Tips for upgrading wireless NICs

In the previous section, we learned about different types of wireless network cards. Here we will explain in detail the main operations and processes for upgrading the wireless network card. Now let's look at the specific content in detail. Hope to help you.

Upgrade the wireless network card by yourself

Find out the internal information of low-price laptops and the advantages and disadvantages of wireless network cards with various ports. After purchasing the corresponding products, you can upgrade the wireless network card. Because the built-in wireless network card and external wireless network card have a great difference in the upgrade process, the following describes the upgrade process of the two categories of wireless network cards.

1. Upgrade the built-in wireless network card:

Upgrade the wireless network card. According to the current design of the motherboard for low-price laptops, the expansion slots on some low-price laptop boards are designed at the bottom of the fuselage, but most models are still on the front of the fuselage, located under the keyboard and palm, The dismounting process is quite different between the two.

For models with expansion slots designed at the bottom of the fuselage and with built-in antennas, the upgrade is very convenient. The upgrade method is similar to memory upgrade. You only need to remove the screws on the back cover board of the fuselage, and open the cover to see the expansion slot of the wireless Nic. The wireless network card can be inserted into the expansion slot at a 45-degree angle just as the memory is inserted. Then, the two antennas on the edge of the expansion slot-white and gray-marked with "MAIN" and "AUX"-are connected to the corresponding bayonet on the wireless network card.

For models with built-in antennas but with expansion slots designed on the front of the fuselage, there is no big difference between the method of inserting wireless NICs and connecting antennas, but the process of dismounting is complicated. Generally, you need to remove the laptop keyboard and palm tray. Different brands of keyboards and palm trays have different disassembly methods. Now let's take IBM T40 as an example to introduce how to disassemble the keyboard and palm rest-first remove the four No. 3 screws at the bottom of the fuselage, then flip the fuselage and push the keyboard forward, the keyboard will jump out of the body. Unplug the data cable from the interface on the motherboard, and the entire keyboard is completely detached. Be sure to note that there is a data cable under the keyboard connected to the motherboard, must be gently forced, so as not to break. It is a little troublesome to remove the palm tray. First, remove all the No. 4 screws at the bottom of the fuselage and all the No. 1 and No. 2 screws at the front of the fuselage. You can then open the palm tray with a slight force on the right of the front, you can see the expansion slot of the wireless network card. After attaching the wireless network card and connecting the antenna, you can install the palm and keyboard in sequence. Other brand models can follow the relevant user manual or disassemble manual, refer to the above steps to upgrade the wireless network card to complete.

If the above expansion method is a little troublesome, it is more troublesome for models without built-in antennas. Some users deploy the antenna around the fuselage for convenience, and their signal has little advantage over the external wireless network card. From the actual upgrade instance, the signal is strong only when the antenna is placed around the screen. Therefore, it is best to remove the screen frame for reasonable wiring. The antenna can be circled from the screen, leading from the center of the screen axis to the expansion slot. When wiring the motherboard, avoid hot components, such as CPU fan, beiqiao chip, video card, and memory. With transparent tape, fixed antennas at a certain distance can achieve twice the result with half the effort. If the expansion slot is located at the bottom of the fuselage, the antenna needs to pass through the gap between the motherboard and the fuselage, which may be a little troublesome. Because different models are designed differently, it is best to pass through the largest gap during upgrade. Therefore, it is recommended that the antenna be longer to avoid insufficient wiring length.

The upgrade method requires a strong hands-on capability for users. If the DIY effort is weak, it is also a safe way to upgrade the external wireless network card.

2. Upgrade an external wireless network card:

During the upgrade of the wireless network card, it is much easier to upgrade the external wireless network card than to upgrade the built-in wireless network card. You only need to insert the wireless network card into the corresponding slot. So I won't go into details here.

Note that when inserting a PCMCIA or PCI-Express Card wireless network Card, you must pay attention to the insertion direction. When it is difficult to insert, remember not to use brute force, this is the anti-stay function of the expansion slot. The direction of the reminder insertion is incorrect. Please unplug the slot and try reverse insertion. When you need to unload the wireless network card, it is best to shut down now, click the trough side of the blue back button to remove the wireless network card, remember not to force out, so as to avoid damage to the expansion slot and wireless network card.

In general, although low-price laptops do not have a built-in wireless network card, they are often much cheaper. purchasing such laptops and purchasing other upgrades is a method of saving the country by curve. It is worth consideration from some shy consumers. Of course, with sufficient financial resources, it is the safest way to buy a notebook with a built-in wireless network card.