A simple solution that allows you to upgrade your Unibody MacBook Pro wireless card to meet today's standards.
This GitHub page contains schematics and models that you can use to buid your very own WiFi card to upgrade an Apple unibody MacBook Pro! (Not ready yet, but is coming soon.) Macbooks manufactured prior to the 2nd half of 2012 like the 2011 MacBook Pro 15 inch include a WiFi + Bluetooth card that is considered to be lacking in functionality compared to today's standards. WiFi speed on these older cards top out at 450Mbps, which is a lot less than what most wireless routers are capable of today. In addition, the Bluetooth version is 3.0 on all models manufactured prior to 2012, something that may become problematic with newer devices and AirDrop.
Tthe Universal Adapter for all MacBooks is available for download and fabrication by downloadin the zip fle in the releases section. Upload it to JLCPCB and select the options that suit you best, such as your desired PCB thickness, PCB color, and specify the order number location so that it is printed where it's not visible.
Well if you're like me and don't want to shell out a lot of money for one of Apple's new offerings, this upgrade can allow you to hold on to your MacBook for longer. With this upgrade, you get a newer version of Bluetooth 4 which allows you to use AirDrop and connect to most modern devices. You also get a much faster WiFi unit which can allow you to achieve speeds of over 1 Gigabit and take full potential of your home network. The improvements:
- Access to 802.11 AC WiFi for speeds up to 1.3Gbps
- Up to Bluetooth 4.2 for improved range and speeds, as well as compatibility with more devices
- Newer technology, which means lower power consumption and better efficiency.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Distribution and modification of this project without giving proper credits is not allowed. For commercial usage of this project, the express permission of the project maintainer is necessary.
