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Intel AC7250HWR - Best Antenna Solution

Stan_Enzo
Novice
775 Views

Buongiorno,

Attached are images of my current setup; Stock Vaio Wi-Fi antenna + Intel AC 7260HWR. I imagine my current antenna is not designed for dual bands so i'm searching for the best antenna to pair with.
I read in the product specifications this wifi card is not "designed for high gain directional antennas" and the maximum DBI should be 6. So in my search for the most modern antennas I found the options below:

But before we begin, I saw in this post that the AC7260 might be able to support Wi-Fi 6:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000054799/network-and-io/wireless.html
Can anyone confirm if any AC 7260HWR (like the one in the attached image) has ever been tested and successfully connected to Wi-Fi 6?

Now here we go;
I want my configuration to be the most modern solution, meaning the best/most powerful antenna possible within the space constraints behind the bezel. I've been recommended this brand:
https://www.molex.com/molex/products/group/antenna
The have great products and from my reading, I understand for my dual band case, the "IOT Family Antennas" are my only option. (The "Combo Antennas" family are a subset of the IOT, just a repeat of part numbers)
Looking at the DBI values it seems the internal antennas are just as good as the Externals.
I'm just noting that because I thought of removing the plastic sheathing of an external antenna to see of it would fit behind the screen, because i previously thought external antennas were more powerful because of the size difference.
But can anyone confirm/denounce that? That regardless of stated DBI external antennas usually give better reception? Because I still think regardless of the DBI the external would give better reception.
Oh before we go any further, I have no OEM manufacturer to contact as my laptop isn't supported/under by company/entity, Sony no longer owns Vaio and since last November seized any support whatsoever, and the current vaio brand has nothing to do with pre 2014 Vaios (mine is 2012). 
So i hope to receive sincere assistance with no politics involved, please...I'm only writing Intel because it's a newly installed intel product i'm seeking assistance with.
So, which option would you say is the best/most modern/compatible/you would choose?

DBI Values

EXTERNAL:
The hinged
https://www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/2128600001_ANTENNAS.pdf
has Peak Gain DBI = 4.5 @ 5 GHz, 5.3 @ 2.4 GHz
This IPEX
https://www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/2143860001_ANTENNAS.pdf
has Peak Gain DBI = 3.3 @ 5 GHz, 5.2 @ 2.4 GHz

INTERNAL:
This peel n stick flexible 
https://www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/1461530050_ANTENNAS.pdf
is 4.25 @ 5 GHz, 3.2 @ 2.4 GHz
This Screw in PCB 
https://www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/1461870050_ANTENNAS.pdf
is 4.75 @ 5 GHz, 3.4 @ 2.4 GHz


Then there are these special Wi-Fi GNSS combo supporting protocols:
BeiDou, BLE, BT, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS, Thread, Wi-Fi, Wireless Hart, Zigbee

INTERNAL
This peel n stick flexible 
https://www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/1461860050_ANTENNAS.pdf
3.15 @ 1575 MHz, 3.15 @ 2.4 GHz, 4.25 @ 5 GHz, 5.0 @ 3 GHz
This Screw in PCB 
https://www.molex.com/webdocs/datasheets/pdf/en-us/1462200050_ANTENNAS.pdf
2.6 @ 1575 MHz, 3.1 @ 2.4 GHz, 3.8 @ 3 GHz, 4.1 @ 5 GHz


So what I think is important to understand is:
1) All the internals are Wi-Fi 6E, are they still compatible? It's just an addition and doesn't subtract from being Wi-Fi 5 / Intel AC 7260 compatible right?

2) The Combo Wi-Fi/GNSS Antennas go down to "3.15 @ 1575 MHz" is this useless in my case? No benefit?

3) The additional protocols of the Combo Wi-Fi/GNSS Antennas, are they compatible with my AC 7260HWR? Thus useful?

