How to Upgrade your old MacPro’s Wifi and Bluetooth for under $60!
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- This is a LONG one! TIME STAMPS BELOW!!! I had it cut as short as I can while including how much I struggled throughout the upgrade. Links for the upgrade parts also are below. With a little bit of research, buying the parts yourself pretty much cuts this upgrade’s cost by AT LEAST half!
1:26 Unpacking and Overview of Parts
3:47 Opening the MacPro’s lid/side panel
4:22 Inside of MacPro overview
4:35 Releasing CPU and RAM tray
4:57 Project motherboard walkthrough
5:31 Project parts install walkthrough
6:22 New Wifi/BT card connection walkthrough
7:22 Removing old BT Module
8:03 Important BT sidenote
10:12 Motherboard Recap (old BT area after removal)
10:21 Adapter BT cable install
10:58 BT Antenna Cable Extension install
13:48 1st music track to calm your mind
17:30 Antenna Cable clip release discovery
18:40 2nd music track to ease out the struggle
20:21 Tweezers come in to play
22:17 3rd Track!
24:53 Tweezers for the Win!
25:37 Wifi Card Install Start
26:31 Wifi Card Ports Recap
27:07 More pain and agony
28:57 When I gave up and turned off the Camera
28:58 Camera back on and cables are IN then me talking it over
29:51 Card to Adapter install
32:00 Adapter to Motherboard Install
33:10 Cable Management
34:42 CPU Tray goes back in and Lid Goes back on
35:33 Logitech Craft Keyboard side note
36:19 Install confirmation and AirDrop Test
Mini PCI-E Adapter
www.ebay.com/i... - $10.20 Including Shipping
Wifi Card BCM94360CD
amzn.to/2zJZF0q - $37.99
U.fl IPX Male to IPX Female Antenna Cable UFL/u.FL/IPX/IPEX RF Coaxial Extension Cord 23 inch Pack of 2
amzn.to/2Ya9H4r - $7.69
Extras:
Syntus 80 in 1 Precision Screwdriver Set
amzn.to/30V5h2X
Logitech Craft Advanced Wireless Keyboard
amzn.to/3hBN54q
Logitech MX Master 2S
amzn.to/37AE8DV
Music is from Epidemic Sound. Check out their huge library of royalty free music for your projects with the link for a free trial. www.epidemicso... .
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I appreciate you leaving it long and not cutting it down to make it look easy. I feel better prepared if it doesn't go too smoothly for me!!!!!!
Hi Pecator. Thanks for watching! It really is simple and "easy", I guess the technical side of it is. BUT, it really is just physically difficult and challenging and will take a lot of patience. Good luck with your upgrade!
Thank you for not pretending to make this look easy. I've had the parts for months but have held off doing the installation because it is an awkward location and because there's obviously some risk to damage the mother board. Watching you carefully fumble through the process to successful completion gives me the confidence to tackle it... The only thing left for me to decide is the choice of music to calm the process... Really... Thank you...jt
appreciate that @Joeyfotofr! Thanks for watching and goodluck!
Thanks for posting the brutal, uncut version of this install. Would sure be easier "on the bench" but in the end this is still probably less work and time.
Can't bring myself to get rid of the old 5.1 so I'll be doing the mod.
Truly appreciate your "failure is not an option" approach!
Good advice,
The camera focus is to keep hunting every time when the subject is moving. I just have one thing to share that might be useful for video filming at a fixed angle, try using manual mode to lock or fixed focus for the camera lens should get a clear image all the time without focus hunting.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the video. I stepped through it over and over to get this upgrade completed. Those little connectors are a pain in the butt to get on.
Glad it helped!!! And yes! They were a PAIN!!!
I did this exact thing to my 3,1 and it was so god damn fiddly getting those connectors in for the antennae. Good work!
Thanks Will!
@@ArbieIgnacio Youre welcome! Also props for also keeping an old mac from landfill!
Thanks! I have been wondering the definitions about the four connectors on the WIFI card. And I should have read your video before placing orders for the parts which do not fit the need. You sharing would save me a lot of time later.
Thank you for taking the time to put this together. What has been your experience with this product. Amazon reviews were mixed so I thought I would check if you were still having good performance. I would love to get airdrop on my 5,1.
Hi @newt44, the upgrade has been pretty good. I definitely love having AirDrop! No issues there. Only thing was when I first installed the upgrade, I was able to connect my Logitech mouse and Keyboard and AirPods to the BT all at the same time, which was one of my goals. I wanted to eliminate using the Logi dongle and free up a usb port. For some reason after a few days, the AirPods started having connectivity issues and I think static. So now I'm back using the dongle for the mouse and keyboard. That kinda sucks but it's ok. The AirPods are still connecting better than before the upgrade. I used to have to forget the AirPods and reconnect everytime but not anymore! So it's still a win. Maybe if I got the 5.0 card that would actually better to support my keyboard, mouse and AirPods. But I think at the time, I couldn't find a 5.0 card by itself, they were always in a kit that was more than I was willing to pay.
