XiaoMi-Pro-Hackintosh
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daliansky
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro - native WiFi+Bluetooth
Hi all! I recently ordered Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro (i7, 16gb, MX150) and right now I am looking forward to receive the package. I have some experience with hackintosh and want to dual boot with Catalina and Windows 10. However I want to solve the WiFi+Bluetooth issue without an external adapter, I want to go for the native solution, by buying a Broadcom supported WiFi+Bluetooth adapter. I thought about 2 possible solutions:
The first solution is about putting the adapter in the second m.2 SSD slot, as many people in the hackintosh community done. Then theoritically the WiFi should word, and then I will solder the D+ and D- cables to WLAN_LTE port pin 4 and 5, in order to get also the bluetooth working. With this solution however, I will "waste" an SSD slot for the hackintosh compatible adapter, and I will have only one storage slot.
The second solution I thought, and I don’t know if anyone in the community did, is about using the unsoldered WLAN_LTE slot. It's more complex but it will leave the second m.2 SSD slot open. Based on my research, this WLAN_LTE slot is an m.2 B key unsoldered slot dedicated for WiFi+BT adapter use, if I understood correctly. So I thought about soldering an m.2 B key slot-connector there, and use it using a 6+12 pin to m.2 B+M key adapter.
- These are the steps:
- Buy this small adapter in order to desolder the m.2 B key connector
- Solder this B key connector in the WLAN_LTE slot, which has b key type pins.
- Buy an 6+12 pin to m.2 B+M key adapter and plug it in the previously soldered B key connector
- Install the Broadcom WiFi+Bluetooth module with custom antennas.
With some photo edit, here is the process:
If this second solution works, I think that theoretically I will get both WiFi and Bluetooth working in once, am I right?
What is your opinion about that? Would the second solution work or not? I think I can try the second solution first and then if this doesn’t work, I can move to the first m.2 SSD slot solution. The adaptors and things from aliexpress will work with also the first solution, aren’t they? Thanks in advance!
Aliexpress links: Small adapter to desolder the B key connector from: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000066115055.html 6+12 pin to m.2 B+M key adapter: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000033379237.html Broadcom BCM94360CS2 WiFi+Bluetooth module: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32764088363.html
I think there's no space to fit an entire adaptor... There's a transistor in the way... I think that's why Xiami didn't finish it.
Hmm.. I am not sure because I haven't received the laptop yet, but I think that broadcom WiFi module isn't a full size m.2 like for example the preinstalled m.2 SSD. The 6+12 pins adapter will be cut in size in order to fit there, in the size of wifi module.. I can't answer this now for sure, but I think so.. In the photo of WLAN_LTE slot I can't see any transistor positioned in the space needed for this module to work.. Are you sure about this transistor?
https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/guide-xiaomi-mi-notebook-pro-high-sierra-10-13-6.242724/post-1784933
Oh, that was really helpful! Thank you very much @Menchen! You saved me some time and money! So now, I am going for the first solution well known across the community, which is about the second m.2 m key slot. I will buy this Broadcom BCM94360CS2 WiFi+Bluetooth module and I think it will do it's job. I will follow the bluetooth D+ and D- soldering in the WLAN_LTE port way to get BT working.
I consider order the following:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32416654125.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32782442052.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32947752122.html
Could someone confirm that it will work? Also, I will get 3 new antennas to stick under the trackpad, and disconnect the intel antennas. Is this a good idea, or I should go with the 2 preinstalled antennas using an extender (J0,J2) and get only one new for the middle bluetooth (J1)?
With 3 antennas you might have some signal issues (minor only).
And by soldering to original one you may risk damaging it. But you will get better signal.
Personally I use 3 antennas and use intel bt with vmware(I think I may have broke my WLAN_LTE by overhearing it when soldering....) also intel WiFi have better driver in windows and Linux.
So you mean that I have 2 options:
- Get three new antennas (with some signal issues) but there is no need to solder anything, so it's easier or
- Get two antenna extender cables to connect the Intel's preinstalled antennas with J0 and J2 BCM943602CS pins and then for the Bluetooth I need to solder the adaptors D+ and D- to the WLAN_LTE pins 4,5 (and leave the J1 without any antenna) which is more complex solution but with better signal.
Am I right?
