Ethernet adapter in an M.2 Key slot of a notebook motherboard [Solved]

[olimexsmart]

Hi to everyone,

I've built this home server last year from a destroyed Lenovo laptop (the motherboard is just like this one on eBay).

 

My problem is that the onboard Ethernet port is only 100Mbit. For the last year I've been using a USB Gigabit Ethernet adapter connected to the only USB3 port, it works fine, but I find it kind unsatisfying every time I look at it, the project seems incomplete.

 

Recently I discovered the existence oh Ethernet adapters that can be connected to M.2 slots (like this one on Amazon). My idea is to connect one of these where the WLAN card originally was, now empty.

 

Do you think it can work? My biggest doubt are the different "Keys" of M.2 slots, I think that the slot on the motherboard is a "Key E", but I'm not sure.

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestion

[Applefreak]

2 minutes ago, olimexsmart said:

Hi to everyone,

I've built this home server last year from a destroyed Lenovo laptop (the motherboard is just like this one on eBay).

 

My problem is that the onboard Ethernet port is only 100Mbit. For the last year I've been using a USB Gigabit Ethernet adapter connected to the only USB3 port, it works fine, but I find it kind unsatisfying every time I look at it, the project seems incomplete.

 

Recently I discovered the existence oh Ethernet adapters that can be connected to M.2 slots (like this one on Amazon). My idea is to connect one of these where the WLAN card originally was, now empty.

 

Do you think it can work? My biggest doubt are the different "Keys" of M.2 slots, I think that the slot on the motherboard is a "Key E", but I'm not sure.

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestion

Laptop BIOSes are locked down. Unless the device was in a list of Vendor IDs in the latest version of said BIOS, you probably cannot get it to work properly. Also you need a driver to work as the motherboard will not automatically detect the device as a network card.

 

From what I can tell, your unit doesn't even have a M.2 interface. It only ships with SATA.

[olimexsmart]

Just be sure I understood you well you can find attached two pictures of where the WLAN card was connected and how it looked like

 

[Kilrah]

This is Mini PCI, not m.2.

 

Does look like mini pci ethernet cards exist though.

[olimexsmart]

Interesting, thus an adapter like this could make more sense?

[Kilrah]

Yep looks like it.

[Isuck Assimov]

just get a 20€ realtek mini pcie gigabit ethernet card off amazon and test it. You can always return it if there are no compatible drivers or it's locked out

[Skipple]

3 hours ago, Applefreak said:

Laptop BIOSes are locked down. Unless the device was in a list of Vendor IDs in the latest version of said BIOS, you probably cannot get it to work properly.

Two things:

1. Not always. For example I can put a 2240 SATA m.2 in my WWAN slot on my Thinkpad.
2. If this is in fact a Thinkpad motherboard, custom BIOS may exist for it. The community around unlocking and modify these BIOSes, especially ones that are locked in that fashion, is great.

[olimexsmart]

27 minutes ago, Skipple said:

Two things:

1. Not always. For example I can put a 2240 SATA m.2 in my WWAN slot on my Thinkpad.
2. If this is in fact a Thinkpad motherboard, custom BIOS may exist for it. The community around unlocking and modify these BIOSes, especially ones that are locked in that fashion, is great.

I've found this Lenovo blog post where they talk about upgrading the stock WiFi to something newer and it seems that indeed it hasn't a locked BIOS.

 

Just bought the card linked before, will let you know next week if it works, thanks y'all BTW

[olimexsmart]

IT WORKS

*insert here Rami Malek GIF with hands in the air*

 

Will add some 3D brackets to hold it in place. God this thing is jankie, but I love it (clearly The IKEA effect)

 

Thanks to everyone for the help!

[Kilrah]

Wow it's been a while since I've seen a keyboard condom...

[olimexsmart]

3 hours ago, Kilrah said:

Wow it's been a while since I've seen a keyboard condom...

I mean.. it was included in the box, you have to use it, it's free after all