Installing an Intel 7260 WiFi + Bluetooth Card in your Thinkpad X220

[@stefankamuc]

Thanks for your video! I really love this old machine and with 16 GB of RAM, a SSD and now with almost gigabit WiFi, I‘m still able to do all my work on it - after 11 years! That’s just amazing. Thanks again for your instructions!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Excellent! Glad.i was able to help.

[@TuMundoAndroideMania]

Just a doubt, if I cover that ping with the tape will I be able to turn Bluetooth and WiFi off and on independently or always on?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

WiFi has a physical kill switch on the device that still functions I believe. Software toggles would also function for both.

[@TuMundoAndroideMania]

@@LaptopRetrospectiveIf I understand that, my wifi has its switch but I read that the bluetooth wouldn't turn off if you cut the ping.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Interesting. I'll have to try it.

[@RyeOnHam]

Awesome! I use the X220 whenever I'm travelling. It's hard to beat. I wanted to upgrade the wifi to an AC card. I did a whitelist-removal bios upgrade and installed a card from Amazon. I can now connect at 866 Mbps vs. my old card which was 72 Mbps. WOW, what a difference. Hopefully, it's stable.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I've been running mine for years now. No issues.

[@McDonnellTech]

Another excellent video - nice work! I added links on the X220 site to this as well as your modified BIOS installation tutorial. Thanks again for everything you do.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

It's an honour and a pleasure! Your selection of resources remains one of the best out there.

[@aroakley]

Thanks for this, it's given me the confidence to do this upgrade. I love the upgradability of the X220.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Awesome! I'm glad I could help. Enjoy your x220.

[@aroakley]

Amusingly, by stripping my X220 down as per your guide, I discovered I did actually already have a Bluetooth module, so the problem was that Windows 10 wasn't detecting it (should have stuck with Ubuntu like my other laptops). Thanks to the strip-down, I was able to identifiy which module it was ( Broadcom BCM92070MD ), and found the drivers. I wrote a short article: www.aoakley.com/articles/2018-09-04-thinkpad-x220-bluetooth.php

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Fantastic article! Thanks for sharing and I was glad to play even a small part.

[@jonnyt3709]

It’s a neat upgrade. I just did it recently on my X220i. Note the Bluetooth icon doesn’t flash even if you’re thinkpad is connected to Bluetooth. Minor issue nonetheless!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

If by icon you mean indicator light, it probably won't because it's looking for the original FRU.

[@ryuuseiSoul]

One thing I had to dop in addition to covering pin 51 was also covering pin 20. For some reason, my system was reading that my hardware radio switch was turned off (even though it was switched on). I couldn't find a software fix (with Fn+F5), and I couldn't find any issue with the switch on the motherboard. Covering pin 20 just let the wi-fi card ignore the hardware radio switch's signal, so that it could just work.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing your fix.

[@unknowncrash1]

Everyone be liking this vid cause it is helpful, but can we talk about this man's good music taste? Watching this for my T420

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Haha, thanks. 😂

[@laurispeterisvejs4007]

Thank you so much! This is awesome! Thanks for the coinsidance that I watched your video a year ago and now I have a thinkpad x220i and I was really suprised that there was no in built bluetooth and i would never like to use a adapter and the internet connection also was very bad. But when I remembered your video, I looked into my spare parts drawer and guess what, I found a wifi + bluetooth card there from an different laptop. Also in few minutes did the bios update and installed the card hoping for the best. And it works so goood! Thank you so much!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Haha, that is so awesome! Thanks for sharing your success and I hope your 220i serves you well.

[@notamillionare]

I just did this upgrade! The custom bios flash sucked for me but I figured it out eventually. I couldn't get windows PE x86 to boot and amd64 couldn't run the Lenovo exe because it was 32 bit. Windows 10 could execute it but failed with a blue screen. Finally windows 7 pro worked flawlessly for the Lenovo bios upgrade and custom flash. The chip works great too!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Glad you hear you got it working.

[@citisein6016]

I'm relieved I found someone who documented exactly what I needed, haha. Thanks for this vid!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Most welcome! Be sure to remove that whitelist.

[@bobihun]

Hi! Thanks for the tutorial. I just BIOS modded my Thinkpad T420 and installed the same wifi card. With your tutorial the Bluetooth is working now!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

That's awesome, enjoy your upgrades!

[@melvyniandrag]

7:00 I did a "soft reassembly" once when I was dicking around with the radio in my beat up 2000 Mercedes S500. It didnt have an aux cable so I soldered the appropriate wires onto some leads on the cassette player to fit an aux cable . . . The soft reassembly shifted when I set the radio on the passenger seat for testing before reinstallation . . . first a weird smell, then a tiny bit of smoke, then a goddamed raging file in the passenger seat. Managed to hastily disconnect the 10 or so connections on the back of the radio and hurl the fireball out of the passenger window. Damn near burned the car to the ground on account of a "soft reassembly".

