How-to: Installing AirPort and Bluetooth from Service Parts

So, Apple announced the Mac mini, and like so many others (us, for example) you rushed out to your local Apple store and bought one the first day they were available. As delightful as it is, the mini includes a few opportunities for buyer’s remorse; the perceived difficulty of upgrading internal components prompts such thoughts. Regret no more—we show you how to install both AirPort and Bluetooth in your mini, with just a few tools and a short list of Apple service parts.

A word to the wise: Apple didn’t intend for the end user to be digging inside the Mac mini, and doing so could void your warranty. Generally speaking, you should be okay so long as you don’t break anything. If you sprang for the 3 years of AppleCare, however, you might want to preserve your investment and leave the installations to the service technicians.

The parts you’ll need are:

  • Mezzanine Board: 922-6671
  • Bluetooth Antenna: 661-6674
  • Bluetooth Board: 922-6530
  • AirPort Antenna: 922-6673
  • AirPort Extreme Card: 661-3045
  • Jewelers #0 Phillips screws: 922-6680
  • Kapton tape: 922-1731

The service parts come in boxes that are each a bit bigger than the mini itself by volume. Interesting that they cram a computer inside of 85 cubic inches, yet a Bluetooth card the size of a postage stamp requires 180 cubic inches in packaging. (Perhaps that’s for the junior-varsity engineers who work down in shipping.) We received 5 boxes in all plus the AirPort Extreme box.

The AirPort Extreme card is Apple’s standard part that you’d buy to install in an iBook, PowerBook, iMac, etc. The other components can be ordered as a complete kit or separately. If you only want AirPort, you’ll need the mezzanine board, the AirPort antenna, the AirPort card, and the screws.

If you only want Bluetooth, you’ll need the mezzanine board, the Bluetooth board, the Bluetooth Antenna, and the screws.

We know of two online sources for the necessary parts: Mac-Pro, and CGNUSA. Alternately, a local Apple Authorized Service tech may be willing to order them for you—some will charge a reasonable markup, and if they are also an authorized reseller they probably have them in stock. The truth is that reselling Apple service parts isn’t that big of a problem, but the labor charges are where service technicians really make their money; some aren’t willing to forgo that potential income, nor to be even tangentially involved should you wreck your computer.

Don’t bother calling Apple directly to order the parts. While Apple offers Do-It-Yourself service which for some products (the iMac G5 is almost completely user-serviceable), the Mac mini isn’t part of that program. We tried—even after escalating through various support staff, and repeated assurances that we didn’t mind voiding our warranty, Apple refused to sell us the parts directly. But, where there’s a will there’s a way—make a few phone calls or turn to one of the online sources sited above.

If you do talk a service tech into selling you the parts, be prepared for multiple warnings, “You’ll void your warranty, you know”. (We counted five total from our tech—like Ralphie being warned about his Red Ryder BB Gun).

Kapton tape can be purchased directly from its eponymous web site. (Thanks to tnkgrl for the painfully obvious link.) You can also order it either as an Apple Service part or from online retailers such as Digikey. The AirPort Extreme card is Apple’s standard Mini PCI 802.11g module, based on a Broadcom chip. It is not the interchangeable with the original AirPort card, nor other CardBus wireless cards. Apple’s mezzanine card is unique, but the AirPort Extreme card should be physically interchangable with other Mini PCI cards.

Tools You Will Need

  • ESD Wriststrap and Mat
  • #0 Phillips Screwdriver
  • #1 Phillips Screwdriver
  • Non-Conductive Nylon or Plastic Stick
  • Soft Cloth
  • Screw Tray
  • Putty Knife, 1.5 Inch Flexible Blade.

Taking a mini apart is much less difficult than a laptop, but it does require attention to detail. Mechanically, this is a pretty simple process—one scary sounding step, a few really tiny screws and some tape. Electrically, this is a still a computer; one good 10,000 volt electrostatic shock and you might be going back to the Apple store to buy a shiny new mini. So let’s be careful out there. The ESD wriststrap is recommended, but you can do fine without it if you use some common sense. Our electrostatic discharge primer can help you here.

To install our new gear, we need to open the case (we advise also removing the memory), and then remove the internal frame. We then have access to the logic board, where our new hardware gets installed. Follow the instructions below from our walk through and you’ll be ready to go:

Prerequisites

  1. Opening the Case
  2. Installing Memory
  3. Removing the Internal Frame

With the internal frame removed, you can start assembling the AirPort/Bluetooth module.

Begin by inserting the AirPort Extreme card into the mezzanine board; align the card with the connector and press in very firmly. It is easy to not fully secure the card, so make sure that there is no additional travel in the card when you press in. Secure the card to the mezzanine board with a few pieces of Kapton tape—two pieces holding the card to the connector so it doesn’t pop out, and one at the end near the antenna. If the tape is not present, the card will rest on one of the logic board components when the mezzanine card is inverted to be reattached.

Connect the Bluetooth module to the mezzanine board and attach using two #0 screws. Attach the AirPort Extreme antenna to the Airport Extreme card by aligning the connector and pressing in, very firmly. The connector will click when fully inserted. Attach the Bluetooth antenna similarly.

Without damaging the antennae, align and connect the mezzanine card to the logic board. The mezzanine card fits very closely to the modem card and might need a slight push to fit in the proper place. Replace the two #0 screws and the internal frame is ready to be replaced.