neilhart
Moderator
- Joined
- May 25, 2010
- Messages
- 2,686
- Motherboard
- ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming - ITX/ac
- CPU
- i7-7700T
- Graphics
- GTX960
- Mac
- Mobile Phone
I was looking for a WiFi/BT solution for my older hacks that do not have M.2 WiFi sockets. For example my Mini-iTX tower with an GA Z97N WiFi no longer had a WiFi radio (as I had moved it off to another project sometime in the past). These older machines have Mini PCI Express WiFi sockets and the one on the Z97N is in the vertical form factor.
Anyway on EBAY I found an adapter for Mini PCI Express to BCM94360CS2 ( the Apple 2013 MBA WiFi/BT card). This is the WiFi/BT solution that works OOB on Mavericks through the current Sierra versions.
And here are the radio along with the M.2 and Mini PCI Express adapters. The M.2 and mini half card radios are shown just for comparison of connectors.
There is more on M.2 radio switch out in post 4 of this thread: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/neilharts-s4-mini-nfc-project.216616/
The Mini PCI Express adapter is taller then the motherboard Mini PCI Express socket radio mounting bracket so I made up a small ABC plastic plate to use a mounting aid.
The MB socket and mounting bracket:
My first adapter plate:
The radio assembled and installed onto the motherboard.
And because of the radio tech change, the original antenna cable do not fit the new radio.
The antenna cables are bear to mate to the radio and I use a magnifier headset just to see these. I also use a good set of tweezers.
I ordered the new antenna cables from Amazon:
So after putting the system back together, I have working WiFi/BT in both Mavericks 10.9.5 and in Sierra 10.12.4. And on 802.11ac I am getting internet down load speeds that are as good as the wired Gig Ethernet (119+ Mbps). This system uses UEFI Clover r4045.
The Bluetooth system info after the install”
And WiFi:
So that is it. I will respond to querys about this install. However do not ask about Handoff, Air Drop, Instant Hotspot, and other functions such as Apple Watch support as I don’t use these and can not help you in those areas.
Good modding,
neil
Anyway on EBAY I found an adapter for Mini PCI Express to BCM94360CS2 ( the Apple 2013 MBA WiFi/BT card). This is the WiFi/BT solution that works OOB on Mavericks through the current Sierra versions.
And here are the radio along with the M.2 and Mini PCI Express adapters. The M.2 and mini half card radios are shown just for comparison of connectors.
There is more on M.2 radio switch out in post 4 of this thread: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/neilharts-s4-mini-nfc-project.216616/
The Mini PCI Express adapter is taller then the motherboard Mini PCI Express socket radio mounting bracket so I made up a small ABC plastic plate to use a mounting aid.
The MB socket and mounting bracket:
My first adapter plate:
The radio assembled and installed onto the motherboard.
And because of the radio tech change, the original antenna cable do not fit the new radio.
The antenna cables are bear to mate to the radio and I use a magnifier headset just to see these. I also use a good set of tweezers.
I ordered the new antenna cables from Amazon:
So after putting the system back together, I have working WiFi/BT in both Mavericks 10.9.5 and in Sierra 10.12.4. And on 802.11ac I am getting internet down load speeds that are as good as the wired Gig Ethernet (119+ Mbps). This system uses UEFI Clover r4045.
The Bluetooth system info after the install”
And WiFi:
So that is it. I will respond to querys about this install. However do not ask about Handoff, Air Drop, Instant Hotspot, and other functions such as Apple Watch support as I don’t use these and can not help you in those areas.
Good modding,
neil