Need internal wireless antennas but not sure what I need!

[Rob_B]

Hi all, I have a Dell 3020m which came with no WiFi so I bought an Intel 7260 m.2 card thinking it might work without antennas as it's so close to the router....

.. turns out that the card installs fine but won't find any networks, I'm assuming it's the lack of antenna. Looking at the connectors on the 7260 they're tiny, far smaller than I recall seeing in other PC since worked with. Are there different types? There is an official Dell kit but they're about £30! Can I just buy something salvaged from an old laptop and cut the wires down? Do I have other options apart from buying a USB stick for wireless?

Cheers!

Rob

[DDY]

The 7260 doesn't have onboard antennas and to work at all you will need an antenna.

There are two options, internally or externally mounted. Having Googled images of the Dell 3020m, I can see there's a knock-out for an external antenna on the back just above the Ethernet port, so I'd say an external antenna is the way to go. The 7260 can take two antennas, a primary and auxiliary, you can get away with just the one primary.

There are two common types of internal antenna connector for WiFi which usually corresponds to the card interface;

• mini PCIe = IPEX MHF/MHF2 or Hirose U.FL (same connector, different manufacturer)
• M.2 = IPEX MHF4 or 'NGFF'

The MHF/MHF2 is a bit larger than the MHF4 and are not cross compatable.

For the M.2 version of the 7260 you need the IPEX MHF4 'NGFF'

Take a look at this;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?kw...RP-SMA+antenna

[Kumagoro]

Are the connectors for the antennas just the standard ones you see in laptops? Perhaps you could just rob some from an old laptop.

[kompukare]

Are the connectors for the antennas just the standard ones you see in laptops? Perhaps you could just rob some from an old laptop.

As DDY pointed out, there's sadly not really such an easy thing as one standard as I found out when I replace the screen on my ThinkPad T540p and damaged the lead
I think I had the smaller ones which of course are easier to damage too!
But yes, AFAIK for each type the (MHF2 or MHF4 as DDY pointed out) the ones used on desktop should be the same as the ones use for laptops.

[Rob_B]

Thanks DDY, definitely the smallest connectors I've ever seen so the MHF4 sounds right. I'll pick up a cheap antenna from ebay and cross my fingers, thanks!

Rob

[Rob_B]

A few of the listings say it cannot be used for m.2/ngff but seem to fit the bill as far as I can tell, this for example?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3DB-2-4G-...9624.m46890.l4

[DDY]

A few of the listings say it cannot be used for m.2/ngff but seem to fit the bill as far as I can tell, this for example?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3DB-2-4G-...9624.m46890.l4

Difficult to say, it looks like they've copied and pasted half of the description from two different items so it's contradictory. Probably a transcription error, no surprise as the seller looks like a typical Far East drop shipper.

Going by the title alone, it’s the one you need, but whether that’s what you get is another question!

[DanceswithUnix]

Would one of those tiny USB WiFi plugs not be an easier and probably cheaper alternative?

[Rob_B]

Probably, but I'm invested now so too late

[Rob_B]

Well it arrived (quick!) and is read they were tricky to fit but wow those adapters are fussy, I was mega careful but it just would 'click' in and was loose. After much faff I still can't get it to work so I'm giving up and buying a USB adapter

[kompukare]

Well it arrived (quick!) and is read they were tricky to fit but wow those adapters are fussy, I was mega careful but it just would 'click' in and was loose. After much faff I still can't get it to work so I'm giving up and buying a USB adapter

Sorry to hear that, but it does make me feel a bit better about damaging the one in my ThinkPad!
Thing is the older slightly bigger ones were quite robust. Can't see why the newerer ones are so small. At most the space saved is 1mm or so. Crazy obsession with super-slim. Let's blame Apple (although they'd probably solder them!)

[Rob_B]

Yeah I've dealt with the 'normal' ones plenty of times with no issue, I read to be careful to insert these ones at 90 degrees but that didn't help me at all.
I've bought an adapter now so I'll just have to pretend I spent the £11 odd on the Bluetoothppart of the card.

[adsloy]

Can you get us pictures? Or even just the make/model of the gear in question... You don't really 'log into' an 'antenna', nor are they connected to anything by a UTP cable.