Haven't had any issues with wifi. I was actually planning on staying wired up but until I had to use my cable for my work PC instead, I was kinda forced to be on wifi. Connections are stable, no issues. Of course you'll see a drop on speeds on speedtest compared to wired, but I don't notice it in real life.
So yah, overall, aside from still having to use the Logitech usb dongle, I'm happy. Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!
Awesome, I ordered everything today hopefully I have some patience like you did :) thanks.
Goodluck!
Thanks for the video! A bit long but the music was soothing. I just ordered a kit through Amazon but it appears that the seller includes the power cable NOT soldered to the PCIe adapter, so I'm gonna have to do it myself.
How did your install go?
You forgot to put the two smaller screws in the adapter that hold the module to the adapter.
Good catch! I rewatched it, because I did remember trying to screw something together (32:27) but I remember that it doesn't fit. I tried to screw together the adaptor to the motherboard where the included screw didn't fit. But now, I see that maybe the screw was meant for the module to the adaptor. I'll try to find the screw and when I have the chance I'll screw them together. But honestly, I've had no issues since the install, so it shouldn't really matter, but yah thanks for pointing it out!
Hi, have the same card installed and my 5.1 sees the card in system report, but no network is showing up. what could be wrong? Monterey installed with opencore. Thanks!
1.25 x it's perfect!
Great video! Tried clicking on the link above to purchase the Mini PCI-E adapter like the one you have, but link no longer works. Looking to buy one with power already attached. Thanks.
Hi Euro Flipn. Thanks! So sorry the item on the link is already gone. I probably should edit that. I did a quick search on Ebay and I didn't really see anything similar as of now. If I run into one, I'll let you know! Thanks for watching!
@@ArbieIgnacio Here is a link to one on Amazon www.amazon.com/Wireless-Converter-Adapter-BCM94360CD-BCM94331CSAX/dp/B0925CNRN2/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=Mini+PCI-E+Adapter+for+BCM94360CD%2FBCM94331CD&qid=1626286393&s=electronics&sr=1-13
Very helpful! Question, what wide monitor are you using here?🤔
Hi! Thanks! This is the Dell 49" U4919DW! It's pretty sweet! You should see Starcraft 2 on it! Thanks for watching!
Hey @Arbielgnacio, thanks for the video finally a normal priced solution. I'm curious btw, is this card also supported to the latest Mac OS'es? Because some of them don't. And how did you find which cards work? Thanks again!
Hi Armando, when I was planning the upgrade, I went through a couple of forums and groups. It seemed that OSXWIFI.com was a reliable store too. I then searched for the parts separately and found that I can get them cheaper although it requires some patience. As of now, it says that the model I have is also compatible with Catalina, but I didn't see anything about Big Sur. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching!
@@ArbieIgnacio Have you found the one for big sur ? will it work and get it cheaper
Thank you for making the video, QQ, How far away from you Mac Pro can you go before your bluetooth signal drops? Thanks.
Hi Louis, sorry for the delay. I could walk away to the other end of the house at about 20ft. It does kinda start to drop a bit already. That's between 1 door. I seldom do it though so I literally just tried it for you! Have a good one!
@@ArbieIgnacio Thank you 🙏🏼
Is it necessary to remove the old Bluetooth card from its socket. Or is that socket just a holder with no connections ?
Hi! Looks like you can leave it where it is. You just have to disconnect the 4 pin connector and leave it there. It's just a sticky putty that it holding it in place after you disconnect the connections. Only thing is, even though it's such a small part, it might still take space for when you are trying to connect the antenna cable. You will need all the space you can get when connecting the antenna extension cable. But yes, if you want, you can leave it. It won't hurt and at least you won't lose it. Thanks for watching!
Hi, thanks for the useful tutorial. have you noticed any lagging issues? Do both bluetooth keyboard and mouse work fine? I have the same Mac but mine is a dual cpu 12 core. I'm on Mojave as well. I'd like to to this upgrade because I still have the old 2.0 bluetooth and using logitech mouse + keyboard it's a total pain! I'd really appreciate your answer, thank you!
Hi Federico. Yes, my Logitech Craft and Master MX 2S connect a lot better with the new bluetooth compared to when I had the old BT. However, I have not tested it long term because when the keyboard and mouse are connected via BT, my AirPods doesn't connect very well. I would rather have a stable connection with my AirPods, so now I'm still using the logi usb receiver. Not sure if a BT 5.0 card will solve this issue. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have other questions.
