USB WIFI DONGLE REPAIRED
I received a laptop for repair because the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. As usual, I checked the drivers, but no Wi-Fi card was detected. Upon opening the laptop, I discovered that the Wi-Fi card was missing entirely. When I called the customer, they explained that they had previously faced Wi-Fi issues; a technician had told them the card was burnt out and advised using an external Wi-Fi dongle. When I asked where the dongle was, they said it wasn’t being detected either and was likely in their bag; I searched the bag and found it.
I connected the device to the laptop, but it isn’t being detected.
I tried connecting the Wi-Fi dongle to my computer instead, but it wasn’t detected there either. I suspect the dongle is faulty.
The customer did not want to spend much on this, even though his financial situation was good.
The laptop wasn’t working because a program hadn’t been updated, and it really needed that update. However, it got stuck due to the lack of a Wi-Fi connection. Any way I convinced him without losing the business.
I decide to take apart this dongle. I managed to open its upper part after some effort.
I found Golden Contact fingers having some dirt & patches on, first of all cleaned the PCB Using Thinner & then IPA.
Seems Wi-Fi antenna also oxidized but scratching can break the antenna easily, hence I did not scratched & cleaned it using thinner only.
I examined the PCB with a magnifying glass but found no signs of burning or any faulty components. Everything looked fine.
So, I reconnected everything and plugged the device into my computer. I heard the connection sound and saw that the Wi-Fi had been detected. I entered my Wi-Fi password, logged into my account, and accessed the internet; it is working now.
Now connected the Wi-Fi dongle to customer’s laptop & I found it connected & working Fine.
The customer has now been informed that the device is fixed and working with the same Wi-Fi dongle; he was happy to hear this and is coming to pick it up.
This article was prepared for you by Yogesh Panchal who works as a Computer Hardware Engineer in Mumbai India.
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Note: You can check his previous repair articles on YouTube Video Lagging Problem in Computer
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Albert van Bemmelen
July 4, 2026 at 6:39 pm
Nice job Yogesh! Prying it open without even damaging it! And getting it working again after a good cleaning!
These very tiny working dongles often noticeably get very hot easily when plugged in to the 5V usb ports!
corriette cyrille
July 4, 2026 at 6:41 pm
wow! Thanks for saving from the landfill and now gained confidence from another satisfied customer.
Sometimes the simplest faults can be the hardest for repair. Just a little patience.
Parasuraman S
July 4, 2026 at 6:43 pm
That was an intricate job, and you handled it well. A good fix and share! Many thanks, dear Yogesh Bai!