[@jbritain]

Great guide, worked perfectly for me! Did the upgrade to resolve signal issues with my X220. I've still got the signal issues (I'm thinking it's the WiFi antennae) but at least I know it's not the card! Trying to decide whether I can be bothered buying replacement antennae and disassembling the whole thing to replace them (if that's even possible)...

[@LaptopRetrospective]

The antenna can be replaced, it's mainly taking apart the display.

[@Dominic_IBM]

Is this worth upgrading over stock?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

It absolutely is. Faster WiFi and Bluetooth.

[@timothyli758]

Did the wifi upgrade on my X220. Works great. Thanks

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Woohoo!

[@PolishPianoOrgan]

WHY YOU COVERED THE LAST PIN?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

To make it work as per the tutorial I was using.

[@PolishPianoOrgan]

@@LaptopRetrospective but last pin from 1side. What about second side? It doesn't look cool. I tried to install intel centrino wireless N 1030. I covered the last pin from both sides. I got an error about not authorized network card :/ what i did wrong?

[@PolishPianoOrgan]

@@LaptopRetrospective i have x230

[@LaptopRetrospective]

That card isn't what I used which is an issue. Did you install the modified BIOS like I said at the start of the video?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

This tutorial is not for the X230.

[@franzst.pierre4676]

I would honestly say installing the tape is the hardest part of the installation process. I'm still figuring out what bluetooth drivers work with this on Windows 10 but the Wifi and Bluetooth work from the start on Linux Mint.

[@franzst.pierre4676]

Update: I gave up and got a Bluetooth dongle instead (because getting Bluetooth to work with Windows is a nightmare). I'm enjoying the faster speeds from the 7260 though. Thanks again.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Yes the tape is tricky and can take a few tries.

[@Gertenbol1]

Thanks a lot sir, followed both videos and my new wifi card is working like a charm. 12 years and still going strong #x220

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Awesome!

[@DawnJ86]

Surgery done and went well today. i bought the wifi card, exactly as advised on the site from amazon and all went just fine. In addition, Something funny has just happened tough. i has a long time issue , when i pressed Caps lock, and the it would delay before caps were actually changed, after replacing the wifi-nic now the issue is gone? i`m guessing, that might have to do with me tweaking the keyboard while re-assembling. Thanks again for your how-to tutorials.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Glad to hear it when well and your keyboard is working as well.

[@himrajghany8006]

Hi would this work for a t430

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Process is entirely different.

[@himrajghany8006]

@@LaptopRetrospectiveI know how to get to the card but will that card work in a t430 and what will I need to do if u don't have a t403 can u just explain how to if you know because there are no videos for that

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I haven't done it myself but there are good tutorials and upgrade guides. I link one in the description of my T430 video.

[@randogoth]

I have a X220 with a BCM3422 card inside that I had used as replacement for the fried OG one. My X220 model never had Bluetooth and it is also lacking the Bluetooth status light. Do you think it is possible to put an Intel 7260 card into this one and have Bluetooth?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

My X220 didn't have Bluetooth prior to this mod.

[@randogoth]

@@LaptopRetrospective I just installed it. Works like a charm! Thank you!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Awesome! Thanks for letting me know.

[@herimulyocahyo]

i've X230 at home, and it has problem with the WiFi + Bluetooth Card - i want replace with the new one, and i find this video. Thanks for sharing this video

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Glad it helped.

[@jp554731]

Is there a better version of the intel 7260 Wi-Fi card for the X220i in 2023?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Possibly, I haven't tried myself.

[@MrSuprasetyo]

Sorry mybeifi card not function buy the bluetooth still work n can pair...sould i replace the ecisting wifi catd?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

If it's original Bluetooth then it's a separate card under the palm rest. If the existing card doesn't work, then you can replace it. To use this one will require a BIOS mod.

[@MrSuprasetyo]

@@LaptopRetrospective my bios have mod

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Should be good to go then.

[@JL-fly7]

Thanks for your video. Just wondering your X220 used to have bluetooth function before upgrade or it is capable for bluetooth connection after upgrade. I am about going to do the same for my W530. Currently, the laptop doesn't have bluetooth function. Just curious to know those info. Thanks.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

The WiFi card I installed had Bluetooth built in. It did not have it previously.

[@JL-fly7]

@@LaptopRetrospective Thanks for your prompt response. Same scenario here. My current laptop doesn't have bluetooth and speed is 2.4GHZ. That's exactly what I want to upgrade to.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

This will help.

[@zeflinzeflin4581]

so the bluetooth is “in” / “with” the wifi card ?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Correct.

[@zeflinzeflin4581]

@@LaptopRetrospective Nice and thanks for that👌👌👌

[@LaptopRetrospective]

@@zeflinzeflin4581 you're welcome.

