Enigma83

It seems I'm being misunderstood when I use the word adapter. My notebook's WLAN slot *only* *supports* mini PCIe half mini sized cards. My laptop has no M.2 slots of any kind. The ROG article you linked refers to SSDs. I already have one, but it uses a SATA connector, not M.2 I'm still digesting the article but dont see how it applies to WLAN cards. All this is why I posted for help, asking if there is such a thing as an adapter (not a WLAN adapter) that can allow a M.2 card to be connected into a standard half mini slot. Even posting 3 links to ser if someone could say whether they would be compatible for my purposes. Not trying to sound rude, just trying to clear up any potential misunderstanding.

So.......I recently posted on the Intel Community forums, to see if there is such a thing as an M.2 to mini PCIe half size adapter. I didnt get far, an Intel rep quickly responded that such adapters arent supported, and stated that it is in essense illegal for the end user to install a WLAN card in their notebook. His response was that the installation must be done by the manufacturer or a licensed tech. So it's clear that I wont be getting any help there. The 7265 comes in a M.2 2230 and M.2 1216 form factor. What is the difference and which should I get? When buying the 7265 how can/will I know which form factor it uses? I would also appreciate a product link to the adapter I'll need. I found http://www.amazon.com/NGFF-PCI-E-Adapter-Support-MPCIe/dp/B00IKAJ328/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1433952357&sr=1-5&keywords=m.2+to+mini+pcie, http://www.amazon.com/Bplus-M2MU2-NGFF-PCI-E-Adapter/dp/B00KHMTAB6/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1433952357&sr=1-9&keywords=m.2+to+mini+pcie, and http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Express-Adapter-Converter-Support/dp/B00S24TPC0/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1433952357&sr=1-3&keywords=m.2+to+mini+pcie. But I'm not sure which one I would need, and want to buy the correct adapter the first time. Where can I find installation instructions? Or should it be a relatively simple affair? I'm also thinking that maybe the Intel 7260, although slightly older than the 7265, might be a better bet since it natively supports mini PCIe half mini slots. But I've also reading that many have had connection issues with it. But the real question for me is, even though it may be a good general purpose card, is it any good for hacking/pentesting/etc? How does the 7260 stack up against the 7265? Thanks for any help!

Is this by chance related to Optimus? If I'm not mistaken, in the case of Optimus all video is processed through the Intel graphics chip before being passed on to NVIDIA. So therefore both chips are inextricably linked to the other. VGA pass through maybe be an exception, I really can't help much in the way of advice. I'm posting mostly out of interest/curiosity more than anything else. This is the kind of thing I've long been interested in. The only thing that really keeps me tied to Windows is games. If I could play all my games in a Windows VM within Linux, while retaining near-native performance, I would probably never dualboot again.

I just noticed that the Intel 7265 seems to require a M.2 connector, which my 2011 Alienware doesn't have. I just have the older standard mini-PCIe half-size chip that is common in notebooks from 2010 onward. I'm also reading that there is a M.2 adapter that can make these old slots compatible with the newer card interface. But there seems to be several variants of this adapter. Could someone please post links to the exact adapter I'll need? With that said, if noone has any other internal chip suggestions, then the 7265 it will most likely be for me. Thanks in advance!

I don't think my laptop has any dedicated wired antennas (and by that I do mean a literal wire), just the 2 standard connector pins. When I say antenna I mean a (3rd) wire, in addition to the 2 standard pin connectors. Which is something most laptops don't have. I'd just like to greatly increase receptivity and take advantage of BT (something I currently don't have, and would be great for connecting to my Note 3, PlayStation 3 controller, etc).

@ metratron: Thanks for the info, that card looks nice (and very recent). It seems to have everything I need, very much suitable for general usage. But more on the hacking side of things, does it have capabilities like injection, etc? I'm trying to find a spec sheet now. What I've read says it also has Bluetooth, but.......I'm reading I'll need to manually attach antennas to get that working. Is that hard to do/feasible? Are the antennas typically included with the chip or do they need to be bought separately? I'm guessing I can buy them at RadioShack or whereever (locally) if need be. I'm going to hold off awhile longer before buying, to see if anyone else has other product suggestions. Thanks again!

