Connect PCIe devices to Macbook pro

2

I have a Macbook Pro retina and I want to connect a PCIe based wireless card to it . Actually I want use a wireless card supports the ath9k open source driver. There are multiple devices but most of them use PCIe interface. Is there any usb-based or thunderbolt adapter that can do so ? Among the list of devices some also use cardbus but Macbook Pro doesn't have cardbus either. I am stuck !

EDIT

I could also use a wireless adapter which uses the CardBus interface. So an external usb to PCMCIA adapter would also work.

TahaZaidi

Posted 2015-06-24T12:55:23.833

Reputation: 29

Just Google Thunderbolt to PCI Express, there are devices that do this. – James P – 2015-06-24T13:05:43.020

I have searched quite a bit . But did not find any viable solution . Magma has very expensive and large ones. I am finding simpler and smaller. – TahaZaidi – 2015-06-24T13:50:10.540

1

What about this: http://www.akitio.com/accessories/thunder2-pcie-box

– James P – 2015-06-24T13:57:23.440

@James The product does the job but is too much expensive and bulky for my simple requirements. I am looking for a portable and less than 60-70$ solution. – TahaZaidi – 2015-06-29T19:01:50.960

I fail to understand the "I could also use a wireless adapter which uses the CardBus interface. So an external usb to PCMCIA adapter would also work" part. PCMCIA is an old ISA like interface. Cardbus has a similar shape, but it quite different (two generation more modern, and cardbus comes down to an USB connectiond a single PCIe lane). – Hennes – 2015-06-29T19:26:57.330

@Hennes to put it simply. Any way cheap way to connect these https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/ath9k/products/external list of devices . e.g http://www.dlink.com/uk/en/support/product/dwa-645-wireless-n-cardbus-adapter with my macbook pro :)

– TahaZaidi – 2015-06-29T20:42:14.783

Answers

1

I don't think anyone makes PCIe expansion chassis for USB 3.x, so you're looking at a US$200+ Thunderbolt PCIe expansion chassis, which is pretty expensive and bulky, plus the cost of the 802.11 card.

You'd probably be much better off finding a USB dongle Wi-Fi adapter that uses a chipset supported by the driver you care about. Perhaps any from the long list on this ath9k USB dongle page of WikiDevi.

Spiff

Posted 2015-06-24T12:55:23.833

Reputation: 84 656

Again the problem is usb Wi-Fi dongles do not use the ath9k driver. Instead they use ath9k_htc which is a firmware and the source is entirely different than ath9k hence useless for me. As mentioned in the edit the list also mentions wireless adapter that use the CardBus Interface. So USB to PCMCIA would also work. But i cannot find any product with reasonable sellers or reviews. As i am in a country where amazon or other US based products are not readily available. I have to be careful while buying. – TahaZaidi – 2015-06-29T18:54:28.530

@TahaZaidi Unfortunately, you're probably stuck. There's very little market for external PCIe, CardBus, or PCMCIA adaptors, so the products that exist aren't produced in sufficient quantity to get the economies of scale that allow them to be sold cheaply. It seems there's a small market for Thunderbolt PCIe expansion chassis for video-related cards (which are much bigger than Wi-Fi cards) so the products that exist are big enough to hold full size cards. The US$200 Akitio Thunder2 is probably going to be your best bet. – Spiff – 2015-06-29T19:16:30.013

Asked: 2015-06-24T12:55:23.833

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Active: 2015-06-29T18:48:44.847