@Siphonay a wifi chip will still work with no antenna, as it'll use the board itself as an antenna, but inside of a desktop computer case with all that interference it probably won't work all too well

@unascribed it was like that inside of the laptop 🤷‍♂️ do you think there's something I could use as an antenna?

@Siphonay you'd need to find something that can connect to those two contacts on the top of the chip

@Siphonay most laptops just have wires that run through either side of the monitor half of the laptop

@Siphonay well, here's a part that has everything you'd need, including an antenna adapter (to coax, so you'd need an antenna that can connect to coax, but those are common) https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1JM2EX1186&cm_re=mini_pcie_to_pcie_adapter-_-9SIA1JM2EX1186-_-Product

a good WiFI AC USB adapter is ~$30

@Siphonay not saying get it from here specifically, or even this exact part, but, the thing you want *does* exist

@Siphonay oh, huh, it comes with a coax antenna. neat.

@unascribed @Siphonay oh fuck nvm I misread I thought this was about putting this in a notebook sorry

@Siphonay here's the same basic part on Amazon that ships sometime this decade https://www.amazon.com/Allytech-Wireless-Network-Ethernet-Converter/dp/B00SMLYKI2/

@unascribed @Siphonay if there's an existing WiFi card in the notebook you should just be able to disconnect the antennae from that and connect it to the new one

@unascribed wow I'll look to get something like this, thanks!

@Siphonay check if you can get a good USB wifi dongle before getting a mini PCIe adapter, by the way - the PCIe adapter is a niche part and will cost more than just the materials as such, while wifi dongles are a much more common item and you can get them cheap

@Siphonay also worth bearing in mind is the need for an antenna of some description.

If you're not reusing the one from your laptop then you'd need to order that too.

You might find in the end that it's cheaper just to buy a USB dongle 😅