Wireless module not installed

[m16ali]

Hey,

 

I have an HP Victus 16 (4H2B4EA#ABU) which I can't seem to connect to any wireless network. I had given it for a warranty claim and now that it's back, it's original issue with the screen is resolved but I'm unable to use the wifi feature. I first tried reinstalling windows from scratch to rule out any driver problems. Then I tried running some BIOS tests which report that the wireless network module is not installed. I took that to mean the wifi card is not installed so I opened the laptop back to see if I could locate the wifi card and it is indeed there and has a cable going to it that's supposed to connect to it. Further, since I mentioned that I got the item back after a warranty claim, the QA passed list provided with the machine says the wireless connectivity was tested and worked just fine. My only guess at the moment is that the wifi card isn't working but if there is something I can try to narrow the problem down, ideally on the software side of the things, please do let me know.

 

Thanks!

 

EDIT 1: Bluetooth is also not available.

Edited November 12, 2023 by m16ali

[Donut417]

4 minutes ago, m16ali said:

I can try to narrow the problem down, ideally on the software side of the things, please do let me know.

 

If it were me, Id crack that bad boy open and check to ensure the WiFi adapter is properly seated in the slot. Could have come loose during shipping.

[m16ali]

3 hours ago, Donut417 said:

If it were me, Id crack that bad boy open and check to ensure the WiFi adapter is properly seated in the slot. Could have come loose during shipping.

I'd agree with you, except HP in all their wisdom settled on a layout where the wifi card sits UNDER one of the head pipes, so it really couldn't be lose. Also, this means if I need to replace it, I'd have to remove the heatsink and redo the thermal paste and all so I'd like to avoid that step if that's at all possible.

[Donut417]

10 minutes ago, m16ali said:

wifi card sits UNDER one of the head pipes

Does it show up in Device manager? If not then its probably not seated properly. Therefor no amount of software fuckery will fix it. Because software only works if the computer can actually see the that the hardware is installed.

[m16ali]

3 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Does it show up in Device manager? If not then its probably not seated properly. Therefor no amount of software fuckery will fix it. Because software only works if the computer can actually see the that the hardware is installed.

It does not, and also not in the BIOS. I have verified that it's seated and has that cable connected to it, it's just that I can't remove it from the slot and put it back in place again because of the heatpipe situation.

[Echothedolpin]

Some laptop manufacturers have Wi-Fi antenna extensions from the card up the sides of the screen. Is it possible they didn’t reconnect/damaged the wires when fixing the screen?
 

This is might be old info as I haven’t dealt with laptop Wi-Fi antenna placement in about 10 years. 

[Donut417]

6 hours ago, m16ali said:

It does not, and also not in the BIOS. I have verified that it's seated and has that cable connected to it, it's just that I can't remove it from the slot and put it back in place again because of the heatpipe situation.

You have a few options. 

 

1) Contact HP and tell them they did a piss poor job of the repair and demand they fix this issue. Ive never dealt with HP for RMA's but other companies I have dealt with made me pay to ship to them, so you might be out money and who knows how long it will take. 

 

2) Bite the bullet and just pull the damn heatsink assembly and remove and reinsert the card. 

 

3) Buy a USB WiFi adapter. 

 

4) Use Ethernet. 

[Falcon1986]

5 hours ago, Echothedolpin said:

Some laptop manufacturers have Wi-Fi antenna extensions from the card up the sides of the screen. Is it possible they didn’t reconnect/damaged the wires when fixing the screen?
 

This is might be old info as I haven’t dealt with laptop Wi-Fi antenna placement in about 10 years. 

Antenna are still mounted in most laptop screens. But even if one of the cables or the antenna itself were defective, the adapter would still work and be identified within Windows, although not work as well.

 

8 hours ago, m16ali said:

It does not, and also not in the BIOS. I have verified that it's seated and has that cable connected to it, it's just that I can't remove it from the slot and put it back in place again because of the heatpipe situation.

If the laptop is still under warranty and you're willing to deal with a few days/weeks without it, send it back to HP so they can fix it. The last thing you might want to do is damage something for which the warranty won't cover repairs. Furthermore, it sounds like HP themselves might have unintentionally messed something up, so they should fix it at no cost to you.

 

On the other hand, as @Donut417 suggested, use USB or ethernet if you don't want to deal with HP anymore.

[Echothedolpin]

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

Antenna are still mounted in most laptop screens. But even if one of the cables or the antenna itself were defective, the adapter would still work and be identified within Windows, although not work as well.

 

Ah that’s true, excellent point!

[kirashi]

18 hours ago, m16ali said:

I had given it for a warranty claim and now that it's back, it's original issue with the screen is resolved but I'm unable to use the wifi feature. I first tried reinstalling windows from scratch to rule out any driver problems. Then I tried running some BIOS tests which report that the wireless network module is not installed.

14 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Does it show up in Device manager? If not then its probably not seated properly. Therefor no amount of software fuckery will fix it. Because software only works if the computer can actually see the that the hardware is installed.

What @Donut417 noted about software being unable to fix a hardware issue is entirely true. Also, regardless of the warranty center's "tests," the WiFi card stopped working after they performed their work, so it's their responsibility to fix this, even if it occurred as a result of shipping.

 

You can either try re-seating the WiFi card, even though you mention this might be a lot of work due to how the laptop was manufactured, or you can contact whomever did the warranty work to ask them why the WiFi stopped working right after they performed their work.

[m16ali]

Sorry for going AWOL.

I think I'll just try and replace the wifi adapter, that's the only thing I can think of that can fix the issue. Can you guys please suggest the exact model of the Intel or Realtek wifi adapter that should be compatible with my machine? 

 

Thanks

[Falcon1986]

On 11/17/2023 at 4:31 AM, m16ali said:

Sorry for going AWOL.

I think I'll just try and replace the wifi adapter, that's the only thing I can think of that can fix the issue. Can you guys please suggest the exact model of the Intel or Realtek wifi adapter that should be compatible with my machine? 

 

Thanks

Open the case. Look at the existing WiFi adapter (it's not hidden and easily removable) and see what's written on the sticker. Likely something from Realtek.

[m16ali]

On 11/18/2023 at 11:01 PM, Falcon1986 said:

Open the case. Look at the existing WiFi adapter (it's not hidden and easily removable) and see what's written on the sticker. Likely something from Realtek.

It very much is hidden, I mentioned it being under a heat pipe. If I could just read the label I would have, but it wouldn't help with determining the Intel one that's compatible with my machine anyway since it comes with a Realtek one.