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Hardware Installation of Intel AC8265 Bluetooth, WiFi Wireless Adapter with Antennas

JS57
Beginner
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Hi, I am trying to install my new Intel AC8265 Bluetooth, WiFi Wireless Adapter onto my ASUS motherboard. The problem is with the two tiny Antenna connectors on the AC8265 module. These seem to be designed to take two Molex - PCB 4G (LTE), WiFi (Dual Band) Antennas with the MHF4 connector.

However, try as I might to clip these MHF4 connectors to the small antenna nodes, a secure connection is unobtainable, and they fall apart.

Is there a way of fitting them that achieves a secure connection?

Also do I need to fit an antenna to both antenna nodes, or will just one of the two be sufficient for a good WiFi signal?

Any advice would be great.

JS57

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12 Replies
n_scott_pearson
Super User
2,366 Views

I have been doing this for a number of years now and I still struggle with it every single time. Sometimes it goes on right away, sometimes it takes dozens of tries. Don't push so hard that you bend the connector. 

Sorry I didn't have a better answer,

...S

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JS57
Beginner
2,353 Views
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LeonWaksman
Super User
2,358 Views

Hi @JS57 

You will prefer two antennas. Both antenna connectors are used for Wi-Fi supporting 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. In addition the connector 1 (Aux) supports also Bluetooth.

My advice is to connect both antennas while the WiFi card is not installed yet. Please see the video clips:

Video 1

Video 2.

Leon

 

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JS57
Beginner
2,351 Views

Hi Leon,

Thank you for that advice, and the two video clips are really useful. My molex antenna cables are just intended to be internal with no external aerial. I see in the video the cables terminate in "SMA" type connectors, that in turn can be connected externally to larger aerials on the back of the desktop.

My ASUS motherboard does not have a back-panel I/O connector bracket for such SMA aerial connectors to be attached to. Do you know if there is a similar SMA connector for the two external aerials, which is designed for one of the Expansion Slots (i.e. just a simple blank Expansion plate with two holes for the SMA connectors to allow the outside aerials to be fastened)?

John

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LeonWaksman
Super User
2,348 Views

Hi John,

Sorry, I don't know about bracket with holes. There are antennas cable for external antennas

Leon

 

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JS57
Beginner
2,344 Views

Thank you Leon. I have now found that there are Expansion slot brackets with antenna holes (e.g. below), so my question as answered.

Thanks again,

John

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Full-Height-2-Hole-Rear-Bracket-Desktop-Case-Panel-for-WiFi-Antenna-RP-SMA-Cable-/254379040689

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JS57
Beginner
2,324 Views

Hi,

Does anyone know what antenna connector size is required for the antenna nodes on the AC8265? The literature says MHF4, but having tried MHF4, I can see that the diameter of the connector nodes and stand-off height is too small to mate with the antenna nodes on the AC8265.

Maybe the antenna connectors should be MHF3 or MHF2? They are not MHF/MHF1, as I have tried these and they are too large to mate properly.

John

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LeonWaksman
Super User
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JS57
Beginner
2,304 Views

Hi Leon,

Thanks. MHF4 seems to have different "mates". The first MHF4 connector I tried had a very low or nil stand-off height, so there was no depth to the connector that could mate with the male aerial node. Eventually I tried a Link Electronics MHF4 to SMA cable that has a deeper profile to the MHF4 connector. One click and it had mated with the Intel WiFi PCB aerial, no problem.

Slightly frustrating that there are different "mating" profiles within the MHF4 standard, that Intel does not mention in the data sheet, causing additional expense while I tried a couple of different ones that are meant to be the same standard.

Thanks for your help anyway, and have a good weekend.

John

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LeonWaksman
Super User
2,298 Views

Hi John,

I'm glad that your problem is solved.

Regards

Leon

 

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jbern28
Beginner
2,257 Views

Hello

I am looking at the thread and I have a related question regarding the antenna on the AC 8265.

I purchased and installed the card. No problem. it was delivered with a single small antenna with a single wire that divides on the connectors side into 2 connectors that connect to the wi-fi card. Onve installed the product worked right away.

With this installed configuration I reach about 100Mbits per seconds on the 5GHz network. 5G Signal has 3 bars, not the maximum which would be 4 bars.

The question is the following : If I were to replace the single small antenna with 2 so-called 6dB antenna should I expect an improved signal and therefore an improved network speed ?

In fact I don't have the characteristics of this small dual antenna which about 3 inches high.

Thanks in advance for the advice

 

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JS57
Beginner
2,239 Views

Hi,

I found which MHF connector mated properly with the WiFi card. However, I do not know about different antenna wires and connection speeds.

Sorry that I cannot help on this.

John

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