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Stageshoot

macrumors regular
Oct 2, 2013
125
49
Central UK
Hi

Just purchased the PCIe Bluetooth/Wifi card in the link below

Has anyone used this successfully in a MP 4.1 to get the full OS handoff features etc

The listing refers to using it in a hackintosh rather than a full Mac

A bit concerned about the 9 pin USB header referred to is there one available on the MP board.

Link to item

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MBP25UK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Just an update I purchased on of the above cards and it works 100% perfect out of the box

Bluetooth 4.0 LE and AC wifi straight away

Absolute bargain I think for £39

Now may handoff etc all work fine and am ready for Sierra
 

barry.pearson

macrumors member
Jan 26, 2016
86
29
England
Just an update I purchased on of the above cards and it works 100% perfect out of the box

Bluetooth 4.0 LE and AC wifi straight away

Absolute bargain I think for £39

Now may handoff etc all work fine and am ready for Sierra

Hi just wondering if you have had any trouble with this card, I was really tempted to pick one up last week but couldn't find any information on whether it only worked in Hackintosh systems or in a MacPro too. Every time I'm looking for ways to add wifi and upgrade the bluetooth in my cMP4,1 I seem to be pushed towards solutions that cost £100+!
 

Stageshoot

macrumors regular
Oct 2, 2013
125
49
Central UK
Hi just wondering if you have had any trouble with this card, I was really tempted to pick one up last week but couldn't find any information on whether it only worked in Hackintosh systems or in a MacPro too. Every time I'm looking for ways to add wifi and upgrade the bluetooth in my cMP4,1 I seem to be pushed towards solutions that cost £100+!

The card is great all features work,

It came supplied with a USB lead with 9 pins on it for boot power to the bluetooth, but there is no connector inside the mac pro, so I swapped it for a standard USB lead and routed it out to a USB socket on the outside of the machine. I am sure you could do it internally but I was not confident messing around looking for internal power.

But for £39 its great Handoff, Continuity Calls etc all work straight away now.

Images show power lead for Boot Bluetooth rerouted out of case

card1.jpg


Card2.jpg
 
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barry.pearson

macrumors member
Jan 26, 2016
86
29
England
@Stageshoot Thank you for the quick reply and the images, I wasn't actually aware that there was an opening for the USB cable until I saw your image. That's now been added to my basket :)
 

nigelbb

macrumors 65816
Dec 22, 2012
1,150
273
Just an update I purchased on of the above cards and it works 100% perfect out of the box

Bluetooth 4.0 LE and AC wifi straight away

Absolute bargain I think for £39

Now may handoff etc all work fine and am ready for Sierra
This looks a great find especially given the very iffy Bluetooth on the cMP having external aerials seems a great idea but of course this presupposes that you have a spare PCIe slot.
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
This looks a great find especially given the very iffy Bluetooth on the cMP having external aerials seems a great idea but of course this presupposes that you have a spare PCIe slot.

Yes, so, e.g. Slot

1. GPU
2. PCIe SSD
3. USB 3.0 / eSATA
4. This WiFi / BT card

It seems a pretty good way to fully utilise the 4 slots.
 

Stageshoot

macrumors regular
Oct 2, 2013
125
49
Central UK
@Stageshoot Thank you for the quick reply and the images, I wasn't actually aware that there was an opening for the USB cable until I saw your image. That's now been added to my basket :)

The only Mod you need is the little hacksaw cut on the backplate so it can be twisted slightly to get the cable in then twsited back into place.

Yes, so, e.g. Slot

1. GPU
2. PCIe SSD
3. USB 3.0 / eSATA
4. This WiFi / BT card

It seems a pretty good way to fully utilise the 4 slots.

YES I have mine as

1: GTX980
2: GT120 (For Boot Screen)
3: 500GB SSD on PCIe Card
4: Wifi/Bluetooth Card

Just debating dropping the GTX120 as I dont really need the boot screen that much, but its handy having it

Not decided if best to keep the GT120 in all the time, or I will get a longer life out of it if I just install it when needed for updates etc
 

leon771

macrumors regular
Sep 17, 2011
213
56
Australia
I've just received the Chinese kit as recommended above.
As I suspected the usb connector supplies is a 9 pin and not the same as the small 4 pin connector on the 5,1 and 4,1 backplane board.
Not sure what to do as I don't know how to make connectors. They supply a cable with bare wires which I could use to try and make a 4 pun connector. Just need to source the correct one.
 

xnathanh

macrumors member
Mar 11, 2016
37
7
irvine
BCM94360CD:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Broa...1672716461.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.54.0mJ3YQ

BT cable extend:
http://www.data-alliance.net/u-fl-e...-to-u-fl-female-18-inch-2ft-28-inch-low-loss/

Adapter for BCM94360CD :
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVVI4Y8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


easy to install for 2010 mac pro5,1, but i only can see buletooth,can't find wifi hardware, anyone know why?
i use old buletooth to test BT extend cable is working.
dont know how to test bcm9436cd and adapter.
 

leon771

macrumors regular
Sep 17, 2011
213
56
Australia
BCM94360CD:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Broa...1672716461.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.54.0mJ3YQ

BT cable extend:
http://www.data-alliance.net/u-fl-e...-to-u-fl-female-18-inch-2ft-28-inch-low-loss/

Adapter for BCM94360CD :
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVVI4Y8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


easy to install for 2010 mac pro5,1, but i only can see buletooth,can't find wifi hardware, anyone know why?
i use old buletooth to test BT extend cable is working.
dont know how to test bcm9436cd and adapter.