[@treasurethetime2463]

No Bluetooth on my x220t. I'm deciding between USB 5.0 dongle or this.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

You can also add BT via the factory module. If I remember right a 4.0 module drops right in.

[@peocoi]

@@LaptopRetrospective Hi bro. I replaced the Intel 7260 card in the X220 and it got wifi up and running. But as for bluetooth, it still won't accept even if you remove or not remove the old bluetooth card in the device. I have also covered the top 51 pin already.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Sometimes it takes a few tries to cover the pin properly.

[@peocoi]

@@LaptopRetrospective I have alse tried 1-2 times but Latop can't receving bluetooth. I'm trying to see if there's something wrong in cover pin.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

You're certain it is the same version of the 7260 card? There are a few different models.

[@cheo2ng]

Thanks for the video, it's very informative. I tried it with AX210. Arch Linux with latest drivers. Wifi works as expected, but Bluetooth is not detected. Bios modded, factory Broadcom bt removed, tape pin 51 and adjust a few times, no luck. I guess I will stay with the original bt then.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Yeah these steps are pretty specific but glad you got partial function. The original BT card slot can go up to 4.2 without mods.

[@cheo2ng]

@@LaptopRetrospective thanks for the info. Luckily I don't need the newer Bluetooth features. 40x improvement on wifi speed is nothing to be complained about :)

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Hehe, excellent stuff!

[@percutony]

Is taht 4.0 or 5.0 bluetooth version? Thank you.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

4.0

[@n194mee]

Intel 7260 support for X230?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

There are custom BIOS out there. Ivyrain might do it.

[@nesdi6653]

Whats the best wifi card available for a x220 hackintosh

[@LaptopRetrospective]

You might want to check out McDonnell's website in the description. There's a great guide there.

[@TyStyckify]

Which ThinkPad drivers to use for 7260?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

What OS are you using?

[@TyStyckify]

@@LaptopRetrospective - W7

[@LaptopRetrospective]

If it doesn't automatically detect them then grab them from Intel's website for that card. I don't remember if I had to do anything to get it to work out of the box for 7 or not.

[@TyStyckify]

@@LaptopRetrospective - It appears Intel pulled everything but Win 10 drivers. I have not tried to install what is available.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

So what exactly is the issue?

[@ShahJR-dq7yb]

It is possible for thinkpad x250 i7 can use this

[@LaptopRetrospective]

No, these steps are only for the X220.

[@devGurus]

Having already 5 thinkpads, P17, P1, P14s, X1 Yoga, and a 240, I am about to buy a X220 to add to my little fleet for its beaufiul keyboard and form factor, and to run a simple writers' app like scrivener. Do you recommend getting a 230 and moding a X220 keyboard on it or since I am not that worried about performance, stick with X220? BTW thanks for your great videos.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

If performance isn't a concern for you, pick whichever configuration is less work to get to your preferred setup. 😉

[@justinmeeks2038]

What are the two chords connected to the WiFi card? I removed the monitor and those two chords were in it and now my WiFi is not working

[@LaptopRetrospective]

That's the WiFi antenna. Makes sense if you disconnected or removed them you'd have trouble.

[@m47kr3nt0n]

How can I check which card is compatible without opening the laptop? My old laptop was manufactured in 2011, I'm thinking about installing a dual-band card.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Are you working on an X220 or another laptop? Manufacturers usually list compatible cards on their build sheets, but most have whitelists that need to be removed before you get wider compatibility.

[@m47kr3nt0n]

@@LaptopRetrospective I have a Samsung laptop, I googled around and according to one, Samsung don't normally whitelist the WiFi cards. I'm just worried about the correct form (mini PCIe/ngff), its compatibility (AXXX only works with 10th gen CPU, not with older CPUs - For example).

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Try looking on Samsung's website to see if they list the specific card they include then look up what form factor it is. That would be my suggestion.

[@m47kr3nt0n]

@@LaptopRetrospective Thanks dude!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

You're welcome.

[@massudcnee6649]

Hi. Thank you for your helpful/useful video. One important & critical question from me is : why and what reason that you had to put that electrical tape on the pin 51? (what is going to happen if I don't put or I missed that part). Thank you

[@LaptopRetrospective]

From what I understand from the original instructions it simply won't work. Some choose to cut the pin, but I wanted the non-destructive/reusable option.

[@Dondeath]

Great video! I have plans to do this with my x220. But I need to get to whitelist'ing the BIOS. Question; if I go this route should I just remove the Dedicated Bluetooth chip inside altogether?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Thanks for the comment. I would remove the original card if you have it, it would be located under the palm rest. The one on board is better and lower energy.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

To further to add to this, you'd likely need to disable one of the chips in order to have Bluetooth function normally as I suspect the two would fight with the OS for which should be in charge of handling connections. That and having two BT chips running seems redundant and would waste battery.

