Toshiba T230 and Dell 1397 MiniPCI Wireless Card: compatible?

idoit

Honorable
Mar 29, 2013
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0
10,510
Hi,

I have a Toshiba T230-01H laptop and tried to replace the original MiniPCI wireless card (which works perfectly) with this one: Broadcom BCM94312HMG.

I replaced it without an issue, but when I turn the laptop on and boot to windows there is no WiFi network detected. Weirdly enough, it is detected in the Device Manager (shows as Dell 1397 Broadcom WiFi Mini Card) which seems right, but the main culprit is that the WiFi LED in front of laptop doesn't turn on at all!!! Is this WiFi card incompatible with the motherboard? Well, if it was it shouldn't even show up in the Device Manager, right?

If I switch back to the original MiniPCI card, it all works again, but I want the new card. Thanks for your help.
 
Solution
If it's not approved by the laptop manufacturer it won't work.

You have to contact Toshiba and ask them which wireless adapters are approved for use on their laptops (doesn't apply to external devices of course, only internal components).