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NOTNlCE

macrumors 65816
Oct 11, 2013
1,087
478
Baltimore, MD
Apologies if this has been talked about already, but has anyone had luck with Non-Mac cards? I know the AzureWave combo card is popular with Hackintoshes - I have a cruddy old Dell wireless G card in my new NUC, and I'm wondering if that AzureWave is a good purchase, however the NUC takes a HALF mini PCIe, not anything huge like the iMac card is, plus it's not worth it if Continuity isn't supported...?
 

Richdmoore

macrumors 68000
Jul 24, 2007
1,973
368
Troutdale, OR
1. Yes I'm using a 2013 iMac card. You do need a converter in order to plug it into your iMac.

2. The antenna without any strip stands for 0, one strip for 1, two strips for 2.
There's numbers on the wifi card with numbers on it and 3 stands for the bluetooth.

3. I'm not sure about that. I've read the previous forum says that there's no need to do that, but I'm not so sure. I'll tell you when my usb dongle arrive. Don't worry about the operation, they're both extremely easy (compare to my fusion drive installation)

Hope these infos help :)

Ok, if my reading is correct, with dp3 it is somewhat confirmed you need both ac wifi & bt 4.0 for the option toggle in the settings app to appear. (Otherwise you do get some limited features, but not them all. Once you get your usb dongle (made from official apple parts) let us know if the option appears, or there is some kind is lockout depending on the system id.

If it works for you, I may still be game to open up the Mac and replace the wifi card, and buy an bluetooth usb card built from real apple parts.
 

53kyle

macrumors 65816
Mar 27, 2012
1,282
111
Sebastopol, CA
Ok, if my reading is correct, with dp3 it is somewhat confirmed you need both ac wifi & bt 4.0 for the option toggle in the settings app to appear.

Nope, just BT 4.0 is needed. My 2012 cMBP still has the toggle for handoff. It is on DP3, I just forgot to show the build number when I took the screenshot.
 

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AnD3rS

macrumors newbie
Feb 14, 2008
11
7
Munich
Nope, just BT 4.0 is needed. My 2012 cMBP still has the toggle for handoff. It is on DP3, I just forgot to show the build number when I took the screenshot.

Could you please post screenshots of the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi pages in System Profiler and eventually run "kextstat | grep AirPort" in Terminal?

An MBP Early 2011 with the Mid 2012 AirPort card does not seem to support Handoff (no option in System Preferences)
 

53kyle

macrumors 65816
Mar 27, 2012
1,282
111
Sebastopol, CA
An MBP Early 2011 with the Mid 2012 AirPort card does not seem to support Handoff (no option in System Preferences)

Yes, because apple probably saw that people were finding ways to get around buying a new computer, and they stopped that by checking the model of computer instead of bluetooth.

Terminal response to that command was
Code:
   47    0 0xffffff7f818e7000 0x5df000   0x5df000   com.apple.driver.AirPort.Brcm4360 (900.14.2) <46 45 44 12 7 6 5 4 3 1>
 

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Richdmoore

macrumors 68000
Jul 24, 2007
1,973
368
Troutdale, OR
Yes, because apple probably saw that people were finding ways to get around buying a new computer, and they stopped that by checking the model of computer instead of bluetooth.

Terminal response to that command was
Code:
   47    0 0xffffff7f818e7000 0x5df000   0x5df000   com.apple.driver.AirPort.Brcm4360 (900.14.2) <46 45 44 12 7 6 5 4 3 1>

Ugh, I hope that apple isn't doing this simply to lock the few people that open up their non-serviceable Mac and update their bt & wifi cards.
 

53kyle

macrumors 65816
Mar 27, 2012
1,282
111
Sebastopol, CA
Ugh, I hope that apple isn't doing this simply to lock the few people that open up their non-serviceable Mac and update their bt & wifi cards.

I think that is exactly why apple is doing it. I guess apple "needs" the profits from people who want the features, so now people are forced to pay up.
 

m4v3r1ck

macrumors 68030
Nov 2, 2011
2,606
554
The Netherlands
Thanks for reading my article!

Can you confirm that your tweak is still working under DP3?

Yes, because apple probably saw that people were finding ways to get around buying a new computer, and they stopped that by checking the model of computer instead of bluetooth.

Please see the last posts of user Richdmoore! Thanks.

