Is it safe to remove the bracket holding down the wifi adapter cables?

Kind of an odd question but I’m wondering if you can take out the bracket that holds down the wifi adapter, or if it will cause adverse affects while running. I want to do it so I can salvage the little screw to use for installing an NVMe into my gaming PC (it’s the same one right?)

Probably not. M.2 devices tend to pop out if they’re not held down by this screw - they spring up and can back out of the socket. Plus the bracket keeps the two tiny antenna connectors in place. Without it, if the M.2 rose up, it will cause the connectors and their wires to contact the underside of the top plate, causing them to loosen and pop off or at worst damage the tiny centre pin on the connectors.

And that’s a special screw made specifically to fit the Framework driver which fits all the other screwheads.

You’d be much better off buying these screws - they’re cheap and easy to find now:

https://www.amazon.ca/SGTKJSJS-M-2-Screw-NVMe-Mounting/dp/B07Q3DLCJ4/ref=sr_1_6?crid=237IYPZG3UOS0&keywords=m2+screw&qid=1644257765&sprefix=m.2+scr%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-6

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I don’t think it will harm anything if you remove the bracket - it just helps keep the connectors and the Wi-Fi antennae (white and black wires) from moving around. If you get everything tucked in and secure it should be fine.
I don’t know if the screw will fit an M.2 socket but perhaps you’ve already tried? M.2 screws are usually M2.0x2.5mm or thereabouts.

It’s OK to remove the bracket, but the screw holds both the bracket AND the M.2 module down.

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Before you start robbing used screws, there are spares along the top. Maybe one of those is the right size.

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@Fraoch is right - I didn’t even think of the fact that the wifi card itself will flop around without the screw. Disregard my post :wink:

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Had to dig up that photo to be sure myself. :wink: Initially I thought it should be fine to remove the bracket, then I took a look…

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Oh right it also holds the adapter down

Guess we all had a lil goof here

Also @speckledsea where at? I didn’t see any

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Ohhh I thought those were attached to something lol

Thanks for letting me know

I’ve always wondered how it is OK that a metal bracket lays on top and bridges the two antenna contacts. Isn’t this an issue?

The exposed metal shells of the connectors are connected to ground. They are connected together to the ground on the wireless card and ultimately to the laptop ground. Shorting them together like that just makes the grounding better. :slightly_smiling_face:

These are very tiny coaxial cables, two cables in one, with the signal cable inside and a ground/shield outside. The tiny pin on the card connects to a tiny socket inside the connector. The connector shell connects to the ground or shield on the outside of the cable, just under the insulation.

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Thanks. Makes sense.

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