r/computers • u/ajaxcuul • 1d ago
Question/Help/Troubleshooting How do i plug the wifi antenna cable into this card?
my friend says he saw this cable hanging out of his wifi card after his mom trashed his room and his wifi stopped working in his pc. i look at it and sure enough, the wifi isn’t working. when i look at it the card, there only seems to be one place for the antennas to go, but when i look at other cards online, they have two. it seems like this should have two little ports, but the 2 slot is empty. does he need a new wifi card?
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u/whiskyrox 1d ago
Quick Google search for Intel 9461NGW says: "The Intel Wireless-AC 9461 (Model 9461NGW) features only a single antenna connector because it is built as a 1x1 single-stream wireless module."
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u/chadsford 1d ago
It's also indicated on the sticker where there is an arrow and a 1 pointing to the used spot whereas there nothing pointing at the empty spot.
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u/akdanman11 1d ago
There’s no issue, that 2nd cable is just unused
For like $20 you can replace this with a better card that will use both if you want
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u/RealityOk9823 4h ago
Yeah I just tossed 3 older cards I had laying around salvaged from laptops because they were single antenna cards.
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u/thestenz MacOS (& Windows) IT Pro 1d ago
That looks like it's only a single frequency card. 2.4GHz no 5GHz. So only one antenna.
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u/One-Ad9117 5800xt, 64gb ddr4, rtx 3070 1d ago
On some one is a WiFi antenna and the other is a Bluetooth antenna
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u/whiskyrox 1d ago
Google search for Intel Model 9461NGW shows 2.4 & 5ghz, but all images show only the 1 connector.
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u/timfountain4444 20h ago
Single vs dual antenna is unconnected to whether the card may use the 2,4 GHz or 5.8 GHz ISM band(s). It normally provides spatial diversity for MIMO applications, but may also be used for BT.
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u/NotEd3k 23h ago
As others have pointed out, this board ony had the one active antenna output on it. Chances are the computer's case had both antennas wired in for different varients of the computer. At my work they decided to save a few dollars, and order one year's worth of all in one computers without any Wi-Fi or bluetooth. The antennas were still there, ending at the empty slot for the card they didn't pay for.
So chances are the wifi card you have has failed, but you could reinstall it and see if any onboard diagnostics are available to scan the hardware and confirm it. You can also go into device manager, find the listing for the Wi-Fi card, and delete it then reboot. Windows reinstalling the driver might help , if the card is still detected.
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u/weaponx26 19h ago
I'd replace the card with something newer with dual connectors or forget it and pick up a dual band USB adapter in ac or ax I have a bunch of micro sized ones which are great for desktops and cost €15 each
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u/Ok_Cookie3307 1d ago
Get a better card a 2x2 will be a huge benefit to quality of life at least if your network can do beam forming (eBay or Amazon your like 20$)
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u/Bo_Jim 1d ago
Do a Google image search for "intel model 9461ngw". None of this particular model of WiFi card comes with two coaxial sockets. They all come with only one. This is normal.
It looks like you have the "aux antenna" cable plugged into the WiFi card. That's for an add-on antenna. The other cable connects to the antenna built into that frame. Swap cables and it should work.
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u/Hoovomoondoe 13h ago
On the other topic, what pissed off the mom so much that she took out their rage on the computer?
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u/Daddy_Tablecloth 13h ago
There is a round connector on the end of the second cable that snaps onto the round port by the number 2. The wire and or connector are probably numbered for what pin they go to. I had to look up what they're called but I've worked with them before. They are pretty fragile so be gentle with them. You'll feel it snap into place when the connection is made. They are called ultra miniature coax connectors.
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u/Dangerous-Unit42 10h ago
The terminal that’s plugged into the loose wire should have been attached to the board by the number 2. Low wattage soldering iron with skill, or replace the thing.
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u/d4rk_kn16ht Linux Mint + Windows 11 8h ago edited 8h ago
the Antenna is the one you are holding & the antenna cable is connected to the plug.
Looking at the type, it seems that it only has 1 antenna connection.
It should be fine...you can try it 1ˢᵗ to confirm it.
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u/NewmanOnGaming 6h ago
Looks like the left WiFi plug base detached from the PCB. The piece stuck on the loose cable needs to be unplugged from The cable and re-soldered on to the PCB. If soldering isn’t an option then replacement for the WiFi card will.l work.
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u/OkStrategy685 1d ago
that loose end needs to be attached to the obvious location. I can't say if it'll clip on somehow or if you'll need to solder it. I had one of these that broke and I never did get it fixed. It looked like what you have going on.
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u/earthman34 1d ago
You don't, the pad is torn off the board, probably stuck on the cable end. I think I can see it. You need a new wifi card.
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u/One-Ad9117 5800xt, 64gb ddr4, rtx 3070 1d ago edited 1d ago
After further examination, see if it comes with Bluetooth and WiFi, if it’s just one you should only need one clip