In my experience, the antenna improvement alone did a LOT in that regard.
hi, would you be able to tell me all the options I have? I have high sierra and a 5,1 early 2009 mac pro
Idk what's a better card vs a worse card than the one I have. I have :
Software Versions:
CoreWLAN: 13.0 (1350.2)
CoreWLANKit: 13.0 (1350.2)
Menu Extra: 13.0 (1370.4)
System Information: 12.0 (1300.1)
IO80211 Family: 12.0 (1200.12.2)
Diagnostics: 1.0 (805)
AirPort Utility: 6.3.8 (638.9)
Interfaces:
en1:
Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x14E4, 0x111)
Firmware Version: Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (7.77.37.33.1a1)
MAC Address: c8:e0:eb:4e:c8:c7
Locale: FCC
Country Code: X0
Supported PHY Modes: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Supported Channels: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140, 144, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165
Wake On Wireless: Supported
AirDrop: Supported
AirDrop Channel: 0
Auto Unlock: Supported
Status: Connected
Hi Domenic. We have the same Mac Pro. Not really sure how I can help. So it looks like you already have one installed? Are you having problems with it? At the very least that I can see, your card already supports 802.11 ac, which would be the best you can get right now. I don't think there's a card for us that supports 802.11 ax (Wifi 6). If you can get a card that has Bluetooth 5.0 that will be you better choice. Mine is only 4.0, I'm having issues when I have my Airpods, Logitech Craft Keyboard and MX Master mouse connected at the same time via bluetooth, so I'm curious if a 5.0 could resolve my issue. But aside from that, my card really performs. Hope that helped. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
@@ArbieIgnacio wait so this works on a 2010 5,1 ?
thanks for share !!! I wanna to upgrade my macpro 5.1 too., could I install a PCIE wifi/bluetooth card and keep the original wifi /bt parts on the mac? because I headache on hardware and sure I would do something wrong!..
Hi there! Thanks for watching! In regards to a PCIe card, I honestly am not sure. I personally didn't want to go that route so I didn't even research it. I have seen a couple of people use them though, they may possibly provide better connection because of external antennas on some, I just personally don't like the look. I wanted my Mac to look as how it is originally. That is at least my perspective. Let me know what you ended up doing and how it went! Goodluck!
@@ArbieIgnacio yup , keep the mac in originally look is important to most mac user , me too :) actually , i tend to yr view and which keep the pcie slot free. anyway, Thanks for nice reply!!
Did you put thunderbolt in I have it running
Hi! No, I didn't install Thunderbolt yet. How did your install go?
Is BCM94360CD still working with no issues for WiFi and BT on Big Sur and Monterey?
Hey! I’m not sure. I think I have mine on Mojave and am not planning of hacking my way to upgrading it. There’s a MacPro users group on fb though that may know. Thanks for watching!
I updated this so I now have Bluetooth 4.0 SMART, but still I can’t pair my Logitech mouse and keyboard to the computer. Original Apple Magic Keyboard can be paired but not Logitech Craft or the Logitech MX Master 3. Do they require even higher version, maybe 5.0?
Hi! I have the same keyboard but my mouse is an MX2S. I remember I was able to connect them both on Bluetooth, but the problem was my AirPods was getting interference. So I just went back to the Logitech transmitter. I'll check again tomorrow to confirm and let you know. Thanks for watching!
Hi again! Sorry for the delay. I'm now typing this message on my Logitech Craft that is paired via Bluetooth and not with the Logitech dongle. My MX2S mouse is also connected. But it does create issues when I pair up my AirPods. The audio from AirPods just keeps cutting out but the keyboard and mouse, no issues. Perhaps 5.0 will help with the AirPods issue. Hope this helps! Have a great day and thanks for watching!
@@ArbieIgnacio Thank you! I have bought an Bluetooth-dongle with USB 5.0 and with MacOS-support, but no change. I couldn’t even pair the original keyboard with it. Nothing worked. At first Bluetooth didn’t work at all when I plugged it in to the USB 2.0-port, I guess it was too weak power. I tried one port on my pcie-card an then it worked.
I have replace wifi & bluetooth module but wifi cannot connect to computer.
@Alam, Hi! What do you mean? Are you at least seeing your wifi SSID?
What year is this MacPro? I have a 2009, and bought the New Apple Airport Extreme BCM94322MC Wireless WiFi Card for All Mac Pro MB988Z/A. Why would I need the bluetooth connection?
Hi Kristine, sorry for the delayed response. My MacPro is an early 2009 4, 1 that I upgraded to 5, 1. I had to look up the card that you have. I'm not sure why they are labeling this as "New". Maybe they just mean "new" as in "not used" but not as "new version/technology". The BCM94322MC, which you have only supports up to 802.11n and not the current widely used standard 802.11ac. The latest and greatest 802.11ax (wifi 6) is another topic. Your card might actually be the card that came with the MacPros that would initially come with wifi, not entirely sure though. Anyway, you would need Bluetooth for AirDrop, other bluetooth devices like speakers, AirPods, Keyboard and Mouse. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions! Thanks for watching!
what is the part number
macOS WiFi Card BCM94360CD. I'll update in the description too. Thanks!
@@ArbieIgnacio Thanks
...and attaching that antenna wire to the Bluetooth wire is near impossible unless you have the hands of a small Asian child
Which I already do! It was still a B! LOL