Presario 2500 Mini PCI add-on question

[Larry G_1]

I purchased my Presario 2500 without internal wireless. I've been happy using a PC card for wireless connectivity but recently dropped the laptop and ripped the PCMCIA port off of the board.

Mini PCIs are pretty cheap and I would like to go this route. I can't seem to find the antannae plugs near my empty PCI slot, however.

My question is, did all 2500s come with a wireless antenna, or just those that were ordered with factory installed WIFI?

Question 2: If there is no internal antenna, how tough is it to put one in? Sources for antennae?

I'm not afraid to open my unit up - I've had it apart before (and even ended up with no screws left over). I just don't know what I'm looking for with the antenna.

Thanks for your help!

-Larry

[Ernest Ford]

Welcome to the club - my son did exactly that with on older Presario - check the CMOS setup for any details on enabling/disabling wireless - if they don't exist, then your laptop does not have provision for internal wireless, and at this point, I will warn you that trying to retrofit is probably not impossible, but may prove quite challenging.

There's more to the retrofit than just adding the card and antennas, and even if you have the antennas, you need a supported HP/Compaq wireless card, as the firmware on the card is different and the BIOS will not recognise a generic card, EVEN IF IT'S THE SAME MAKE & MODEL.

If the antenna cables - you're looking for thin (maybe 0.5mm diameter) cables, typically 1 white, 1 black with little gold right-angled snap connectors on the ends -are not hanging in the vicinity of the mini-PCI slot, the antennas were probably never installed, and adding them will also be a challenge. You can sometimes find them on eBay, remember, you will need to locate them in a position where they are not shielded, and most of the cabinet plastics are coated with a metallic shielding on the inside.

You might want to consider a USB wireless adapter, trust me it'll be a lot easier, get one with a short flex cable and velcro it onto the back of the LCD panel