards, that second connector might be used for Bluetooth. I like to get an HP XB4000 Bluetooth mouse and pair it with Bluetooth on the WiFi card. It really is nice not to need any dongles hanging out the side.
@@charleshines8523 Hi, excellent points and very helpful. I have the same issue since my HP has only one antenna as well. Have you ever tried to connect the antenna to the "main" only? Someone said the BT may not be working if you not connect the "Aux" port. Do you have a good BT reception for leaving the second antenna in the case? Thank you.
This is helpful. I was just wondering if it's worth it for me to replace my ideapad s340 wifi to 6 or just buy a new computer. I bought my lenovo 2019. running on windows 11. I have other laptops with wifi 6 but I was wondering if it's worth it to upgrade my 2019 lenovo to wifi 6.
I would absolutely go for the upgrade. Take a look at this video from a fellow youtuber: ua-cam.com/video/04vsUzaRsZ0/v-deo.html That way you can practice and feel comfortable with the procedure or disassembling your computer. Then get the card (amzn.to/46Gdmre ) and replace. This is a link where you'll see the several models you may get. Always check twice at the end you're getting the m.2 card for your laptop. The AX210 widely compatible and also high performance with up to wifi 6E.
I own a Dell XPS 15 9570 that I want to upgrade the wifi card to the best option. After some research I found out about the Intel ax210 wifi card. Is that my best option? And can you please provide a link that I can purchase?
Sure, for us it has been so. Here the link: amzn.to/3zZwbHu
I saw your HP only have 1 internal antenna, and it's similar with my HP laptop but after I upgrade my M2. NGFF Wifi 4 to M2. NGFF Wifi 5, my bluetooth connection is not stable, and I only capped by 86 mbps phy rate by sitting next to the wifi router. It is not even reach 433 mbps (1x1 configuration). Do you have same issue with 1 internal antenna like I have? thank you.
Hi, we did not experience that. Try connecting it to the other antenna port in the card. Also take a look around in advanced settings for the antenna driver that has a lot of tweaks that may need adjustment in your laptop. Such may be the case of the antenna.
is it ok if we have only one antenna, will the bluetooth as well as wifi work? and.... does antenna also
needs to be changed
If your computer only has one antenna, that's all you'll need. Just connect it to the "main" connector.
why my link speed are nowhere near the card should have, it random and rarely on top performance, even on wifi 6, it sometimes force back to ac mode, even a, or g mode, instead ax.. what a troublesome driver or even hardware. my hw are intel ax201 wifi card
If your laptop has correctly connected the antenna to the card, what we've been able to prove is that most of the times a rogue WiFi is mostly caused by a problematic Access Point or Router. Also in terms of speed you should feel comfortable with 600 to 800 mbps links in WiFi6. More, if you're closer to the AP. Tweaking frequencies and bandwidth we'll take you higher but is going to be more susceptible to interference.
How about the antenna? New card will need additional antena for dual channel, right?
There is a lot of controversy regarding the use of single or dual antennae, or even the need to change antenna for 6 GHz band. I think manufacturers need to step up and answer these questions. Take a look at this for example: www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/193bwd9/do_wifi_7_cards_need_new_internal_antenna_for_6ghz/
Hi, I'd like to inquire if it is possible to upgrade the wifi adapter on my older ASUS laptop model X541UAK - X64-based PC to a WIFI 6 adapter. I currently have a wifi 6 router, but my laptop does not support 5GHz. If a direct upgrade is not feasible, are there any alternative methods to enable 5GHz speed on my older laptop?
It looks like your model uses a PCI-e mini card which means the one you see in this video should be it (amzn.to/3O0zPXT ). But I would disassemble and make sure as we've seen models released the years there was a technology change that used the new port. You can also opt for a usb external adapter, which not as practical, is very easy to implement and use: amzn.to/43vIS95
@@TechnologyMoments Thanks for your reply. If I use usb wifi 6 adapter in my old laptop model whether I shall get very good speed as my laptop doesn't support dual wifi i.e. 2.4 ghz and 5ghz. My laptop supports only 2.4 ghz. My isp provides me with the 400 mbps speed of the internet.