For option 2 you need an extra antennas for bt, otherwise bt will have very bad signal.
Thank you very much @Menchen for your time! I really appreciate your help! I am going finally for:
- Broadcom BCM943602CS WiFi+Bluetooth module https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32782442052.html
- 6+12 pins to m.2 m key adapter https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32947752122.html
- 3 new antennas https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32416654125.html
- Total price: 44€
I will go for the three new antenna solution because I want to leave the Intel module as it is for Windows and Linux usage. So I will have basically two different WiFi modules working, Broadcom and Intel. After the receiving of the order, I will stick the 3 antennas under the trackpad for the best signal possible, and I will solder the D+ and D- to the WLAN_LTE pins 4 and 5 to get bluetooth working. After this, do I need to install any kexts and make some settings, or it will be immediately recognised by hackintosh and ready to use?
For WiFi it’s native, and for bt you need to change a kext, it’s in the install script.
Thank you again! I will inform you soon!
So how did it work out for you? Curious, because want to go through this proces maybe as well.
I got the laptop and i tried to install macOS but I couldn't finish installation.. After some research it came with the incompatible PM981 ssd so I hadn't any luck with that.. Now I am going to buy Samsung 970 evo and the WiFi+BT module but the price is ~130€ so I need to wait a bit.. When I get these things, I will make a post..
I got the laptop and i tried to install macOS but I couldn't finish installation.. After some research it came with the incompatible PM981 ssd so I hadn't any luck with that.. Now I am going to buy Samsung 970 evo and the WiFi+BT module but the price is ~130€ so I need to wait a bit.. When I get these things, I will make a post..
Thanks for your reply. Well I couldn't wait, so I started myself with installing for the first time this. Never did it before, I have the Xiaomi mi air 2019 13" model with 250MX and I7 core. I try to install 3 different version, high Sierra, Mojava and Catalina. Unfortunately they all failed. Because it keeps crashing and couldn't finish it, I find out that the 'SSD'is not compatible with it, it's exactly the same model you had: the PM981. First I ordered the Samsung 970 EVO, but I was not sure, so I declined the order went for the Crucial P1 1000GB. I installed today and it successful. Everything is working, expect for the wifi. I'm using at this moment a small Wifi-USB-dongle that's doing great job, but I'm really curious about installing a naive wifi, because I'm lacking bluetooth. I'm thinking to buy the same WiFi-module as yours and go through the proces as well.
If you need Bluetooth you can check #323
That's interesting! Is this stable as for example BCM943602CS would be? So if that works, the only adapter needed is for WiFi.. I can't see any kext release yet. Do I need to build kext myself with xcode?
After receiving the 970 evo, installation worked like charm.. Probably the easiest hackintosh so far.. macOS works better than my expectations, basically like a real MacBook.. Trackpad gestures, function keys, everything is working perfect. Also the recently released Intel BT kext works very well, no lags or connection problems so far. Right now I am using a TL-WN725n which also works stable enough, but I am going for the native solution of buying a compatible m.2 WiFi card.. Just found this one Aliexpress "all in one" BCM94360CS2 (not the BCM943602CS) adapter with 33,16€ so I am going for it. I won't solder BT because it already works well. I will use the adapter only for WiFi by just sticking the two antennas under the trackepad.. I think it will work, am I right? Thank you all for helping me so far!
After receiving the 970 evo, installation worked like charm.. Probably the easiest hackintosh so far.. macOS works better than my expectations, basically like a real MacBook.. Trackpad gestures, function keys, everything is working perfect. Also the recently released Intel BT kext works very well, no lags or connection problems so far. Right now I am using a TL-WN725n which also works stable enough, but I am going for the native solution of buying a compatible m.2 WiFi card.. Just found this one Aliexpress "all in one" BCM94360CS2 (not the BCM943602CS) adapter with 33,16€ so I am going for it. I won't solder BT because it already works well. I will use the adapter only for WiFi by just sticking the two antennas under the trackepad.. I think it will work, am I right? Thank you all for helping me so far!
Did managed to install BCM94360CS2 into your M.2 Slot? I've got Xiaomi Mi Notebook Horizon Edition Laptop and want to replace Intel WiFi card with BCM94360NG, but I'm afraid Xiaomi might have whitelisted it.