How did you connect USB power cable to backplane board?
I just bought this kit and the supplied 9 pin cable is different to the 4 pin connector in the Mac Pro.
 

xnathanh

macrumors member
Mar 11, 2016
37
7
irvine
How did you connect USB power cable to backplane board?
I just bought this kit and the supplied 9 pin cable is different to the 4 pin connector in the Mac Pro.
the adapter i bought with 4 TO 2 pin connector,easy to install
[doublepost=1468441172][/doublepost]
How did you connect USB power cable to backplane board?
I just bought this kit and the supplied 9 pin cable is different to the 4 pin connector in the Mac Pro.
upload_2016-7-13_13-19-6.png
 
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leon771

macrumors regular
Sep 17, 2011
213
56
Australia
So you've spliced wires and made your own connector?

I can see where your putting the white connector into the adapter but I'm confused by the picture on what you're doing to connect to backplane.

It looks like the bare wires of cable 1 are going to USB connector of cable 2, then white connector of cable 2 is going to backplane board.

Is this correct?
 

xnathanh

macrumors member
Mar 11, 2016
37
7
irvine
So you've spliced wires and made your own connector?

I can see where your putting the white connector into the adapter but I'm confused by the picture on what you're doing to connect to backplane.

It looks like the bare wires of cable 1 are going to USB connector of cable 2, then white connector of cable 2 is going to backplane board.

Is this correct?
 

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rGiskard

macrumors 68000
Aug 9, 2012
1,800
955
So you've spliced wires and made your own connector?

I can see where your putting the white connector into the adapter but I'm confused by the picture on what you're doing to connect to backplane.

It looks like the bare wires of cable 1 are going to USB connector of cable 2, then white connector of cable 2 is going to backplane board.

Is this correct?

It will work but the pin pitch of the logic board header is a little wider than the pitch of the little two pin connector. I also had to solder the two cables together because the tinned wires wouldn't "plug" into the 9 position female USB plug.

I think I found the appropriate connector for the logic board USB header. After it arrives from China and I test it I'll post a source.


This is the u.fl to rp-SMA cable I use. I mount the rp-SMA connector to a PCIe plate (either a blank or one with room - mine is on a PCIe SSD adapter). Then a BT antenna attaches directly or one can connect an rp-SMA extension base to enable even better placement.
 
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zoomfinder

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2015
78
22
I have just successfully installed a Chinese 802.11ac/BT4.1 kit in my Mac Pro 5,1 but I encountered a weak BT signal issue in the process and for those of you who are having the same problem (jaggy carsol movement on the screen and frequent signal disruption and all) but don't want to read all past topics on these forums to find out the basic remedy I want to share what I did to fix it. It's easy.

Connect BT cable to port 1 instead of port 3 and connect WiFi 1 cable to port 3. The rest of WiFi cables can go to port 2 and 4. That's it.

As I remember in my old Mac Pro 3,1, I had a similar problem when I installed 802.11n/BT2.1 card and I swapped cable 1 for cable 2. These thin wires are antenna cables and they are attached to different parts of Mac Pro's aluminum body and depending on where they are attached on the other end the signal strength varies. Very simple to understand but very difficult to find out for us novices because this antenna swapping technic is assumed to be a common knowledge and does not get mentioned too often in these forums.
 
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pdafan

macrumors regular
Aug 2, 2011
100
13
I have just successfully installed a Chinese 802.11ac/BT4.1 kit in my Mac Pro 5,1 but I encountered a weak BT signal issue in the process and for those of you who are having the same problem (jaggy carsol movement on the screen and frequent signal disruption and all) but don't want to read all past topics on these forums to find out the basic remedy I want to share what I did to fix it. It's easy.

Connect BT cable to port 1 instead of port 3 and connect WiFi 1 cable to port 3. The rest of WiFi cables can go to port 2 and 4. That's it.

As I remember in my old Mac Pro 3,1, I had a similar problem when I installed 802.11n/BT2.1 card and I swapped cable 1 for cable 2. These thin wires are antenna cables and they are attached to different parts of Mac Pro's aluminum body and depending on where they are attached on the other end the signal strength varies. Very simple to understand but very difficult to find out for us novices because this antenna swapping technic is assumed to be a common knowledge and does not get mentioned too often in these forums.

Did you connect the 2 wires like what xnathanh said in #543?
 

zoomfinder

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2015
78
22
I can't tell exactly what the picture indicates but the USB cable seems to be different from mine. My cable fit the connector on the mother board very nicely and I had no concern what so ever.
 

pdafan

macrumors regular
Aug 2, 2011
100
13
I can't tell exactly what the picture indicates but the USB cable seems to be different from mine. My cable fit the connector on the mother board very nicely and I had no concern what so ever.

Thanks.
Do you have the link to the product you bought?
 

rGiskard

macrumors 68000
Aug 9, 2012
1,800
955
$110...Holy schnikes!

I could make a tidy profit if sold them for $80, and that's with having to import all the parts from China! Hell, for a $110 I could offer the kit with an magnetized Bluetooth antenna that you can slap on top of your Mac Pro (there is more steel in the case than you would think). I actually thought about it but figured nobody would still be interested...

Edit: here's a link to two 35cm u.fl IPX extension cables. Before the seller only sold them in lots of ten but with a little persuasion he listed the smaller quantity special for Mac Pro users. If anyone needs a single extension cable just pm me - but it still has to get here from China.
 
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