[@Dondeath]

It works! Kind of, for some reason the Wifi works in Linux but not in Windows 7. Any idea what could be the problem? Must be something driver related right?

[@Dondeath]

FORGET THAT NOISE! That "Donovan" is someone who clearly couldn't do something as simple as "download a simple driver".

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Haha. Glad you got it all figured out. Enjoy!

[@H2VPROEternal]

I am assuming this guide is specifically for Thinkpad x220 not the x230?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

That is correct. The process is different for the X230.

[@fotografm]

Could you perhaps say something about the differences between the old and new cards and the reason why you upgraded ? Also a little background about why one pin should be blanked off would also be interesting.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Faster WiFi speeds, access to the 5ghz band, built in Bluetooth for a model that didn't have it already. As for why the pin needs to be blanked, Bluetooth doesn't work on this model of laptop unless it is, I don't know the technical details.

[@CCDRaydiance]

@@LaptopRetrospective Have you found that you can pick up WiFi from longer ranges as well? Or in other words, are you now getting a stronger WiFi signal in spots that previously had weak/no signals?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I'd say the connection quality is nicer but it's still the same antenna.

[@CCDRaydiance]

@@LaptopRetrospective Even relative to the stock antenna? I'm not terribly familiar with the difference in specs between the two but I would have figured a newer WiFi card would be able to pick up a stronger signal, all other things being equal.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

It can pick up newer bands like 5GHz which will be a better connection in general. I don't think range is really in the equation when you keep the antenna the same.

[@davidhollfelder9940]

I could not find the whitelist removal video. I have a Lenovo G560, and want to do this.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

The process I know doesn't work for the G560.

[@A4orce84]

Great job on the content, just discovered your channel! Curious if you are still using the X220 as your daily laptop? I know your videos for the laptop are 4-5 years old now.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I still use the X220 around the house. Let me know if you have any follow-up questions.

[@A4orce84]

@@LaptopRetrospective - Is it still your main machine? I’m considering an X1 Carbon, possibly 6th gen due to key travel. Any thoughts ?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

It isn't my main machine, that's the X1 Nano right now. I've reviewed the X1C G6 and it's very nice.. Windows 11 compatible too.

[@iToZoo]

谢谢！Thanks. X220 i5 2430 Mod BIOS 16G 1899 mSTAT 7260

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Nice!

[@icon7782]

Thanks,I need to know how can I connect my technics sl d3 turntable with X220. Need any installation??

[@LaptopRetrospective]

You want to hook up a record player from 1978 to it? Just want to make sure I understand you correctly. What do you want to do with that kind of setup exactly?

[@icon7782]

@@LaptopRetrospectivethanks for your concern actually I want to connect my record player with lenovo as a source for listening music beside that I have to connect an amplifier.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

The only way I can imagine is using another piece of equipment to translate the sound into either a USB signal or 3.5mm mic input. But I'm not an expert in this sort of thing I'm afraid.

[@treadless_co]

Hey there! I'm wondering if you've done any research on using a triband card in the x220. I've heard rumors that the wiring for the 3x3 antennas is in the device... i.e. the Intel Centrino Ultimate N-6300 was an option back in the day. Wifi antennas are black, grey, white WWAN antennas are blue and red.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Good question. If I ever get a card to test that could be an interesting experiment. I think the trick would be the form factor of a newer card likely being M.2 rather than mSATA sized.

[@treadless_co]

@@LaptopRetrospective Perhaps the AW-CB160H, maybe with MHF4 to U.FL cables if necessary

[@arybudhiyanto1125]

could it work at x61s too ?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I'm not as familiar with the technical limits of that one.

[@marcg1043]

Does the X230 also need the Bios update (whitelist)?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Yes but the process is different. You'll want to do some reading on ivyrain.

[@marcg1043]

Will check. Many thanks!

[@GodwinJuda]

Can the same procedure be used to get Bluetooth on a T430?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

No, the BIOS needs hardware to flash.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

This just came across my desk, check it out. 1vyra.in/

[@ytshortchannel224]

Why do you need to tape it

[@LaptopRetrospective]

If the pin makes contact it won't work.

[@ytshortchannel224]

@@LaptopRetrospective Ohhh do you know how I can get Bluetooth for my pc? Is the card located on the left of this video at ( 5:11 ) the card responsible for Bluetooth? Thank you very much!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

It depends on the computer you have what card handles Bluetooth. Most have it built into the WiFi card now, but some computers use a daughter card.

[@ecuriouz]

Anyone have issues with bluetooth now disconnecting after recent windows 10 updates? Is there a fix?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Did you tape the pin?

[@ecuriouz]

@@LaptopRetrospective No, I couldn't find what does taping the pin fix? I have seen people demonstrate it, but what symptoms do you get that require taping the pin? In my case it works fine on previous windows 10 build, then they updated it (I don't know the exact build number, but when power management tab was removed, it randomly disconnects)

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I'd try taping it to see if it fixes the issue. It does relate to Bluetooth performance.