4) What I like about the internal antennas are one is peel and stick the other is screw, and on the inside of my screen cover there's space and options for both rendering any a solution.
But for the external i'm worried that the nut in the hinged external antennas wont make the bezel snap into place, however on the brighter side the IPEX external doesn't seem to have that nut so it might fit.
Because what im thinking is, if the Wi-Fi GNSS Combo internal protocols are useless, and someone confirms regardless of stated DBI external antennas give better reception, then the IPEX external would be the safest/least risky option to potentially loose money on.

Also I don't even know if my current antenna is actually great for dual band.
Any experts out there with any assistance please.

Sincerely,
Stan

 

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1 Solution
Alberto_Sykes
Employee
754 Views

Stan_Enzo, Thank you for posting in the Intel® Communities Support.

 

In reference to this scenario, just to let you know, when you install a wireless card on a laptop that is what is called "Wireless Integration", and the thing about that process is that there are a lot of components that come into play, like for example: board, Wireless card, drivers, PCI adapters antennas and the m.2 ports, all those parts need to be compatible for the proper functionality of the Wireless connection. There is also regulatory information about the "Wireless Integration" that you can verify in the following links:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005687/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005846/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

 

You mentioned, "I have no OEM manufacturer to contact as my laptop isn't supported/under by company/entity, Sony no longer owns Vaio and since last November seized any support whatsoever", but still, they, Sony, will be the only ones that will be able to confirm if the wireless card on their laptop can be replaced and which wireless cards will be compatible with their computer, the create all the customizations for their unit, including Wireless drivers, so they will be the ones to get in contact with in order to confirm the compatibility information:

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support

 

Additionally, regarding the antennas showing in the links that you provided, none of them belong to Intel®, which means we do not have any information about them and in order to gather the details you are looking for the next thing to do will be to get in contact with the manufacturer of them to confirm the specifications you need from each of them.

 

You will be able to see all the Intel® products on our official web site in the link below, in there you can also see the specifications of the Intel® Wireless cards, including the Desktop kits that you can always install but on a desktop computer, not on a laptop. You will be able also to confirm in there also that the model that you gave us "Intel AC7250HWR" is not showing in there neither:

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark.html#@PanelLabel59484 

 

Any questions, please let me know.

 

Regards,

Albert R.

 

Intel Customer Support Technician

 

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3 Replies
Alberto_Sykes
Employee
755 Views

Stan_Enzo, Thank you for posting in the Intel® Communities Support.

 

In reference to this scenario, just to let you know, when you install a wireless card on a laptop that is what is called "Wireless Integration", and the thing about that process is that there are a lot of components that come into play, like for example: board, Wireless card, drivers, PCI adapters antennas and the m.2 ports, all those parts need to be compatible for the proper functionality of the Wireless connection. There is also regulatory information about the "Wireless Integration" that you can verify in the following links:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005687/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005846/network-and-i-o/wireless.html

 

You mentioned, "I have no OEM manufacturer to contact as my laptop isn't supported/under by company/entity, Sony no longer owns Vaio and since last November seized any support whatsoever", but still, they, Sony, will be the only ones that will be able to confirm if the wireless card on their laptop can be replaced and which wireless cards will be compatible with their computer, the create all the customizations for their unit, including Wireless drivers, so they will be the ones to get in contact with in order to confirm the compatibility information:

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support

 

Additionally, regarding the antennas showing in the links that you provided, none of them belong to Intel®, which means we do not have any information about them and in order to gather the details you are looking for the next thing to do will be to get in contact with the manufacturer of them to confirm the specifications you need from each of them.

 

You will be able to see all the Intel® products on our official web site in the link below, in there you can also see the specifications of the Intel® Wireless cards, including the Desktop kits that you can always install but on a desktop computer, not on a laptop. You will be able also to confirm in there also that the model that you gave us "Intel AC7250HWR" is not showing in there neither:

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark.html#@PanelLabel59484 

 

Any questions, please let me know.

 

Regards,

Albert R.

 

Intel Customer Support Technician

 

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Stan_Enzo
Novice
761 Views

Thank you Albert, very professional

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Alberto_Sykes
Employee
743 Views

Stan_Enzo, You are very welcome, thank you very much for your response.


Any other inquiries, do not hesitate to contact us again.


Regards,

Albert R.


Intel Customer Support Technician


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