Lenovo N21 Chromebook WiFi Card Replacement

Written By: Alex Cass
  • Comments: 8
Lenovo N21 Chromebook WiFi Card Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

10

Time Required

10 minutes

Introduction

This is a very simple replacement that involves taking apart the Lenovo N21 Chromebook. Once apart, the WiFi card can be swapped with another very easily. Note that the only issue may be an incorrect replacement of the wires connected to the card. Make sure the white and black wires are replaced in the correct order before putting the laptop together again.

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    • Power down the Chromebook before starting any repair.

    • Opening up your Chromebook voids the manufacturer warranty.

    • Use a screwdriver to remove the six 5.0mm Phillips screws from the bottom housing of the Chromebook.

    Where is write Protect Screw ???
    Please
    Lenovo N21 Chrome Book

    MAC IT -

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    • Use a plastic opening tool to pry off the four rubber pegs from the bottom housing.

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    • Use a screwdriver to remove the four 5.0mm Phillips screws located under the rubber soles.

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    • Flip the laptop over and open the screen.

    • Gently pry the keyboard and trackpad panel away from the bottom housing using a plastic opening tool.

    • Once completely separated, do not immediately pull the panel completely away from the bottom housing. There are wires that are still connecting the panel to the rest of the internals of the Chromebook.

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    • Disconnect the keyboard ribbon cable by lifting the ZIF connector lock with a plastic opening tool or fingernail and gently pulling the ribbon cable straight out of its socket.

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    • Disconnect the trackpad ribbon cable by lifting the ZIF connector lock with a small prying tool or fingernail and gently pulling the ribbon cable straight out of its socket.

    My replacements did not come with the trackpad zif. I had to remove from the old part and move to the new part.

    Michael Selburg -

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    • Remove the keyboard and trackpad panel away from the device.

    Has anyone gone through the experience of replacing JUST the keyboard? It looks like they are available as a separate component, e.g. https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-for-Lenovo-... but I haven’t found a tutorial on removing the keyboard from its bezel. Thanks!

    mbates -

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    • Use a screwdriver to remove the single 3mm Phillips screw that is holding the WiFi card in place.

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    • Remove the black and white wires attached to WiFi card by gently lifting them upwards.

    • When re-attaching the wires, make sure they are in the correct placement. You do not want to switch the black and white wires.

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    • Remove the WiFi card by pulling it straight out of its connector.

    • Keep the WiFi card horizontal and pull straight back to avoid causing the part harm.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Alex Cass

Member since: 26/04/17

285 Reputation

5 comments

Very nicely written. Pictures are helpful too.

Adil M. -

Thank you for this!

I had a Lenovo N21 Chromebook and the wifi card seemed to be faulty, but all it needed was a wipe off and It works perfectly now!

Evergreen -

My Lenovo N21 was dropping the wifi connection. It did it a year ago and then improved, but the past month started doing it again very bad to the point I started looking for a replacement. It would maintain the connection for 5 minutes to 1 hour. I searched the problem, found this advise, and in 10 minutes it is fixed and has not dropped in 2 days. I assume it is fixed for good. Thanks for the tip and excellent instructions. Saved me $300 also.

Kerry Dalton -

Kerry Dalton - what did you do to fix your problem? Replace? B & W wires crossed?

Im getting ready to take this device apart.

ssdrtelcom@gmail.com

Skip Stringham -

I’ve replaced network cards in laptops before, so I’m not totally new at this, but from your diagram, my Lenovo 100e looks TOTALLY different. Has anyone had this issue? I can’t seem to find my network card. Or, is it integrated??

Eric R. Klingsten -