Upgrading ASUS UX32VD Wireless Card - Antenna Connector Problem, Help!

Ekbduffy,
From all I read, using just 2 of the 3 antennas (or putting the 3rd antenna under the aluminium outer cover where you expect it to be put) will prevent one from reaching AC1300 speeds.
I've now exhausted with my research. Am ordering an AW-CB160H card and will report feedback when it arrives (30-60 days from now on) and put into my laptop.

 

Жень, i'm planning to buy this https://img.alicdn.com/bao/uploaded/i1/2125307133/TB2qejbiVXXXXaOXXXXXXXXXXXX_!!2125307133.jpg one, so i will have 3 antennas to try put somewhere in notebook case )

 

Just got my UX32VD running AW-CB160H. All things are ok. Working fine. But i've placed third antenna under the bottom cover. And 5GHz signal is bad. Anyway - problems of connection has gone. I'm happy

 

Ekbduffy, I've put the antenna under the hinge, where the stock antennas are. No need to remove the screen. I'll post pictures over the weekend. It gives me 1300 Mbs connection speed but file transfer via Windows home network is 20-40+ MBs only.

Can you give me a link to the drivers which you installed (and what did you do to install them) - assuming you are under Windows. Whatever drivers I try, if Bluetooth works then WiFi network adapter driver won't install -- I think it sees BCM20702A0 in "other devices". If I reboot or even logoff, then Bluetooth disappears but I can install network card drivers and work with WiFi. But never with bluetooth and WiFi simultaneously. Thought it's a conflict with Intel PROSet/Wireless apps, deleted both, still the same effect.

 

I've set this one http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mi...3171.zip?_ga=1.229710495.283187895.1472041496
This drivers are from premium ASUS Motherboard which have this card included in package, as i remember.

Need pictures of antenna placement!

 

Ekbduffy, here is the download link to my pics ( link).

You'll need to take out the motherboard to put the wire to the third antenna underneath it (following the route of the wires to the stock antennas, you won't get mistaken). The hinge is kept in place by pins/clips on it -- be careful with removing it, it's of thin plastic and can easily be damaged.

On one of the pictures you'll see that the stock antennas are represented by plastic bodies screwed to the body and which seem to be large -- from the first look, you actually don't have space to put the 3rd antenna in the middle for the fear of interference. Again, on one of the pictures you'll see what the actual working (=useful) area of the stock antennas (once unscrewed from the body) is not that large. So, you can safely put the 3rd antenna exactly in the middle between the two plastic bodies of the stock antennas.

There are also a few full teardown videos available on Youtube ( link).

 

To all:

Latest Windows driver for AzureWave AW-CB160H (Broadcom BCM94360HMB)

The latest driver I've found for this card is version 6.35.223.11 from Lenovo. I've uploaded it for you here ( link) under the file name " Lenovo_Net_6.35.223.11_None_92938.7z".

I've found it with the help of the software called "Driver Talent" which I've in turn found through this link ( link) during my above-mentioned painful 2-weeks research. So, Driver Talent should be able to find the latest driver for you at any time in the future.

Now my card is capable to establish a connection at 1300 mbs speed (depending on distance/obstacles from/to the router). Though, the actual speed of copying files within the home network organised between Windows 7 machines rarely gives me more than 20 MBs. Perhaps worth playing with the adapter settings. I've found some description of such ( link) but haven't tried it yet (just now got the card finally working!).

To all ASUS users:

If you have problems with installing drivers for AzureWave AW-CB160H (Broadcom BCM94360HMB) on your ASUS machine/motherboard

ASUS is known for poor compatibility of their software with non-stock hardware. I own the ASUS ultrabook UX31A and spent 2 weeks trying to make drivers for the subject wireless card work. The symptoms I've been experiencing are described in post #54 above ( direct link).

In my case, the issue was resolved with the deletion of the following ASUS stock software: Intel PROSet/Wireless; Intel PROSet/Wireless Bluetooth; Wireless Console.

After I deleted the latter software, I got the card fully working (Bluetooth + WiFi simultaneously).

If deleting the mentioned software doesn't help. Go to asus.com > support, find your laptop/ASUS motherboard model and download and install the latest versions of the drivers/software. Note that you may still need to thereafter play around deleting some ASUS software related to wireless. There are no uniform solutions like "if you delete X, you'd get Y working" in case of ASUS. I remember a few years ago I had something not working (touchpad? can't remember what exactly) and was only able to make it work after I've installed the latest sound card drives (the sound card was completely -intuitively- unrelated to the issue I had at the time).

 

I posted this on a related thread just earlier ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...-non-apple-laptop.777878/page-2#post-10390974)

Hi. I came across this review ( http://www.hardware-boom.com/review-motherboard-asus-rampage-v-extreme-extremism-radicals/) of the Asus Rampage V Extreme Motherboard which state's this:

"Wireless card is made on the basis of the module Broadcom BCM94360HMB (badged AzureWave AW-CB160H) for Mini PCIe slot in a metal housing with connectors for external antennas. Three spatial streams supported IEEE 802.11ac aggregate bandwidth with 1300 Mbit / s, as well as Bluetooth 4.0."

That is the same card. So I headed over to Asus driver support page and I found this Beta driver for Win10 64bit: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mi...23_5.zip?_ga=1.23577978.1524222716.1478402451

You can check the full driver page here: http://www.asus.com/uk/Motherboards/RAMPAGE_V_EXTREMEU31/HelpDesk_Download/

Let me know if this works! I also ordered one from AliExpress, waiting on it to arrive.

