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Working Wifi and BT via m.2 for Gigabyte Z390 I Aorus Pro Wifi

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Thanks @Kenop ! Is the antenna cable connector size mhf4? Do you know if you can use the AORUS external antenna with the cs2?
 
Thanks @Kenop ! Is the antenna cable connector size mhf4? Do you know if you can use the AORUS external antenna with the cs2?
I will have to check. I ordered a bunch of cables since I wasn’t sure what would fit the card, not sure what I ended up with. I had to order from China since most cables I found were too short. Before they arrived I used wifi from the m.2 card and BT from the original card - it actually worked pretty well.

Not sure if you can but most likely you can. I never messed with the internal wifi since the cables are too short. I leave it disabled in bios.
 
Thanks @Kenop ! Is the antenna cable connector size mhf4? Do you know if you can use the AORUS external antenna with the cs2?
Yes and yes. You need something like this https://www.digikey.com/product-det...FB-100-MHF4/343-CSJ-RGFB-100-MHF4-ND/10821761

Since the card only supports two antennae, you're fine hooking up the stock ones that come with the board, which are actually decent quality (likely better than you'll get from AliExpress cheap ones).

Additionally, this thread still has a ton of problems and misinformation.

Native Apple Wireless Cards

First off, ideally, you want to get BCM943602CS which can be identified by it's 3 connectors. The BCM94360CS2 is found in the MBA, has only 2 connectors as is slower with a speed difference of 867 Mbps vs 1300 Mbps, respectively. Both support BT4.x spec.

Second, you can either opt for a m.2 adapter or a straight PCIe adapter depending on your system configuration. I, for example, have two m.2 SSDs, making an m.2 adapter a no-go. You can pick these up anywhere and you ought to just grab the cheapest and most available one as they literally all use the same picture and ship in the same box. Moreover, you can never be sure of the quality so don't stress about it.

Third, none of this creates a fully working card. You will need RehabMan's BrcmPatchRAM to ensure full compatibility and avoid system instability. You'll soon discover over time that the wireless card will drop, creating a situation that will also take down your USB array. Only a reboot will fix this. You can test the integrity of your wireless array by forcing your system into sleep. The kext may depend on your adapter, but generally speaking, here is what is happening. The system will load firmware to the card, but the card won't be able to hold onto it. You can only go so long before the problem manifests. Additionally, it is also good form to use AirportBrcmFixup and set the country code on boot to ensure maximum performance to the WiFi module and your network.

Common problems you may see running without the above kexts are:
Failure to keep Unlock with Apple Watch feature active after a reboot. Will require having to disable and re-enable the feature.
Momentary loss of BT/WiFi that will also result in a full loss of USB ports till reboot (as both heavily rely on ACPI).
Instability with BT signal quality and poor general performance with peripherals that require heavy data throughput (like gaming controllers).
Instability with sleep and wake.
Unreliable service from features such as handoff or unlock with Apple Watch.

Regardless of whether you need any of these or not, your BT won't be functioning properly. If you don't care that your system is riddle with bugs or will eventually crack (or become inoperable with a future update) is up to you. But do not convince yourself or others that your system is fully working as intended.

@jaymonkey is 100% correct in that BT may appear to work on some level, but will not actually be functioning as intended.

Lastly, avoid the Fenvi T919. While easy to set up, they are wholly inadequate compared to a real Apple chip. In my tests they fair about half the range and their reliability is spotty at best. Moreover, while they appear to work OOB on the surface, they too will need the additional kexts listed above if you're running the latest version of Catalina or Big Sur. As beloved as they are, they are, in short, garbage.
 
Yes and yes. You need something like this https://www.digikey.com/product-det...FB-100-MHF4/343-CSJ-RGFB-100-MHF4-ND/10821761

Since the card only supports two antennae, you're fine hooking up the stock ones that come with the board, which are actually decent quality (likely better than you'll get from AliExpress cheap ones).

Additionally, this thread still has a ton of problems and misinformation.

Native Apple Wireless Cards

First off, ideally, you want to get BCM943602CS which can be identified by it's 3 connectors. The BCM94360CS2 is found in the MBA, has only 2 connectors as is slower with a speed difference of 867 Mbps vs 1300 Mbps, respectively. Both support BT4.x spec.

Second, you can either opt for a m.2 adapter or a straight PCIe adapter depending on your system configuration. I, for example, have two m.2 SSDs, making an m.2 adapter a no-go. You can pick these up anywhere and you ought to just grab the cheapest and most available one as they literally all use the same picture and ship in the same box. Moreover, you can never be sure of the quality so don't stress about it.

Third, none of this creates a fully working card. You will need RehabMan's BrcmPatchRAM to ensure full compatibility and avoid system instability. You'll soon discover over time that the wireless card will drop, creating a situation that will also take down your USB array. Only a reboot will fix this. You can test the integrity of your wireless array by forcing your system into sleep. The kext may depend on your adapter, but generally speaking, here is what is happening. The system will load firmware to the card, but the card won't be able to hold onto it. You can only go so long before the problem manifests. Additionally, it is also good form to use AirportBrcmFixup and set the country code on boot to ensure maximum performance to the WiFi module and your network.