----------

I think that is exactly why apple is doing it. I guess apple "needs" the profits from people who want the features, so now people are forced to pay up.

That would be an OUTRAGE! :eek:
 

Richdmoore

macrumors 68000
Jul 24, 2007
1,973
368
Troutdale, OR
Can you confirm that your tweak is still working under DP3?



Please see the last posts of user Richdmoore! Thanks.

To be fair, I am going off the rumors of others here. I do not have the beta, or the wifi/bt cards in my Mac.

I was hoping to upgrade them if possible, but for now I will just have to wait and see how this turns out.
 

m4v3r1ck

macrumors 68030
Nov 2, 2011
2,606
554
The Netherlands
To be fair, I am going off the rumors of others here. I do not have the beta, or the wifi/bt cards in my Mac.

I was hoping to upgrade them if possible, but for now I will just have to wait and see how this turns out.

(Mac)Rumors or not, there's surely something wicked being cooked in Apple Labs! BUT, let's keep our faith in Apple to respect customers with 'older' Macs! :rolleyes:
 

MacVidCards

Suspended
Nov 17, 2008
6,096
1,056
Hollywood, CA
A guy in Yosemite section has figured out way to make the 4360 kext load.

Re-enables on certain machines, as long as they have official Apple BT 4.0.

So there WILL be a work around for SOME machines.

The really ridiculous part is that since iPhones and iPads don't have "AC" there is no logical reason to require the OSX machines to have it for these features to work.

Obviously the BT 4.0 does a handshake but the bulk is done by WiFi "N" parts, so there is 0.00% need to require "AC" since it can't even be used.

Standard Apple "WE MUST SELL MORE NEW STUFF !!!"

USB BT dongle and kext hack will work for many.
 

UncleSchnitty

macrumors 6502a
Oct 26, 2007
851
14
A guy in Yosemite section has figured out way to make the 4360 kext load.

Re-enables on certain machines, as long as they have official Apple BT 4.0.

So there WILL be a work around for SOME machines.

The really ridiculous part is that since iPhones and iPads don't have "AC" there is no logical reason to require the OSX machines to have it for these features to work.

Obviously the BT 4.0 does a handshake but the bulk is done by WiFi "N" parts, so there is 0.00% need to require "AC" since it can't even be used.

Standard Apple "WE MUST SELL MORE NEW STUFF !!!"

USB BT dongle and kext hack will work for many.
If this ends up being true and in the final version that means that handoff will be usable on a lot less machines then the original graphs portrayed.

While I know apple is in the hardware business and their software is used to push newer hardware this would be a little out of hand. I would understand if the hardware just couldn't do it but sending the information handoff needs is so minuscule that I think even a "G" connection could easily accommodate. I also think that needing BT4.0LE is kinda pointless for desktops (ie Mac Pro, iMac and Mini) while understandable in laptops (people would be pissed if their laptop battery life went down because of a new feature)

Hopefully this will all be straitened out by the official launch. At this point I think its a wait and see because if they don't want older hardware using it they will patch anything we come up with. If its still not figured out by launch the easiest approach will be using newer cards in older machines. So I guess we will see. They probably removed the "continuity, handoff Yes/No" because they are tired of hearing about it hah
 

ZombiePhysicist

Suspended
May 22, 2014
2,884
2,794
A guy in Yosemite section has figured out way to make the 4360 kext load.

Re-enables on certain machines, as long as they have official Apple BT 4.0.

So there WILL be a work around for SOME machines.

The really ridiculous part is that since iPhones and iPads don't have "AC" there is no logical reason to require the OSX machines to have it for these features to work.

Obviously the BT 4.0 does a handshake but the bulk is done by WiFi "N" parts, so there is 0.00% need to require "AC" since it can't even be used.

Standard Apple "WE MUST SELL MORE NEW STUFF !!!"

USB BT dongle and kext hack will work for many.

It would still be preferable to get a card to swap what's in our Mac Pro to just get BT4 and 802.11ac. I think I'd be willing to pay a bit more for a relatively plug and play solution (where I just yank the old card out, plug the new one in, and all the antennae's).

Are you still planning this MacVids?
 

Richdmoore

macrumors 68000
Jul 24, 2007
1,973
368
Troutdale, OR
A guy in Yosemite section has figured out way to make the 4360 kext load.

Re-enables on certain machines, as long as they have official Apple BT 4.0.

So there WILL be a work around for SOME machines.