[@juninmw]

Would you inform me if the 7260 dual band ac device works on DELL model 5537 notebooks?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Not sure. You'll need to see what cards it supports in its whitelist.

[@juninmw]

@@LaptopRetrospective Where do I find this list? Would you help me?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I did some Googling of your laptop model and found these articles, doesn't look like it is supported. www.dell.com/community/Inspiron/Dual-band-5Ghz-wi-fi-adapter-on-15r-5537/td-p/6121453 www.dell.com/community/Networking-Internet-Bluetooth/Intel-wireless-N-7260-Problems/td-p/4677414

[@Ferroza-m8d]

is it possible to install Wifi 6 Wireless Card Intel AX200 Bluetooth 5.1 AX AC NGFF M.2 2G 5G M2 on x230 and get its full speed?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

X230 has no m.2 slots AFAIK

[@Ferroza-m8d]

@@LaptopRetrospective thanks for replay. Any solution for x230 to get bt ver 5.1 connection? Dongle or docking?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I suspect you'll need to go dongle if you want the latest. Not sure if cards that form factor have been made.

[@Ferroza-m8d]

@@LaptopRetrospective thanks again.btw, Its 8.30am here.

[@NickBrunsky]

Laptop Retrospective Isn't it the Lenovo laptops has whitelist that don't accept other new "WiFi Internet Adapter"? What is the purpose of that cover the tape on pin #1? I've been looking around how to remove whitelist on my Lenovo Thinkpad E40, so I can install new hi-speed Gigabyte "WiFi Internet Adapter". It doesn't recognize. Nice video, thnx.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I mentioned at the start of the video you need to flash a custom BIOS to get it to be recognized. The default BIOS will not allow it. The E40 is a different machine and will have different steps.

[@tasoulman]

After installing the 7260 my speedtest actually dropped. I added a tape to the pin 51. Is it possible that the tape slipped or something or wouldn't it work if it did ?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Again, did you install the custom BIOS?

[@galaxiegalaxie5003]

Wonderful video, could you tell me what is the compactibily wifi card for lenovo g510 i7 4700mq laptop?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

No idea if that unit even has a whitelist removal method. This process is unique to this laptop.

[@eugor5746]

Thank You. Installing this card is scheduled for tomorrow. I am curious if a firmware update will be required and how to do that. Guess I will find out

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I didn't need to do anything special. Either in Mint or Windows.

[@eugor5746]

@@LaptopRetrospective As you mentioned, nothing special was needed in mint or windows. worked great. I found the tape frustrating and used a utility knife to flick loose the bottom edge of pin 51. couple of wiggles to and fro and off it came. Thanks again !

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Yep, the tape can be a pain but if you are happy to cut the pin it is waay faster.

[@SamuelHollandsh]

I am on t430 and after installing the same chip, I noticed no bluetooth and I believe I need the exact same fix. Thank You very much for sharing.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

T430 requires a hardware flash, good luck.

[@SamuelHollandsh]

@@LaptopRetrospective oh really?, Thanks for the reply, the tape won't work? The Bluetooth seems ok except in device manager, and I tried to use it to connect to my phone yesterday but didn't spend too much time; my phone said, "do you want to pair with the # but the T430 never showed my device. Under device manager, it shows up in Intel wireless bluetooth with a code 10 this device cannot start.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

@@SamuelHollandsh Unless the WiFi card is on the whitelist in the BIOS, you'll have troubles. The X220 allowed for third party BIOS writing via software, but that's not the case afterwards.

[@SamuelHollandsh]

@@LaptopRetrospective thanks for the quick reply, I have the ivyrain mod that let me install the card and have the advanced menu. I've actually built and flashed coreboot to the chip before but went back to play destiny 2 due to the requirement of having to be Windows, and me not being skilled enough to build coreboot with Windows boot or chainloader. Thank you sincerely by the way. 👍

[@LaptopRetrospective]

@@SamuelHollandsh Ahhh, you would certainly know your stuff. The tape might help, I'm not entirely sure. It was needed in the X220.

[@florind1587]

My X220 already came with dual band wifi (maybe the previous owner made an upgrade), works like a charm (on 75% wifi signal I got 300Mbps), but my issue is that I have Bluetooth 3.0, and somehow I can’t detect my Bluetooth mouse or bluetooth keyboard to pair with my laptop… but strangely it detected my iPhone and got it paired. Anyone had an issue like that? Any tips? Is it because of the incompatibility of Bluetooth generation?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I suspect your conclusion regarding Bluetooth version is accurate.

[@danielaortiz33]

hola! tengo un problema con el cursor de mi notebook lenovo G580, tiende a descender....no entiendo el porque pero se va para abajo y no puedo subir....lo intento con la rueda del mouse pero nada.....se va hacia abajo....podras ayudarme?

