No WiFi Symbol but BT - BCM94360CS2

[Accu]

Hi guys,

I have a huge issue. I bought my second Apple WiFi Card (BCM94360CS2), in the meanwhile. The problem remains the same. Bluetooth just works perfectly and appears as little icon in the top menu bar, however, I don't have WiFi nor do I get even the WiFi symbol appearing.

As stated, I am using a BCM94360CS2 apple card plugged in a 2 +6 pin wifi/ BT M.2 adapter card on the back side of my mother board.

Anyone has some idea why wifi just won't work? I was also under the impression, since this is an original Apple WiFi card that it shall work pretty much out of the box.

I am on the latest Catalina: 10.15.4.2

 

[Accu]

anyone got an idea? I meanwhile changed back to my previous card (same kind). Again, same problem. BT works flawlessly but Wifi seems not to appear.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

anyone got an idea? I meanwhile changed back to my previous card (same kind). Again, same problem. BT works flawlessly but Wifi seems not to appear.

Hi there,

Please update your hardware profile with the actual model of Gigabyte Z390 motherboard you are using. This will help others to help you

 

[Accu]

done - as much as I possibly can.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

done - as much as I possibly can.

Good. Thank you

That tells us that you have an CNVI Intel wireless/BT card already included in your system.

I can see your logic, putting the wireless card in the rear-mounted M.2 socket, and can understand why - the CNVI socket has probably been set-up by Gigabyte so that it only works with a CNVI device. Prior to the Z390 series a builder would remove the Intel card and replace it with a Broadcom. But that doesn't work with Gigabyte Z390 boards.

Perhaps check the antenna leads you are using. I guess you bought extra-long ones to connect the rear slot with the antenna sockets on the back panel etc.

Remove the original Intel card - if you haven't already.

 

[Accu]

Hi again, let me provide a few more info on whats going on: when I built the Hackintosh (my first one) I removed the build-in wifi card entirely from the board and replaced the existing antenna from the wifi cage by a longer wired version, which can reach to the backside of the board.
I meanwhile disassembled the wifi card from my Macbook Air and put it in the M.2 adapter of the Hackintosh. I now can exclude that the wifi card is faulty and has a problem, as it works just fine in my Macbook Air.

Again, on my Hackintosh, same behaviour, BT is there and just works fine, but wifi is not appearing at all. (no symbol in the menu bar, nor any entry under Preferences, Network).

I hardly can imagine that this is because of the antenna. Shouldn't I have then at least a wifi symbol in the menu bar with very bad signal strength?

Could it be that the M.2 adapter card is the problem?
Could I eventually need some KEXTs to be installed?
Do I need to enable some setting in the BIOS? (Onboard WiFi is switched off).

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Hi again, let me provide a few more info on whats going on: when I built the Hackintosh (my first one) I removed the build-in wifi card entirely from the board and replaced the existing antenna from the wifi cage by a longer wired version, which can reach to the backside of the board.
I meanwhile disassembled the wifi card from my Macbook Air and put it in the M.2 adapter of the Hackintosh. I now can exclude that the wifi card is faulty and has a problem, as it works just fine in my Macbook Air.

Again, on my Hackintosh, same behaviour, BT is there and just works fine, but wifi is not appearing at all. (no symbol in the menu bar, nor any entry under Preferences, Network).

I hardly can imagine that this is because of the antenna. Shouldn't I have then at least a wifi symbol in the menu bar with very bad signal strength?

Could it be that the M.2 adapter card is the problem?
Could I eventually need some KEXTs to be installed?
Do I need to enable some setting in the BIOS? (Onboard WiFi is switched off).

Okay, thanks.

You are correct. My apologies. If there is no wifi arc-icon in the menu bar then as far as macOS is concerned there is no wireless hardware present. And if nothing appears in System Report either ...

You need to check the m.2 socket in the Macbook Air and the one used by Gigabyte is the same spec and type because you have confirmed to yourself that the adapter itself is not faulty as it works well in your Macbook Air. There are many different m.2 socket configurations.

If they are the same then maybe BIOS blocking (whitelisting acceptable CNVI cards only) is also affecting the rear m.2 socket.

Two ways to check:

1) Does the new wireless card show up when booting Windows?

2) Mount the wireless card in a PCI-e adapter instead.

 

[Accu]

Hi, I just realized that my previous response seemed not to get posted. Hence, here again:

You need to check the m.2 socket in the Macbook Air and the one used by Gigabyte is the same spec

Could you please be a bit more specific. How can I check this and where? I'm not so familiar what I have to look for. Where can I see the m.2 configuration?
I looked in the BIOS but could not find a setting that points in that direction.

Ywhitelisting acceptable CNVI cards only

<-- not sure what thats suppose to mean.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Could you please be a bit more specific. How can I check this and where? I'm not so familiar what I have to look for. Where can I see the m.2 configuration?

I don't have your motherboard to check, unfortunately, but sometimes an adapter is needed to convert the m.2 connector when using a Broadcom MacBook Air card in a PC motherboard socket. See the following for details:

[100% Working] 12+6 Pin Apple WiFI/BT Card to M.2 NGFF Adapter! Handoff! Unlock with Watch! UEFI!

So I just had to do a quick write-up on this because I've hardly seen it mentioned in the networking/WiFi threads... On all newer boards, WiFi and Bluetooth is based off an NGFF M.2 module. We have all been struggling trying to buy used Dell/Lenovo cards off eBay from Chinese distros and it's...

www.tonymacx86.com

<-- not sure what thats suppose to mean.

Gigabyte only allows Intel CNVI wireless cards in the wireless socket. It "whitelists" these in BIOS. Any other type will not work etc..

 

[Accu]

Well, I have such adapter placed in the m.2 connector: it is basically like this: Motherboard -> M.2 Socket -> 12+6 Pin Adapter Card -> Apple WiFi Card.
The WiFi card is proven to be working.
The main reason for the apple card is that I want to get AirDrop and Sidecar working. Hence I dont want to use any other cards for WiFi.