EDIT:

Actually, taking a look at Asus Rampage V Edition 10, I can see it is also using the AW-CB160H, and on the Asus support page they have a newer driver, Wi-Fi Driver V7.35.317.3 for Windows 10 64bit.

Direct Link: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mi...173.zip?_ga=1.261096397.1524222716.1478402451
Support Page: http://www.asus.com/uk/Motherboards/ROG-RAMPAGE-V-EDITION-10/HelpDesk_Download/

Hardware Info: https://nl.hardware.info/reviews/68...rt-jubileum-asus-rampage-v-edition-10-vervolg

 

Update: http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...-non-apple-laptop.777878/page-2#post-10390989

 

Holy hell, I just rediscovered my own thread 3 years later after trying to find another WiFi card upgrade for my UX32VD. Time flies, and I never expected this thread to get so much attention!

If anyone's interested, my original method of installing the AC7260 still works 3 years later, and I don't think I've had any significant wifi problems since then. I definitely recall the Windows 7 drivers at first were really spotty, but now with my laptop running on Windows 8.1 connectivity has been good. The plug's outsides are still stripped and it's still held on with electrical tape, so I guess jerry rigging it was a success. I've reinstalled Windows a couple of times when I switched SSD's, so currently the driver version is 16.5.3.6.

If you still have questions feel free to ask!

 

Any chance you still do these modded cards thenextdon13?

 

I've just ordered the AW-CB160H for my ux32vd, shipping is going to take about 2-3 weeks.
I will come back with pictures or video of the installation and speedtest results. See you guys soon

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/U-FL-female...299a221&pid=100623&rk=3&rkt=6&sd=181804089959 I did some searching with the correct names and adapter cables are available for the less skilled among us

 

I bought these ones

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/IPE...32726670961.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.ykuXLa

Although I might not use them as I also bought MHF4 antennas, but these adaptors seemed less bulky than the eBay ones which have that PCB board which I thought could get in the way.

 

My AsusG750 upgrade from 2x2 to 3x3 AW-CB160H, only needed to use one of the supplied MHF4 antennas, and used the 2 built in antennas with adapters.











Drivers seem pretty stable, it's been working like the stock card so far. Great WiFi speeds!

 

I found a 802.11ac card that should be an exact fit (ENL-B4356):
EnLi 802.11ac/bgn 2x2 MIMO + BT 4.1 Broadcom BMC4356 Half-size MiniPCIe Wi-Fi Module with MHF4 Connectors
http://www.embeddedworks.net/wlan708.html

Sadly, shipping to Europe is expensive for just one card.

 

And this fresh new one from SparkLAN (launched 25.5.2017): WPEQ-261ACN(BT)
802.11ac/a/b/g/n Wi-Fi+Bluetooth Half Mini PCIe Module, Qualcomm, 2xIPEX MHF4 connectors
http://www.sparklan.com/p2-products...fmXpLkgHMrJohFC7HBJICAqhFzAgc&WPEQ-261ACN(BT)

 

Hi guys, reviving an old thread.

I have a 7yo ux32vd with unfortunately a faulty Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 wifi card.
The card literally died out of the blue few days ago. Never really had issues before, I was probably one of the lucky ones.
Tried to format win 7, exact same issues.

Now, I'm looking at replacing the card. What's the latest on the market in terms of compatibility?
Reading this discussion and specifically the last few pages it seems that the AzureWave AW-CB160H 3x3:3 Wireless-AC is the best replacement.
This 3rd central antenna though, is it really necessary? What does it actually do? High speed wifi only? Am I correct to say that if I'm not going to connect it I will be getting the same speed as the original card (so to speak a 2x2 rather than a 3x3)?

Otherwise is there something newer or better?

Last question and more important, is this a straight swap with no soldering or other modifications involved?
Some MHF4 antennas connectors etc same everything??
Cheers guys!

 

Intel AX200 2x2 Wifi6. AC is on the way out.

 

That sounds llvrry interesting. So you would recommend this one over the azurewave?
Even if my router is not AC compatible, I mean does it really matter that this card is AX, so I need it? But Ehi it's cheaper than the azure wave so why not

EDIT
Looking at photos on the Intel website if I compare the original 6235 and this ax200 they have a different interface so it does not look compatible. Unless there is a version that's fits but haven't seen it????
Thanks in advance

 

You can just grab this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/intel-dual...959129?hash=item3b39277ad9:g:x1YAAOSw-NldiboC

Supports BT4.0, AC and its plug and play, if you dont even have AC WiFi, its more than enough.

If you want the latest, you need an m.2 to mini PCIe adapter(and size/room to install the adapter and the new wifi card in the laptop), plus a pair of u.FL to MHF4 adapter cables, or just use a slightly older wifi card that will still be better than your current one.

 

The interface is compatible, just longer card. Check your laptop to see if you have the mounting screw option in the proper place. Of course I could be wrong.

 

First of all thank you for helping out!
RE the 7260 though, apart from the fact that there are few bad reviews online (with similar issues to what the 6235 had), as discussed here many times the original Intel 6235 has IPEX MHF4 connectors, while the Intel 7260 the U.FL connectors.

I am just looking for a straight "plug&play" type of upgrade.

Unless a version of the 7260 with mhf4 has been released???

 

The one that I linked is mhf connectors, there is also a version with u.Fl connectors but I only ever saw those with m.2 interface, never in mPCIe.

WlanOptimizer is always a good companion to fix the driver related bugs in botb the 6235 and the 7260 Wi-Fi cards.

 

Well i bit the bullet and bought the aw 160h.
Hopefully it wont take ages for it to arrive, will let you know, cheers for all your help.