[@scv6008]

Do you need drivers? I have card 7260 installed but wifi will not connect to 11ac only connects 11n. I installed latest from Intel but still only getting 11n connection.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Are you installing it in a x220?

[@scv6008]

Laptop Retrospective Yep, the X220T specifically with the modified bios.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Did you also tape the pin? I presume you used a T specific BIOS? OS?

[@scv6008]

Laptop Retrospective Yep! Pin taped and T bios. WiFi and Bluetooth working. However, WiFi speeds are not near the same as your video and my WiFi connection properties show 11n. This is in Windows 10. My Internet Service Provider confirmed router is 11ac capable.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I didn't need drivers but I mostly run Linux Mint on this one. Windows 10 should detect the right drivers but you might want to check with Intel just to be sure and confirm in Device Manager that it's detecting it properly.

[@CaptRadar101]

will this work with the X230T

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Not sure. The BIOS will need to be modified and I haven't done that with this unit. But theoretically it should be possible.

[@ch.illmatic]

Do you think this will work in an Alienware M15x? I want the Bluetooth to work but at the same time there was already a Dedicated Bluetooth antenna and wire so idk

[@LaptopRetrospective]

No idea. You'll need to do some reading to see if there is a whitelisted BIOS for that machine first.

[@seanmckee7965]

Thanks. Just did the exact upgrade. works great.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

That's awesome Sean!

[@uni-byte]

Will this work in an X201? Right now I'm using dongles for that. Built-in would be better.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

This process won't. If it is possible, it would be a different process.

[@uni-byte]

@@LaptopRetrospective Not so much the process as the card. I guess I could have a look next time I have a chance to open the X201.

[@abdulsyahidsaari4629]

Hi, is this method applicable to newer version of wifi card?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I've heard mixed results in the comments here. I can only tell you for certain it works with this one.

[@abdulsyahidsaari4629]

What if u change wifi adapter without update the bios? Will it works?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

No, most laptops have a whitelist of approved cards. If it detects a card that isn't on that list the computer usually won't boot.

[@abdulsyahidsaari4629]

I have succesfully update my x220 bios to version 1.46. The problem now is my touchpad & trackpoint not working after the update. Can u help me on that? Tq

[@LaptopRetrospective]

So to be clear, all you did was update to the latest official BIOS?

[@francescoschmitt2000]

Does this work for the x230?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Not sure. You might need a custom BIOS.

[@searchingsome1]

thanks for great video! did the wifi upgrade few months back and removed dedicated bluetooth card from the laptop new bluetooth worked well for some time, though I rarely used it but now I don't see any bluetooth device in Ubuntu anymore do you think it can be related with that tape on one pin which is may not fit well now? thanks

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Only one way to find out. You can try and reset the card as see if it helps. No issues to report here.

[@searchingsome1]

@@LaptopRetrospective - checked that blocked pin and it was looking good. After disabling bluetooth in BIOS and re-enabling it Ubuntu started seeing bluetooth device and now it works. Though quite strange why it wasn't working earlier as no changes were done to fix this :) Thanks anyway!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Computers work in mysterious ways.

[@dudemanguy6092]

If I remove the whitelist bios to install a new wifi chip, then does it need a Lenovo FRU or can any generic cards word too?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I'd suggest the Intel card used in the video. Can guarantee anything else will simply just work.

[@QuickishFM]

Nooo you forgot to set the bluetooth speaker from HSP to A2DP to get better audio! That enables proper stereo speaker instead of the bad audio you heard

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Good to know. Thanks!

[@ironmantooltime]

Mine is an i7 with onboard Bluetooth will I still get a boost from this? The Windows 7 driver doesn't support my headset. Guessing the new board might have better functionality?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

I don't think the onboard one was 4.0 so yes, I do suggest disconnecting the old one to avoid conflicts.

[@ZackDesigner]

wich brand of ssd you'r using

[@LaptopRetrospective]

The mSATA is a Dogfish.

[@ZackDesigner]

I bought ssd Evo 860 msata 500gb I try to place it withy laptop X220 and it doesn't work ?? Do you know anything can useful for my case?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

@@ZackDesigner Are you sure it isn't working? Is it detected in the BIOS?

[@ZackDesigner]

@@LaptopRetrospective yeah I try to see it in BIOS and it doesn't appear

[@LaptopRetrospective]

@@ZackDesigner Assuming it's installed right, I wonder if there are compatibility problems. I've read that not having an up to date BIOS and even potentially the SSD firmware can cause compatibility issues.

[@sheebeedeebee2571]

Would this card work with my x200?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Honestly not sure. You'd need to do some research on whitelist removals for that unit.

