WIFI adapter not recognized

TKW · 05 Jan 2020

I tried upgrading WIFI on an old Lenovo 3000 N200, by adding Intel AX200NGW, an adapter like this and antenna adapters. Also flashed a BIOS with supposedly whitelist check removed.
Now, in Windows 10 32bit, I get in Control Panel 2 unrecognized entries, but Windows would not find any drivers/updates. Installing the WiFi_21.60.2_Driver32_Win10 driver from intel, it gives no error, says done (very quickly), but nothing changes. I also tried removing, reinstalling and rebooting, but nothing changed. Also tried factory BIOS, no change.
Had an old Intel card before. What/why can it be?
Any idea?
Thanks in advance!

Berton · 05 Jan 2020

I've never been successful in replacing the internal Wi-Fi adapter especially with older Notebooks so go with offerings such as seen here:
Robot Check
The 802.11ac would be the fastest but the Router would have to be the same.

I do the same with the times the Bluetooth part of the adapter [where equipped] dies, use a USB dongle. And since the BT doesn't actually need the Wi-Fi it works on most any computer.

TKW · 06 Jan 2020

Why would it not work for you? Did you have the same result sometimes, or only

different results?

I actually wanted to replace both Bluetooth and WIFI, but none work. Any

special way to do the Bluetooth upgrade (as the old one remains inside)?

Any way to find an error code for the failure installing drivers? I also tried with Intel's assistant – it finds the right WIFI and Bluetooth, adds buttons to download and install them, but the install goes exactly the same way as above.

Compumind · 06 Jan 2020

@TKW -

I have an HP system with a Broadcom Wireless-N radio socketed (removable) to the motherboard.

When I wanted to go to Wireless-AC, I simply disabled the internal wireless device in Network and Internet and attached the new Wireless-AC adapter to a USB 3.0 port.
Then I installed the vendor driver and configuration software, rebooted and have been very happy ever since.

Here is what I used but other vendors use the same principle -

https://www.linksys.com/us/p/P-WUSB6400M/

No Bluetooth.

Hope this helps you a bit.