Common problems you may see running without the above kexts are:
Failure to keep Unlock with Apple Watch feature active after a reboot. Will require having to disable and re-enable the feature.
Momentary loss of BT/WiFi that will also result in a full loss of USB ports till reboot (as both heavily rely on ACPI).
Instability with BT signal quality and poor general performance with peripherals that require heavy data throughput (like gaming controllers).
Instability with sleep and wake.
Unreliable service from features such as handoff or unlock with Apple Watch.

Regardless of whether you need any of these or not, your BT won't be functioning properly. If you don't care that your system is riddle with bugs or will eventually crack (or become inoperable with a future update) is up to you. But do not convince yourself or others that your system is fully working as intended.

@jaymonkey is 100% correct in that BT may appear to work on some level, but will not actually be functioning as intended.

Lastly, avoid the Fenvi T919. While easy to set up, they are wholly inadequate compared to a real Apple chip. In my tests they fair about half the range and their reliability is spotty at best. Moreover, while they appear to work OOB on the surface, they too will need the additional kexts listed above if you're running the latest version of Catalina or Big Sur. As beloved as they are, they are, in short, garbage.

Those are the correct cables. make sure the cable holds a female connection since the card is male.

Yes, the BCM94360CS2 isn't the fastest card out there. Never claimed it was. I claimed I have a fully working solution which I indeed have.

Sure you can use two m.2 SSD drives and use the PCIe slot for wifi and running internal GPU. The whole point of this thread is helping mini ITX users with this board to get a working wifi solution AND run dGPU like I do. We are limited by one (1) PCI slot and it's normally used by the GPU. Also, why are you even pestering the thread commenting about the Fenvi.

The junk you post about instability and sleep issues makes me think you never really managed to map your USB ports. I am experiencing none of the issues you describe. I don't have an Apple Watch so can't comment on that part.

"riddle with bugs or will eventually crack" - I use a wifi card from a Macbook in a m.2 adapter. Not like I created my own kext. Normally I appreciate everyone taking time trying to help out but your post is just counterproductive.
 
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The junk you post about instability and sleep issues makes me think you never really managed to map your USB ports. I am experiencing none of the issues you describe. I don't have an Apple Watch so can't comment on that part.

"riddle with bugs or will eventually crack" - I use a wifi card from a Macbook in a m.2 adapter. Not like I created my own kext. Normally I appreciate everyone taking time trying to help out but your post is just counterproductive.
Exactly. You have not tested your system fully. People like you are why it took me so long to solve my issues and research the problem and solutions. Because you make claims and boasts about things you have not tested fully nor fully researched. You bought a card and thru it in a adapter. Wow.

Baby rage and make whatever claims you wish. They are very productive...

I’m done here.
 
Lastly, avoid the Fenvi T919. While easy to set up, they are wholly inadequate compared to a real Apple chip. In my tests they fair about half the range and their reliability is spotty at best. Moreover, while they appear to work OOB on the surface, they too will need the additional kexts listed above if you're running the latest version of Catalina or Big Sur. As beloved as they are, they are, in short, garbage.
Disagree!, I suggest you read and do your research!. The Fenvi T919 is a brilliant card, I've been using it for three years on a variety of builds and never had a problem.
 
Exactly. You have not tested your system fully. People like you are why it took me so long to solve my issues and research the problem and solutions. Because you make claims and boasts about things you have not tested fully nor fully researched. You bought a card and thru it in a adapter. Wow.

Baby rage and make whatever claims you wish. They are very productive...

I’m done here.
Stop trolling this thread. You're an idiot and that's the root to most of your issues (Hackintosh related or not).
 
Hey @Kenop . I installed the CS2 via the m2 adapter you mentioned. Blue light is on so it’s getting power, but so far no WiFi no Bluetooth. I want to use the new device for both so I disabled WiFi in bios. I also made sure to enable HS12 via hackintool as that’s the f_usb1 controller. I’m stumped. You have any tips?

EDIT: Turns out I was wrong about USB. It was HS11 that the card was under. Now Bluetooth is working (had to use the antenna bc couldn’t be 1 foot away without losing keyboard signal). However WiFi won’t turn on. Any idea how to troubleshoot that?
 

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Disagree!, I suggest you read and do your research!. The Fenvi T919 is a brilliant card, I've been using it for three years on a variety of builds and never had a problem.
I own one.
 
Hey @Kenop . I installed the CS2 via the m2 adapter you mentioned. Blue light is on so it’s getting power, but so far no WiFi no Bluetooth. I want to use the new device for both so I disabled WiFi in bios. I also made sure to enable HS12 via hackintool as that’s the f_usb1 controller. I’m stumped. You have any tips?

EDIT: Turns out I was wrong about USB. It was HS11 that the card was under. Now Bluetooth is working (had to use the antenna bc couldn’t be 1 foot away without losing keyboard signal). However WiFi won’t turn on. Any idea how to troubleshoot that?
Did you solve this? Does macOS recognise the card when you check under About This Mac - System Report - Wifi. In my case it identifies as Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x14E4, 0x117)
 
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