[@EpicEternal2]

Thanks for the cool video! I have x220t (4984CTO) windows 8.1, not linux. is this still the best option for me (wifi adapter type)? Should I still tape it? And lastly do you know if there is an LTE WWAN adapter upgrade possible?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

The process should be the same. You'll need a different BIOS file I think for the T model to remove the whitelist. I'd still tape the pin. I think they had an LTE option from the factory.

[@alik250]

Anyone know if this works on the next generation of machines? **30 laptops i mean

[@LaptopRetrospective]

The process is different. You're journey will start with Google and "1vyrain" 😉

[@timothyli758]

I successfully upgraded the wifi card on my X220 per your instructions. Thanks! I just bought a used W520. can I use the same instructions on the W520?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Glad to hear you had success! The process for the W520 will require a different BIOS mod; it will not be the same or use the same files.

[@qwertyui90qwertyui90]

I need this on my w520, do i need to do this tape or a bios update or something ?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

You will need a BIOS update for sure. Not sure about the tape.

[@dudemanguy6092]

Where did you buy your wifi card from?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Got mine from a local shop. They are very easy to find.

[@dudemanguy6092]

What about online, do you recommend any sites?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Amazon probably has it. Guess it depends where you are and where parts can be bought from. As I said, it is a very common part.

[@dudemanguy6092]

But will any wifi cards work on this laptop after removing the whitelist? Because I see some cards say, "compatible with Lenovo thinkpad xXXX" or "Not compatible with Lenovo". Will cards with those in the description still work? Or can it just be any despite what it says it is compatible with? Also thanks for replying so quickly, I've already subscribed. Love your videos

[@LaptopRetrospective]

It will say that because of the old BIOS locked out the cards. The one I feature in the video is what I recommend since I know it works, it's easily found, inexpensive and includes Bluetooth.

[@rcfriscoflyer]

I have been looking all over the place to figure out how to add bluetooth to my t60 it came from the factory WITHOUT it, can you point me in a direction? Cheers, Bob

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Hey Bob, check online for the maintenance manual for the T60, it should be really easy to find. Most of the time Bluetooth ends up getting hidden under the palm rest. Let me know how your quest goes and I'll do what I can to help.

[@rcfriscoflyer]

Ended up getting usb adapter for Bluetooth, not in the mood to tear it down again, they are eleven bucks, Thanks for your response. Bob

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Not a bad solution. Probably newer than OEM.

[@damianbutterworth2434]

So I guess this is 802.11ac Wifi which is what I need to use for using a drone. I would use my phone but it`s old. I will look on ebay now and give you another thank you in a week or so. :) Thank you for the Vid.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Good luck. Hope to hear from you soon.

[@alexandergonchiy1298]

Will this chip work on a bios-patched x230?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

When you say BIOS-patched system what do you mean? The X230 has Intel's digital signing to stop software flashing so unless you have the hardware to do it, this isn't possible.

[@alexandergonchiy1298]

Laptop Retrospective I am aware of the nontrivial process of flashing x230, that's why I stressed out that it's already flashed. I'm curious whether a custom 802.11ac module can function properly on x230 since I could find tons of evidence for x220, yet none for x230 :(

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Sorry about that, it is rare to hear someone in the comments that is aware of the X230 and that lovely security. Not sure what you flashed it with, but if the Whitelist was removed you should be ok to install this chip. For more information on Custom BIOS's for the X230, I'd suggest reading here: www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-REQUEST-Lenovo-Thinkpad-X230-i-G2ETxxWW-Whitelist-Removal

[@alexandergonchiy1298]

Laptop Retrospective Sweet! Thanks :)

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Good luck!

[@tasoulman]

My startup time increased, between bios check and grub, when i added the 7260 card. is there a setting i have to make to the bios after installing the 7260ac?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Did you install the custom BIOS? Does the card work properly?

[@tasoulman]

@@LaptopRetrospective yes i did install the custom bios. If you dont recall my comments on this, i added some instructions on how to install it on a x220 from a usb flash drive a couple of weeks ago The problem is the delay on boot and the low speed

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Ah very sorry. Thanks for reminding me. If the card is working and provides Bluetooth then it should be working properly, assuming it's running the correct drivers.

[@tasoulman]

@@LaptopRetrospective i didn't check bluetooth yet. I will have to check it plus the drivers on my opensuse and freebsd installations...

[@nazmulrock1548]

I actually didn't get it why you covered the pin with tape.....

[@LaptopRetrospective]

It doesn't fully work right otherwise.

[@lewsir9551]

My X220 already has bluetooth, but I wanted to get this to boost my wifi. Did you have to remove the old bluetooth card so you don't have two inside?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Mine didn't have the Bluetooth card under the palm rest. Wasn't a standard feature that in aware. If you do have one already, I'd remove it if you do this upgrade. No point in two cards.