The really ridiculous part is that since iPhones and iPads don't have "AC" there is no logical reason to require the OSX machines to have it for these features to work.

Obviously the BT 4.0 does a handshake but the bulk is done by WiFi "N" parts, so there is 0.00% need to require "AC" since it can't even be used.

Standard Apple "WE MUST SELL MORE NEW STUFF !!!"

USB BT dongle and kext hack will work for many.

Let me check and see if I understand the current situation under DP 3.

Situation 1. Supported Mac (no hacking, works fine.) So far these are simply the computers which came factory installed with both bluetooth 4.0 and ac wifi card. (A quick way to tell is see if the option for handoff is in the system preferences, before you hack.)

Situation 2. Unsupported Mac. Bluetooth 4.0 must be added using an official apple adapter. Ktext must be hacked to get it to work. AC wifi upgrade is NOT required.

Even if both an official apple AC wifi & bluetooth card is installed from a supported computer, it still will not work without the hack applied.

Solution: Most Yosemite mac computers came from the factory with wireless N and bluetooth 2.1. Your solution is to plug in a USB 4.0 dongle that is made from official apple parts. Then the ktext must be hacked to allow the feature to work.

(Hopefully someone will make an automated approach, something like the Trim Enabler program to allow non-apple SSD drives to use the system's trim command.)

Do I have the current situation correct?

EDIT: It sounds like it is a good thing as most of us will not have to crack open the computer to get this to work after all, simply plug in the USB bluetooth device you will soon be selling, run an install script to modify the system, and reboot.
 

m4v3r1ck

macrumors 68030
Nov 2, 2011
2,606
554
The Netherlands
A guy in Yosemite section has figured out way to make the 4360 kext load.



Re-enables on certain machines, as long as they have official Apple BT 4.0.



So there WILL be a work around for SOME machines.



The really ridiculous part is that since iPhones and iPads don't have "AC" there is no logical reason to require the OSX machines to have it for these features to work.



Obviously the BT 4.0 does a handshake but the bulk is done by WiFi "N" parts, so there is 0.00% need to require "AC" since it can't even be used.



Standard Apple "WE MUST SELL MORE NEW STUFF !!!"



USB BT dongle and kext hack will work for many.


I realy do hope you'll succeed with the BT dongle and kext hack.

I suspect Apple will come with an additional i(m)Blue upgrade/dongle for 'not supporting' Macs, to hit the Apple Store too for ~ $99. But it's still a sneaky road they're paving!
 

Richdmoore

macrumors 68000
Jul 24, 2007
1,973
368
Troutdale, OR
I realy do hope you'll succeed with the BT dongle and kext hack.

I suspect Apple will come with an additional i(m)Blue upgrade/dongle for 'not supporting' Macs, to hit the Apple Store too for ~ $99. But it's still a sneaky road they're paving!

I would pay the $100 for an apple approved wifi/bluetooth replacement for my 2011 iMac to allow these features. I suspect they simply won't support it, making those who really care about the new features either run unofficial mods, or replace their computer with a new model.
 

128keaton

macrumors 68020
Jan 13, 2013
2,029
419
I get the 'Enable Handoff and Continuity' option without AC/BT4.0, hmm. Now we can invest some time decompiling kexts to figure out the 'switch' is.

____
spoke too soon, gone...
 
Last edited:

cparr007

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2011
6
1
My solution:

attachment.php


I purchased the Broadcom BCM94360CD from Amazon and purchased an adapter from http://www.osxwifi.com, they don't have them on the main page, but you can get one for $44.99 + $5.99. No soldering required.

Currently, I am using a USB Adapter Cable (USB 2.0, IDC 5 Male (single row) to USB A Male) on one of my front USB ports, for the USB data channels.

Once I have tested this a bit longer, I will tap into the old BT USB data channels as described by OP and Kennyman. I suppose that if you did not want to go the route of splicing cable, you could purchase a PCIE USB card with an internal USB plug. Also, I will route the BT antenna out of site.

I will post the final setup once I have some time to do so.

attachment.php


Continuity/Handoff, Airdrop, Phone calls all work.

Specs:

attachment.php


attachment.php
 

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didier.ma

macrumors newbie
May 5, 2014
17
0
Oh, did you need to hack the kext? And how do you connect the 4 antennas wires?

D.

