Librem Mini v2: WiFi Card Has No Antenna Wires – What Am I Missing?

Hardware Librem Mini
1

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone familiar with the Librem Mini v2 hardware can help me figure out exactly what I have to do to get the WiFi working.

I purchased my Librem Mini directly from Purism in December 2020.

The label on the bottom says:

Model: LMv2-01
Power: 19V 2.1A Max
Barcode/Serial shown on label: LM204100054

Purism sent me a wireless card in February 2025, but life got in the way and I didn’t attempt to install it until recently.

The problem is that I don’t see the two black and white antenna wires/leads that I expected to find based on Purism’s Librem Mini Wi-Fi card installation/replacement video.

As shown in the attached images there appears to be only one light gray wire. It appears to be attached/soldered near the inside edge of the chassis and terminates in a small black-covered piece. I do not see an obvious connector that I can attach to either of the two antenna terminals marked MAIN and AUX on the WiFi card.

The WiFi card itself is installed in the slot and secured with its screw, but both the MAIN and AUX antenna connection points on the card are currently empty.

I’ve attached photos showing:

  1. The inside of the Librem Mini before installing the WiFi card

  2. The WiFi card.

  3. The inside with the WiFi card installed

  4. A close up of the WiFi card, the empty MAIN/AUX connections, and the gray wire

Could someone familiar with the Librem Mini v2 / LMv2-01 please tell me:

  1. What exactly is the gray wire shown in my photos? Is it actually a WiFi antenna lead, or is it something else?

  2. If it is an antenna lead, how is it supposed to connect to the WiFi card? I don’t see an obvious snap connector on the end.

  3. Should this model have two antenna leads, one for MAIN and one for AUX?

  4. Am I missing antenna cables or other hardware that Purism should have supplied with the WiFi card?

  5. If parts are missing, exactly what antenna/cable assembly do I need, and where can I obtain a compatible one?

  6. Is there a safe alternative way to get WiFi working on this Mini if the original internal antenna hardware is missing?

Where I currently live, WiFi is my only practical way to connect this computer to the internet, so I really need to get this figured out.

I emailed Purism support about this over five weeks ago and included these photos and my original purchase information, but unfortunately I haven’t received a response yet. That’s why I’m hoping someone here who knows this particular Mini revision can help.

I’m happy to take additional close up photos from any angle needed before I touch or attempt to connect anything.

Thank you very much for any help!

Paul

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2

Reply accordingly if you are willing to take guesses from someone who does not own a Mini and is not familiar with it. :wink:

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3

I have a mini from 2022 but explicitly ordered it without Wi-Fi so not sure opening up mine would be of much help.

I think the metal antenna wire connector you’re looking for is called a U.FL male or female connector.

It’s possible that Puri.sm never included a secondary antenna if it was originally ordered without Wi-Fi.

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5

You might see some relevant pictures/comments in this thread: Changing the WiFi Bluetooth card - #2 by FranklyFlawless or Intel AX200 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Shipping for New Orders – Purism . They had a gray (AUX) and a black wire (Main) with, I think, two MHF4 connectors.

6

I would have guessed that that is exactly the scenario the OP is interested in.

If you ordered it explicitly without WiFi, wouldn’t you want to open it up to verify that there is indeed no WiFi card?

7

I actually did this a few months ago just to clean it out and check the thermal paste. No Wi-Fi card. I don’t recall if there were any antenna wires however.

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11

It is usually a bad idea to let unattached uninsulated metal connector dangling around in the chassis because of the risk of shorting something. I would expect the connector to be wrapped inside the insulation tape.

I do not own a mini, but, in my Librem 5in another computer that I have, there is only one grey-colored antenna attached to MAIN instead of two antennas.

Edit: Corrected the device.

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