[@shayneofficer407]

Thanks for the video! I can't get this to work to save my life. I have the modified 1.46 BIOS (I can see the advanced menu) but after trying dozens of times with electrical tape over pin 51 and having it not detect any wireless card I decided to cut the pin instead. Still no luck. I tried re-flashing the BIOS a few times, and no luck. I tried putting the card in my Y580 IdeaPad (also with a modified BIOS to remove the OEM hardware whitelist) and it recognizes the 7260AC card, so I'm pretty sure it's not defective. I'm totally at a loss here, does anyone have any tips?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Just to confirm what exact card are you using and model of x220?

[@shayneofficer407]

​@@LaptopRetrospective Thanks for the quick reply! The card is an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 Model: 7260HMW and the Thinkpad is the standard, non-tablet x220

[@LaptopRetrospective]

What operation system is this booting into? Have you tried a Linux live usb to rule out a driver issue?

[@shayneofficer407]

@@LaptopRetrospective I've tried it with Windows 10 Pro and Manjaro Linux, neither recognizes the card :(

[@shayneofficer407]

@@LaptopRetrospective One weird thing I've noticed: Looking at the device manager in Windows with the 7260 plugged it, it flickers every few seconds like a reload. Maybe it's trying to recognize the card and failing? I've ordered an Intel Ultimate-N 6300 hopefully I'll have better luck with that one

[@uni-byte]

Polyimide tape would be ideal for this.

[@priit7777]

Thank you! Was a great help to get it to work :-)

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Awesome, glad to be of help.

[@gen-zboomer]

Great guide, but I accidentally bought an N 7260 instead of the AC. RIP

[@LaptopRetrospective]

You're not the first to do that. I've read it in the comments before. 😂

[@gen-zboomer]

@@LaptopRetrospective Just got the right card, really easy upgrade to get much higher speeds at super low cost. I'm really happy with how well I've got this laptop set up with everything I could want for it

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Glad you got that sorted!

[@LiviuDragon]

i have the intel centrino

[@oussama4629]

why would someone dislike such a vide ?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Who knows but I'm glad you like it. 😁

[@oussama4629]

@@LaptopRetrospective i always do . waiting for more vids on the X1 Nano

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Won't have to wait too long.😉

[@TimoBirnschein]

This DOES NOT work on the Thinkpad W530, unfortunately! You can either use this card in the mini-PCI-E port designated for wifi cards to get wifi, OR the mini-PCI-E port designated for WWAN cards to get bluetooth working. Not both! Whoever came up with this needs to get fired!

[@LaptopRetrospective]

This method only works with the x20 era of machines. For the x30 era, you need to explore ivyrain.

[@TimoBirnschein]

@@LaptopRetrospective yes, that’s what I did. I have jailbreaked(?) the W530 and the intel 7260 works in Windows and Linux as planned. But not bluetooth. Bluetooth from this card only works in the WAN port of this laptop, but installed in the WAN port, wifi doesn’t work. I found this randomly on reddit, google’ed it, couldn’t find any information about this constraint and hence could not believe it. However, I did test it and it is true! So I’m spreading the word so that other people don’t have to run into the same issue. The m.2 ports themselves seem to have this restriction and the tapeing method for pin 20 and pin 51 have no effect.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

If I remember right you're only taping one pin, 51 and it works perfectly fine, at least for the specific card and system identified. The methods needed to install WiFi cards not on the regular whitelist vary from model to model.

[@TimoBirnschein]

I will triple check! I definitely taped of both pens, 20 and 51. The funny thing is, with this configuration, the two different wireless features work in either the one port or the other. if anything, I would expect both ports to act the same way.

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Not sure what Pin 20 does but I checked McDonnellTechs tutorial and it doesn't mention it at all. Again, keep in mind this process was specifically designed for the x20 era machines and things might work differently on the x30 era. For all I know, not having done it, pin taping might not be required on the x30 era.

[@beegonee]

why not just grinding it out...the pin completely removed

[@LaptopRetrospective]

That's totally an option but I didn't want to permanently mod the card. So this is what I did instead just in case I want to put this card into another laptop.

[@ratboyOwO]

how much do you pay for that upload speed lmao

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Pretty reasonable rate.

[@igorraphael3991]

Do you know if this update can enable the wifi connection between an x220 and a smart tv via miracast?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Excellent question. I run Linux on it so I've never tried.

[@EMPNETWORKS]

Ok i have installed the chip and it has given me a good boost on my wifi. however i dont apear to have blue tooth, any sugestions? i did tape the pin , but maybe its exposed would that cause no blue tooth?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Windows or Linux?

[@EMPNETWORKS]

@@LaptopRetrospective both, but i am mainly running linux

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Exact model of WiFi card?

[@EMPNETWORKS]

@@LaptopRetrospective 7260HMW was also advertised as 7260 wifi+bluetooth

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Right, but the pin out might be different. I don't know if this trick will work with a different card. I remember someone else who used a slightly different card and this method didn't work.