WiFi antenna plug repair

[Rick Law]

I was doing a laptop WiFi card repair, but things didn't go as expected.  With one mistake already made, I want to plan the repair better.  I attached a photo (from Tom's Hardware site) a WiFi card almost exactly like mine so I can clearly explain what is puzzling me.

In my case, the socket (on the WiFi PCB) for the white cable is broken off from the PCB, but still soldered on to the bit of PCB that is broken off.  The socket was so strongly held to the antenna cable plug that the plug badly deformed upon separating it from the socket.  It can no longer go into the antenna socket of the replacement WiFi card.

When I looked at the socket carefully, the socket (on the WiFi PCB) has a pin-like connector in the center and metal circle around it.  This reminds me of the F-connector TV antenna cable with the signal conductor at the center and the screw on cap is attached to the shielding.  So it naturally lead me to wonder, if the white (or black) cable from the antenna is it a single conduct cable?

If it is a single conductor cable, the repair would be easier.  The laptop has provision for a WWLAN (cell modem not installed).  The antenna plug for the WWLAN appears to exactly the same as WiFi antenna plug.  If they are single connector, I could cut one of the WWLAN wire and use that plug.  Either solder the white WiFi cable on to the plug (removed from the WWLAN wire), or perhaps just patch the wires together so I have the white cable patched to the cut WWLAN wire with the plug.  I am not confident in opening up the crimp (from the WWLAN wire plug) and then crimp the white wire to the plug since I lack crimping tool...

If it is not a single conductor cable, the repair may be more complex.   I may consider replacing the entire cable...

Anyone repaired WiFi cable plugs before?  Any experience you can share?

Thanks in advance...

[Teledog]

The connectors look like U.FL / IPEX / IPX  coaxial connectors (blurry pic)
Can get new cables/adapters /units/connectors from Ali express for fairly cheap, making them yourself isn't worth the headache.
Have to be careful removing/inserting those puppies, they have a finite lifetime.
There are tools out there for insertion/removal, but stupid expensive for a hobbyist (google it)
G' luck!

[notsob]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirose_U.FL

https://www.digikey.com.au/en/products/detail/te-connectivity-linx/CONMHF1-SMD-G-T/15293397?utm_adgroup=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMax%20Shopping_High%20Performing%20Products&utm_term=&utm_id=go_cmp-20001736977_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-15293397_sig-EAIaIQobChMIn-rEyr2nhQMV8Sx7Bx0HTAvNEAQYAyABEgKEKvD_BwE&productid=15293397&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn-rEyr2nhQMV8Sx7Bx0HTAvNEAQYAyABEgKEKvD_BwE

[edavid]

Has anyone tried the $15 Sparkfun tool?

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/20687

[Rick Law]

Thank you very much for your reply.  I didn't know the connector type/name and searching generically for "WiFi antenna (connector)" was giving me way too much unrelated info.  Search the name you gave in your reply "U.FL" gave me a lot more related info to research on how to repair.

You are right, it does appear to be U.FL/IPEX.  When I searched for U.FL, I see other WiFi/RF cards using that and it look exactly like what the WiFi card's connection socket.  SparkFun even has an article on how to care for U.FL connectors and pointed out Hirose datasheet says it for only 30 connect/disconnect cycles.

Looking closely at the U.FL cables/connector I can now find...  Unfortunately, my observation was also right that they are coax -- at least the connectors are.  When I thought it was single conductor connector initially, I was looking at cutting one off (from the unused WWLAN wires) to replace the bad connector for a quick repair not so much for the $ saving but rather time.  If I could cut the connector from the unused WWLAN and solder the white wire onto it, I could use the laptop "normally" before April 15 (USA income tax filing deadline).  With it being possibly coax, repair is more complex.  I guess I will have to use my machine on hardwire network to do my tax stuff.