A few days ago a rare thing happened.......my laptop's WiFi card "burned out", just stopped working. It wouldnt detect networks, nothing. It was a Intel WiFi Link 1000, in a 4 yr old Alienware M14X R1 laptop. I took it to a technician, he plugged the card into several other laptops, proving it was dead. He also plugged in several other cards into my slot, as proof that the card itself died, rather than the slot it was plugged into, which of course would indicate bigger issues. All the cards he tried worked. So now I'm borrowing a friend's USB WiFi adapter until I can get a replacement. I have an interest in WiFi hacking, networking/security, pentesting, etc, and if I wanted just a run of the mill chip, I wouldn't bother posting here. But I'm not very experienced and dont know exactly what to look for, the makings of a good chip. I want something that is relatively recent and will work on all the latest Windows OSes, as well as having excellent Linux support. That pretty much rules out Broadcom, LOL, had issues with them and Linux in my older Lenovo notebook. I've been thinking an Intel chip would work well. Support for all the latest protocols (802.11A/B/G/N) is a must. I'm looking for something that is dual band, so I can utilize both the 2.x and 5.x spectrums. And it preferably will have Bluetooth built into the same chip, again, with support for the latest protocols. If it is capable of things like packet injection, adhoc, master mode/monitor mode, etc, then that would be even better. Being able to wire in an additional internal antenna is nice too. Thanks in advance for any advice/product recommendations!

So I'm buying a BlueParrott BT headset for use with my phone and laptop, I'm in need of advice on a good dongle. My laptop currently has a Broadcom WiFi/BT combo module, and quite frankly it just sucks big. It refuses to connect to many of the BT devices I've tried, range is short, etc. I've checked some reviews and the array of options is just bewildering, with varying opinions. What I Need: 4.0(+) (EDR?) compatibility Advice on what class (1,2, etc) is best, and whether or not dual-pairing (connecting to more than 1 device, or w/e it's called) is best Good data transfer rate, especially HD audio, with good volume. Must support a wide range of devices and be reliable Preferably USB 3.0 or at least 2.0 compatibility Decent price ($50 or less) Good compatibility/driver support for Win7/8/8.1, Linux, and the most recent versions of Mac, as well as good compatibility with Android Support for the widest array of BT protocols (A2DP, OPP, HSP, PAN, DUN, etc.) Good range and signal strength Compatibitily with a good software suite like BlueSoleil (preferred but not absolute req.) Brand name isn't too big of a deal either, as long as the quality is good Amazon is my preferred online storefront to buy from, since I'm elible for free/low-cost shipping on most items, and am buying several items at once to save money overall. I'm looking to buy by tonight or the morning at latest. And as many of us are aware, BT has always been hit or miss.I could have posted elsewhere, and I'm relatively new here anyway. But I figured the geeks here would be good people to ask, and I dont want to make a purchase w/o being informed and getting multiple opinions. I apologize if I'm asking on the wrong forum, if so then maybe someone can point out a good place for help. Thanks in advance! Edit: I forgot to ask, but will a dongle use its' own stack, or the stack provided by Microsoft? I ask because the headset rep told me I might have trouble pairing it in Windows w/o a dongle, which supposedly has a separate stack.

Thanks for that. It seems to be the right disc.I'll be keeping a Dropboxed copy, as well as a local copy, and a burned disc. I've found that 8 performs better than 7 overall, especially for games, and I would really like to be able to use my legally licensed copy without issues. The drivers on the disc worked fine for 7 and still do, and they also worked for 8. But then Microsoft released 8.1 and it suddenly didnt work anymore. By that point I only had the drivers on Alfa, and they didnt work on 8.Without this device being operational I couldn't fool around with Wireshark or other networking utilities in 8, without a suitable device to use them with. I suspect that the disc may or may not solve the issue. Right now I'm maintaining a small 8.1 install alongside 7 and Mint, for testing purposes. The real problem seems to be that I have a Lenovo laptop and it has an internal Broadcom adapter, which just sucks. It has short range and relatively weak signal compared to what I've been used to in other laptops (Intel and Atheros wifi cards), and Linux Mint wont even recognize it out-of the-box without manual driver download/install from software repos. I had to use the Alfa device to get these drivers, it recognized it without a hitch, as did Kali.I'm pretty sure it (the Broadcom) can't do packet injection and other advanced techniques, etc. The drivers for Alfa installed successfully each time, but I was never able to see 2 wifi adapter in the Taskbar notification area in the lower right of screen, whereas in 8 I could see both adapters if the Alfa was plugged. I can also see the Alfa in Control Panel, but cant seem to activate it for use. Whenever I would try, it would just seem to activate the Broadcom instead, which effective forced me to use the Net thru that. I'm not sure what else might be causing this, perhaps if you tell me what more info I can give, maybe I can find a solution here, or get advice on where I can go for help. I'm really not sure how else to explain it, since I'm not sure what the underlying cause is. I already posted in the Eight Forums, someone pasted back saying that I should try NetSetMan, which appears to be a WiFi profiles utility. I putzed around with it but it didnt seem to help, although interesting. Well, thanks for the help in any case!