My solution:

Image

I purchased the Broadcom BCM94360CD from Amazon and purchased an adapter from http://www.osxwifi.com, they don't have them on the main page, but you can get one for $44.99 + $5.99. No soldering required.

Currently, I am using a USB Adapter Cable (USB 2.0, IDC 5 Male (single row) to USB A Male) on one of my front USB ports, for the USB data channels.

Once I have tested this a bit longer, I will tap into the old BT USB data channels as described by OP and Kennyman. I suppose that if you did not want to go the route of splicing cable, you could purchase a PCIE USB card with an internal USB plug. Also, I will route the BT antenna out of site.

I will post the final setup once I have some time to do so.

Image

Continuity/Handoff, Airdrop, Phone calls all work.

Specs:

Image

Image
 

MacProSector

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 24, 2014
31
13
Urbana, IL
Thanks for sharing!

My solution:

Image

I purchased the Broadcom BCM94360CD from Amazon and purchased an adapter from http://www.osxwifi.com, they don't have them on the main page, but you can get one for $44.99 + $5.99. No soldering required.

Currently, I am using a USB Adapter Cable (USB 2.0, IDC 5 Male (single row) to USB A Male) on one of my front USB ports, for the USB data channels.

Once I have tested this a bit longer, I will tap into the old BT USB data channels as described by OP and Kennyman. I suppose that if you did not want to go the route of splicing cable, you could purchase a PCIE USB card with an internal USB plug. Also, I will route the BT antenna out of site.

I will post the final setup once I have some time to do so.

Image

Continuity/Handoff, Airdrop, Phone calls all work.

Specs:

Image

Image

Thanks for reading my article and providing a better and more convenient approach! I will post your plan onto the top of the first page. Thanks!

----------

My solution:

Image

I purchased the Broadcom BCM94360CD from Amazon and purchased an adapter from http://www.osxwifi.com, they don't have them on the main page, but you can get one for $44.99 + $5.99. No soldering required.

Currently, I am using a USB Adapter Cable (USB 2.0, IDC 5 Male (single row) to USB A Male) on one of my front USB ports, for the USB data channels.

Once I have tested this a bit longer, I will tap into the old BT USB data channels as described by OP and Kennyman. I suppose that if you did not want to go the route of splicing cable, you could purchase a PCIE USB card with an internal USB plug. Also, I will route the BT antenna out of site.

I will post the final setup once I have some time to do so.

Image

Continuity/Handoff, Airdrop, Phone calls all work.

Specs:

Image

Image

Thanks for reading my article and providing a better and more convenient approach! So could you please tell me where did you get the conversion card and I will post your plan onto the top of the first page. Thanks!
 

crjackson2134

macrumors 601
Mar 6, 2013
4,847
1,957
Charlotte, NC
Thanks for reading my article and providing a better and more convenient approach! I will post your plan onto the top of the first page. Thanks!

Better is subjective. It's no doubt more convenient for many, but I'd prefer your original approach laid out in post #1, it's just harder to achieve. Some think that Apple will provide an upgrade via a dongle, but I doubt it. My system is under AppleCare until 2016, so I won't be modifying anything internally but were it not for the AppleCare, I would probably follow your guide. As it stands now, I'll probably pass on the new features that require this modification. It's just not that compelling for me. Again, thanks for a nice write-up.
 

UncleSchnitty

macrumors 6502a
Oct 26, 2007
851
14
My solution:

Image

I purchased the Broadcom BCM94360CD from Amazon and purchased an adapter from http://www.osxwifi.com, they don't have them on the main page, but you can get one for $44.99 + $5.99. No soldering required.

Currently, I am using a USB Adapter Cable (USB 2.0, IDC 5 Male (single row) to USB A Male) on one of my front USB ports, for the USB data channels.

Once I have tested this a bit longer, I will tap into the old BT USB data channels as described by OP and Kennyman. I suppose that if you did not want to go the route of splicing cable, you could purchase a PCIE USB card with an internal USB plug. Also, I will route the BT antenna out of site.

I will post the final setup once I have some time to do so.

Image

Continuity/Handoff, Airdrop, Phone calls all work.

Specs:

Image

Image

I just ordered the same kit from them for my 2008, the placement is different but Ill let everyone know how it goes after the install.

I am also going to test it out with the BCM94360CS2 so we will know for sure if that works as well. If that works too then people with older MBA and iMacs will have a card they can use to enable Handoff
 
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