WiFi PCIe - what works OOB in Sonoma?

[madman1234]

My Broadcom PCIe WIFI card doesn't work anymore and I don't want to use OCLP.

I saw that the Intel Cards like AX210 should work, but it seems that there is still a lot of work in progress and also it doesn't work OOB.

What PCIe Wifi card works OOB in Sonoma?

 

[trs96]

What PCIe Wifi card works OOB in Sonoma?

None work OOB. At least no one has reported that a BRCM Wifi card works.

Apple stopped using socketed Broadcom cards like this in Macs with the last Intel (August 2020) iMac.

Here's a picture from an online guide for removing this card from a 2017 iMac. Took 29 steps and about 1 hour of time just to be able to remove it. Then you had to put the iMac back together. Rather tedious and very expensive.

It may be part of the reason why Apple chose to just solder them to the logic board in later models. No one wanted to pay the massive Apple tech labor fee to replace a failed Wifi card in their iMac. Plugging in a MacOS supported USB wifi adapter made more sense at a fraction of the cost in 2017 iMacs.

 

[madman1234]

So buying an Intel card would be the best approach for now, when not using OCLP?

 

[trs96]

So buying an Intel card would be the best approach for now, when not using OCLP?

You could do that. I don't think that Intel BT works if you need that. Use the Broadcom card for BT.

 

[craighazan]

You could do that. I don't think that Intel BT works if you need that. Use the Broadcom card for BT.

Intel BT works fine in Sonoma for me.

 

[trs96]

Intel BT works fine in Sonoma for me.

Casey said he was using Broadcom BT instead so I thought the Intel didn't work for some reason. Maybe it doesn't enable some features like continuity/handoff ?

That's exactly what I'm doing on my Z390 Designare in macOS Sonoma:

• On-board Intel module for Wi-Fi only
• Fenvi FV-T919 for Bluetooth only

 

[craighazan]

Casey said he was using Broadcom BT instead so I thought the Intel didn't work for some reason.

It happened after an Sonoma install once where it would switch on then off. But now if I don’t have any keyboard or mouse wired in, the BT window is forced to open and connects easily to my Mighty Mouse and keyboard.

 

[trs96]

now if I don’t have any keyboard or mouse wired in, the BT window is forced to open and connects easily to my Mighty Mouse and keyboard.

Interesting, you can use a wireless BT mouse/keyboard but not wired.

 

[madman1234]

It happened after an Sonoma install once where it would switch on then off. But now if I don’t have any keyboard or mouse wired in, the BT window is forced to open and connects easily to my Mighty Mouse and keyboard.

What Intel model / vendor do you use?

 

[craighazan]

Interesting, you can use a wireless BT mouse/keyboard but not wired.

I can use wired yes, but if there’s a wired keyboard or mouse plugged in. The BT window won’t open and won’t search for Bluetooth. Ie I used just a wired mouse but my BT keyboard wouldn’t connect and BT can’t be switched on.