@@mhameedalibut when you upgrade your internet card to wifi 6 does it not mean that you than have automatically 2.4 and 5 ghz would be interesting because my laptop also does support only 2.4 ghz but i think when i buy a new network card it should than have 5 ghz as well or am I wrong,, please tell me
Hello brother.
I have an HP Envy 15 (J039tx) purchased in 2013. It has Ralink RT3290 wifi and Bluetooth card.
I want to get rid of it and convert my wifi to AC and Bluetooth to 5.1 or 5.2.
Please suggest me a PCIE mini wifi card.
Thanks.
Yes, that computer model came with a PCIe Mini which means this card should do the job. amzn.to/43jW0zI
Please, will old hp laptop 6475b support this card? Thanks in advance!
I would be particularly careful as some HP models are quite troublesome with some of these upgrades. I would suggest buy having the option to return if it does not work. amzn.to/48rc43n
Hey bro I have Lenovo g50 laptop can I upgrade its 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi card to a dual band Wi-Fi card?
Hi, I understand that model was released around 2013-14 I would be very careful chosing a model that I can return in case it does not work. It should be a PCIe mini card.
if i upgrade my laptop with wifi 6... the wifi router need to be change for higher speed internet or not?
Hello Ahmad, yes your router or AP has to support wifi6. If you don't have any you can go for a good AP. In our case we have liked very much the Omada Controlled (App controlled) APs such as: EAP 610 amzn.to/3Cr3jcS You can watch our video about it. The version 2 is just smaller in diameter.
Can you maybe tell me if there is a wifi 6 card out there for my old Asus N56V8 laptop pls
Hello, if yours is like the one we can see in this video (ua-cam.com/video/qTYA897wPto/v-deo.html) your card should be the PCIe mini: amzn.to/3FzPCJE Please keep in mind that this does not always mean it will be fully compatible. We've had very few cases where laptops are just not detecting the card. Is not very common but important to know if you can return it.
@@TechnologyMoments thanks for your answer appreciate it so this means I need a half mini pci wifi card not a normal pci mini card. Yes I think it is a half mini card, thank you!
My laptop only has one antenna. Does that mean I won’t have Bluetooth? Will it still work with just a single antenna?
Yes, it will work just fine. They do share the same antenna.
i have lenovo g40 supported 802 11b. can i upgrade to wifi6 card ?
Yes you can, however you must make sure which card you are going to get, PCIe (amzn.to/3FcKvQa) or NGFF(m.2)(amzn.to/3AZJ4SG) so you get what you really need. Good luck!
@@TechnologyMoments thank you godbless
My model hp pavilion 15 p073tx notebook pc this wifi card supports this model
If you're talking about the 4th gen intel processors yes as long as it is PCIe mini (amzn.to/45Yb3Py ) which is most probable. You should not have any trouble, our advice is to buy where you can return if there is a failed upgrade. Good luck with your upgrade... it is worth it.
What is the card for inspiron 3543? Mini pci e?
Series 3000 usually came with PCIe mini, but I would disassemble for me to have the correct replacement part. This model works pretty good: amzn.to/3QcmC0S
@@TechnologyMoments Thanks alot
May I ask the laptop model detailed?
Did you have any whitelist issues?
Of course this one is a 11-n118 hp 360 model. It has worked great ever sincce and still using it. No whitelist issues. Drivers are also easy to install and antena is fully compatible.
@@TechnologyMoments Thank you so much!!
Will it suppoer Acer Travelmate 4740?
It is very probable however I see it in the borderline of models that sometimes have worked, but sometimes have not. I would by with a return policy active.
it is available on Amazon but Item is Non returnable.
Also i need to ask Acer Travelmate 4740 has separate bluetooth module. will it be problematic with two bluetooth modules.@@TechnologyMoments
Wasn’t the card you removed already a Wi-Fi 6 card!!🤔🥴
Hi, these models came with a wireless N adapter, which presented a big improvement over network connectivity. I highly recommend this upgrade. That, and the SSD gave this laptop so much usability I still use it for traveling.
Hi nice video I have a old Acus r500 can I install a wifi 6 card to get a faster speed I tried wifi 5 and it’s slow
I would recommend watching your CPU at high transfer speeds from your AC network as the bottleneck may not be your wifi card. For the laptops we've tested this one, it has been of great improvement. I would test this one if and only if your laptop has the PCI mini slot (amzn.to/3srLZ5i )