L5 wifi fried, can its module be replaced easily

Hardware Librem 5
1

I inadvertently fried the wifi module with a static electricity zap the other day, I think…

Now the phone still works, but any attempt to connect to my home wifi is met with a message that no wifi module is present.

So…are replacements available for the wifi module, and how difficult will it be to get one and install it myself?

Is there anyway to determine if my wifi module is still good but misconfigured or disabled somehow that I can remedy using terminal commands? Any commands to inventory my installed hardware that would definitely indicate if the wifi module is truly dead?

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Email support and ask if you can buy one, they don’t list everything on the store page.

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Yes, WiFi modules are easily replaceable.

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i had to replace my modem recently and that was easy to do. it was a warranty rwplacement- Purism shipped out the part, and a video of how to diassemble the L5. it didnt take long and my phone was working again.

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Hardware info:

sudo apt install hwinfo

Then hwinfo (to see all) or hwinfo | grep wifi (to see only wifi info)… or possibly hwinfo | grep wlan0 or hwinfo | grep network

Or list hardware:

sudo apt install lshw

Then: sudo lshw

There are probably other commands for this, too.

Or: nmcli device show (You may have to turn the screen sideways to read it all.)

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So to be clear you had the back open and were messing around with the module? Did you remove the module? If yes then I would check first that the module is seated properly.

If you were removing the module then you might have messed around with the antennae, which must be manipulated carefully. However that wouldn’t cause “no wifi module”.

It may be too obvious but the hardware kill switch for the WiFi module would need to be in the non-killing position.

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I have not tried at any time since my unit arrived to disassemble the L5 in any way. I did take the back off to see if there was any obvious “fried” look to any of the components that are visible with just the back off, but saw nothing unusual.
And I did check to see that the wifi switch was in the "ON’ position.

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OK, what were the circumstances around the “fried the wifi module with a static electricity zap”?

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I had the phone sitting on the charger. When I approached the phone to pick it up, I felt a static discharge which jumped to the phone.
After that, any attempt to connect to Wi-Fi was met with a " no Wi-Fi device detected" message.

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And you’ve tried all the various reboot options?

Does Bluetooth work? Show up at least as an option to enable and can be enabled and works? (The point is that Bluetooth and WiFi are on the same module, so if the module is truly totally irretrievably dead then you will have lost both.) However this test would be better if Bluetooth was working before. Was it?

I don’t want you to spend money on a new WiFi module only to find that it wasn’t the WiFi module.

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If Bluetooth does work, make sure you can connect to something as an antenna check.

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Thanks for reminding me that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on the same module.
I disabled the Bluetooth and then re-enabled it, and (lo and behold) the Wi-Fi came back.
Thanks to all for your assistance. It’s rewarding to have a supportive community one can rely upon for good advice.

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