@ Mr. Protocol: I have already searched the Alfa website, they only have the most recent drivers, not the ones on the disc. Nor do they make the disc available for download as an ISO, etc. And they dont appear to have the drivers for Mac and Linux, which the disc does have. I checked this already. I'm basically asking for an ISO rip of the actual disc. I'm 100% positive that some of the files are different. And it also contains the drivers not just for Windows, Mac, and Linux, but for most of the Alfa products as well. If what you're saying had been an option, I wouldn't have bothered posting here. Thanks in advance!

I bought the Alfa AWUS036NHA awhile back, and I've been having lots of fun messing around with the adapter and WiFi Pineapple since then. As we know, the adapter ships with a disc. So I ripped a copy in ISO format and uploaded it to my Dropbox. Awhile later I had trouble getting the adapter to work in Windows 8.1 alongside my built-in adapter, among other issues with the OS, so I rolled back to Windows 7, and I've been with it ever since. I couldn't get it to work in 8.1 no matter what I tried, and it still doesn't work now. 7 recognizes it without issues. So now I'm sticking with what I have for a long while. But anyway, I tried Dling the file drom Dropbox, it came out corrupted after multiple tries, and some files inside the image were missing, setup would crash, etc. And the image was unusually much smaller than it should have been, even though I'm sure I ripped it correctly. I still have the disc but it got scratched as the result of a friend's dog chewing on the jewel case it was stored in. I know someone will say, "but you can get newer files off the Net", and that's true. But it contains older versions of the drivers for Linux as well as Mac (planning on installing Hackintosh soon in a small partition, just to mess around), and I would like to have copies of those for archival and testing purposes. I dont think copyright will be an issue, since it's just drivers, there is no real copyrighted content on the disc, and I doubt that either Alfa or the driver producers would seriously object. So...........I'm wondering if someone with a pristine disc would be willing to rip an image and upload it to somewhere so I can fetch it. Alfa doesnt seem to have their own forum for me to post in, so I figured here would be a good place. I'd really appreciate this (and if it can't be done for whatever odd reason, please specify why). Thanks in advance for any help!

I just got my Pineapple in the mail and am going to put it to use by reading up on some tutorials and practicing a bit. But there was one thing wrong with my order..........it didnt come with the 50 page booklet. The Travel Bundle is really just the Standard version of the Pineapple, so I figure it should have one as a courtesy. I found a PDF copy for download on the sales site. But I still prefer to have a paper copy. Who do I contact about this? Thanks!

Thanks for all the responses. I decided to go all in. I bought the travel bundle, 7 dBi panel antenna, USB-powered hub, USB rubber ducky deluxe, and micro-USB to micro-USB OTG cable. It all came out to around $200 after shipping, all together I was able to get more for my money than what the Elite kit alone would have gotten me (plus everything included in that kit). I dont know how to use all this, but I've been messing around in Ubuntu/Linux Mint and Kali for awhile, and that's what sparked my interest in whitehat hacking/Internet security/networking. Soon I'll be installing Arch alongside Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, and Mint. With what I've got now I'd say it will last awhile before I make more purchases, this should give me alot to learn from for many months to come. But if anyone can recommend any other purchases (here or elsewhere) that would be helpful in my journey then clue me in. What I lack in experience and knowledge I more than make up for with a willingness to learn.

Right now I'm looking at the sales page for the Pineapple. I'm just not sure whether I should go with the Standard, Pro, or Elite version. Elite says it's not pre-drilled or pre-assembled, and quite frankly I'm not the best when it comes to assembling electronics. I already bought an Alfa AWUS036NHA awhile back from Amazon, and it came with a 5 dBi and 9 dBi antenna. Is the 7 dBi panel antenna really necessary? What about the USB power cable? I'm assuming it can be powered via either USB plugged into my laptop or an AC adapter plugged into the wall. And the battery pack? I also don't think the case is absolutely necessary. But the one thing that really gets me is the option that says "4GB USB Storage". I'm pretty sure the Pineapple already comes with a USB port, and I have plenty of USB drives laying around. Is it referring to 4 GB of internal storage, or the ability to interface with USB drives? Can someone clarify exactly what this means? Thanks for any help!