I've acquired a "dead (my model) laptop for parts" from eBay, I will see how to pull the antenna cable set (5 wires, 3 for WiFi and 2 for WWLAN) from this, or at least at some practice on pulling out the screen and see how the antenna is connected.  Mean time, I will be hardwire networking only at least until my income tax is done...

Thanks again...

[Rick Law]

Has anyone tried the $15 Sparkfun tool?

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/20687

I wish I had that a few days back.  The plug was on the old WiFi card so hard, I use a screw driver to ply it out.  Unfortunately, bits of the PCB came off with it (and the wire's plug was still attached to the socket soldered to the bits of PCB that came off).

By the time I separated the plug from the socket, the plug was rather deformed...

My silly idea about swapping the WiFi card...  I thought I could get that done in moments...

Thanks for your reply.

[alm]

In my experience mini-PCI and mini-PCIe cards use U.FL connectors which are reasonably easy without special tools, but more modern M2 WiFi cards use the smaller IPEX4/MHF4 (and W.FL?) connectors. I'm not sure if the Sparkfun tool supports the latter. For me removing them with a plastic tool like a spudger has been okay, but I have destroyed some connectors when connecting them. I find it difficult to properly align them while applying sufficient pressure. But replacement cables are available cheaply from Aliexpress.

[Bud]

The cable is micro coax, you can remove the connector, strip a few mm off of the cable end and solder the shield and center wire to the wifi board.

[Rick Law]

Thanks for all the good advice!  I am now better educated on this.  I have to put this aside for now until after tax time.  IRS (USA Federal tax agency) is not exactly forgiving if I am late. (Been there, done that)

Right now, I am restricted to my workbench doing tax work.  Using hard wire network only for now is not a problem.  Once I am done with tax filing, I will return to this problem.  By then, the dead-laptop for parts I got from ebay should be here.  Hopefully, that dead laptop would have a working set of antenna cable I could transplant and that would open up my repair options.

Somehow the tax related papers (receipts, etc) I carefully saved over the duration always gone missing by tax time...  In the USA, besides the Federal IRS, there is the State tax, and local property tax.  When I was in some big cities, there is local income tax as well.  So, back to "working for the government(s)" till after April 15.

Now where is that damn draft I partially finished yesterday...

[Teledog]

Not sure what laptop you have and require WIFI, but if you have a spare USB port, why not just use a WIFI USB dongle?
I'd recommend a Linux/Kali compatible chipset, but that's just me.
G'luck!

[Rick Law]

Not sure what laptop you have and require WIFI, but if you have a spare USB port, why not just use a WIFI USB dongle?
I'd recommend a Linux/Kali compatible chipset, but that's just me.
G'luck!

Before I forget again, thanks for your initial (first) reply...  Pointing out U.FL allow me to find more info and helps with my decision.

My machines is a Dell Latitude E6430.  From your naming U.FL, the info I found confirmed my fear that those antenna wires are coax instead of single conductor.  With that, I know a new wire is preferable rather than trying to fix the deformed plug or patching another plug on the existing wire.  So I placed a bet on a dead E6430 for parts and mine was the winning bid.

I actually do have a couple of unused USB network dongle.  WiFi mobility was useful during the prep work, but actually doing the math for tax filing and sorting out bills, I need more desk space.   Thus I am restricted to the "bench" which has desk space, plus hard wire LAN outlet is there.  Thus WiFi at this stage is not a must.  For now, I am pushing through to get the tax done, clean up / organize the paper used for the filing (in case of audit), then I can go back to making my E6430 whole again.

The dead E6430 from eBay arrived earlier today.  I took a break from tax work and open that darn thing.  Yeah, by appearance alone, it has a good set of WiFi cable.  But until I get that cable set into my machine I don't know if it actually works.  I am going to have fun taking that dead machine apart.  Besides working on the antenna, I want to also swap the screen and see if the screen from the dead laptop can be used on mine (as backup should my current screen die).  The other thing I want as stand-by backup is the fan.  Both of them I have replaced on my other old laptops, some more than once.  I think I may need to do those on this laptop sometime in the future.