MacBook Pro Unibody (Early 2011-Mid 2012) AirPort/Bluetooth Board

My Problem

The wifi/Airport on my MacBook Pro stopped working

My Fix

I have utilized iFixit repair guides quite a few times over the past few years with great success so I consulted you again. After some analysis it came down to the Airport/Bluetooth board or the cable. I opted for the card at first. In hindsight I should have started with the cable but that just seemed too easy. :) Anyway, the Airport/Wifi card arrived quickly (thanks) and I installed it. But shortly after the installation the Wifi went out again. I knew as soon as that happened I should have opted for the cable first. So I ordered that and it arrived a day or so later. Installed it quickly (by this time I didn't need the instructions as I had done this a few times already during diagnosis/repair) and everything is working great.

My Advice

Yeah, try the cable first! That was my mistake. I knew better. Maybe it was just that swapping out the board seemed like more fun.

My Problem

My MacBook could connect to wifi networks, but had incredibly short ranges. Couldn't ever connect to public wifi spots, and only could at home if I was within twenty feet of the router.

My Fix

Easily to follow, easily accomplished without too many tools or previous knowledge!

My Advice

Make sure to keep your screws all separated. If I hadn't done that, I would have had difficulty finding their homes!

My Problem

My wifi was not working, it kept going in and out but not in a no service way it was turning itself completely off and you couldn't click it to turn the service back on. Restarting the computer worked for a while until it stopped coming back. I eventually got the error "no hardware installed" (bluetooth always worked though which is odd)

My Fix

this was my first time doing a hardware repair myself and it was easy enough. I haven't had an issue since!

My Advice

Don't spend $250+ at the mac store for something simple....

My Problem

My bluetooth keyboard and trackpad were not talking nicely with my laptop. The sales guy at the computer store said it sounded like it was time to replace my laptop but I wasn't ready to spend 1500 bucks to do that. The computer worked fine, it just would communicate with the bluetooth keyboard and trackpad at my desk. After doing some research, I learned that the antenna in the laptop could need replacing. I ordered the parts and received them after a couple days.

My Fix

The repair went very well. I followed the instructions online step by step. They were very detailed and very good. I have never taken the back of a computer before much less started unscrewing and unplugging things. I followed the steps, then reversed them for putting things back and all went perfect.

My Advice

If you are sure you have the right tools, buy the ones suggested in the instructions. I had to stop the repair and run to the hardware store to purchase a precision screwdriver set.

My Problem

I must have used my Macbook Pro late 2011 as a coaster for a hot cup of coffee because somehow the luminous apple on the outside got warped and there was a screen dropout zone directly underlying, right in the middle of the led/lcd/(whatever) screen, like some macular degeneration equivalent. Fortunately I found someone on eBay who had gone the whole way and poured her cup of coffee right down through the keyboard, thereby killing her much loved Macbook Pro 2011, but left a fully functioning screen, which I oportunistically purchased. But now, how to do the switcheroo? An online search found iFixit, and with a few screwdrivers and a leap of faith, I was inside the computer and ... Voilà, new screen working brilliantly. (To be honest, I had been inside the computer before, inserting an SSD, but this was definitely another magnitude of space exploration). I celebrated my success by popping in a massive 16GB RAM. Who says I need a newer computer? Apple would like me to buy one, but they already have plenty of money and probably pay less tax than me. And now I've got the fastest, quiestest computer ever.

My Fix

But NO! My computer had redundancy! I discovered it was only bluetooth 3 capable and bluetooth 4 had become the state of the art. To keep my 5 year old apple laptop current I needed to upgrade the bluetooth board. Again, iFixit to the rescue. I purchased and promptly received a compatible Bluetooth 4 replacement card. Then, back inside the computer (by now familiar territory) and by following the iFixit instructions ... Voilà, bluetooth 4 up and running. I know because Systems Information/Hardware/Bluetooth tells me LMP Version: 0x6. Not sure what I'm going to do with it but at least my temporary perception of cyberinadequacy has been resolved.

My Advice

Get under the bonnet, it's lots of fun. And there's no need to scream either.

My Problem

Apple diagnostics told me that my wifi card did not pass their specs and wanted $310 to fix it.

My Fix

The installation went fine. Instructions were great. But i ran a speed test before and after and i was getting significantly slower speeds with the new airport card. I put the old one back in and got faster speeds. Put the new one back in, got slower speeds. Put the old one back in, got faster speeds and left it.

My Advice

Card didn't seem to help this issue at all. Not sure if it was me doing something wrong but I doubt it.

My Problem

Two years of worsening Apple Magic Mouse Problems, Bad Apple Support Community advice. Finally WiFi died, "No Hardware Installed". Solving the WiFi problem first solved the BlueTooth Mouse problem.

My Fix

First steps were wasted. Bad support info, new mouse with a dongle. When WiFi died, I replaced the card. Worked for a couple of hours. Because it is also BlueTooth I tried the Magic Mouse, it's worked 100% for two weeks. If I opened the back, fiddled with the WiFi connections and did a restart WiFi would work until I moved the computer. Next replaced the WiFi cable. So far (1 week) all is good.

My Advice

Chronic Magic Mouse problem? Open the back, undo and redo all the WiFi card connectors. Next replace the WiFi Cable, then replace the WiFi card. This is all very easy to do, very simple repairs.The WiFi cable is flat. I think (maybe) the bulge in the cable length gets squashed by the back computer panel which either works it out of it's plugpoints or the cable gets damaged internally (I've looked at it 80x microscope no signs of damage). Everything I found on this issue at Apple Support Community was basically nonsense. Wrong size AA batteries. Really? software rituals.

My Problem

Late 2011 MacBook Pro would not turn on - after water splashed on the keyboard.

My Fix

First, I was able to take off the back cover of the computer and get it "jump-started". When it started up, confirming that the machine still worked but the keyboard was dead, I continued with the disassembly to get to the keyboard. Unfortunately, one of the antennae was overly attached to the Airport/Bluetooth board causing the female end to pop off the board. ERG! Then, once I removed the backlight panel, I found a billion little, bitty, tiny screws holding the keyboard in place. I didn't have a screwdriver that fit (#P000).

I ordered the referbished Airport/Bluetooth board and 54 Bit Driver Kit (had to get a keyboard from another vendor...sorry). They both were great! The Bit Driver Kit fits EVERYTHING and the Board was perfect! What took me about 2 hours to take apart (with the help of the video and step-by-step pictures from the iFixit site) took less than an hour to put together with the right tools.

BAM! It works great!

My Advice

I recommend using both the video and the step-by-step instructions. Either one by themselves skips some minor details that the other illustrate. The pictures are a wonderful help too.

Also, don't be shy about getting the 54 Bit Driver Set. It gets great reviews and has lived up to them. Using the right tools makes the job fun rather than frustrating.