Apple AirPort Extreme Model A1354 WiFi Card Replacement

Geschrieben von: Daniel Wagstaffe

Kommentare: 6

Apple AirPort Extreme Model A1354 WiFi Card Replacement

Schwierigkeitsgrad

Moderate

Schritte

Zeitaufwand

10 - 15 Minuten

Einleitung

If the base station is not sending out a signal, the Wi-Fi card may need to be replaced.

Werkzeuge

Schritt 1

First start by peeling off the outer rubbery covering on the bottom of the device.
CAUTION: This part is very fragile, so it is recommended that a blow dryer is used on the covering to heat it up. Simply blow dry the covering while slowly peeling it away, and the covering will not tear.

By the time I needed to open my AirPort Extreme in mid-2019, the adhesive bond to the covering had weakened to the point that the covering readily peeled away cleanly without the application of heat. I just worked slowly and carefully.

The covering had no residue of adhesive on it after removal, but there was a sheet of adhesive clinging to the plastic surface of the body of the unit. I had to poke holes in it to reach the screws, but that was no big deal and easily done.

When finished, the rubbery covering adhered to the body of the unit again adequately without the use of additional adhesive or (as I had planned to use) double-sided tape.

BTW I was not disassembling the unit to replace the battery, but rather to reset the device by bridging the contacts that a broken reset switch failed to connect. (The switch had become detached from the circuit board and was literally hanging by a thread when I opened the case and fell off altogether as I examined it.)

Thanks for the clear disassembly instructions!

gambaguru+fb - 22/06/19

When I performed this, the rubber had deteriorated(?) and tore quite easily, particularly around the model number label.

Steve I - 18/02/20

Schritt 2

After removing the rubber covering, unscrew the five 4.9mm Phillips screws in the holes of the plastic casing.

Use a #0 Phillips driver for these screws. Knowing they are 4.9mm is not necessary unless one needs to be replaced.

Steve I - 18/02/20

Schritt 3

After unscrewing all five screws, remove the plastic casing. The back should now look like the picture shown.

Schritt 4

The inner metal casing is latched inside the outer white plastic shell, so insert a pry tool underneath the metal casing and pry it apart from the shell.
It should make a click when it comes apart.

Schritt 5

Remove the outer casing.
The exposed logic board should look like this.

Remove the 3 connectors from the logic board to the antennas before removing the logic board from the metal surround.

Dan McGoldrick - 25/08/15

Steve I - 18/02/20

Schritt 6

Take the device out of the casing and orient it so that you can see the WiFi card.

Schritt 7

Wires come from the three antennas and connect on the outer edge of the WiFi card.
Carefully pull up on the end of one of the wires to disconnect it from the motherboard.
Do this for the remaining two wires.

Schritt 8

There are two clips attached to the upper and lower ends of the WiFi card
CAUTION: For the following step, do not pull the clip after you have detached it. The clip is fragile and too much force may cause the clip to break.
Grab the end of one of the clips and pull away from the WiFi card. This should make the clip visibly detached from the WiFi card.
Do the same for the other clip.

Schritt 9

Grasp the upper and lower ends of the WiFi card.
Carefully pull the WiFi card to the right.
CAUTION: Do not pull UP (towards yourself) on the WiFi card when removing. The card is on a track that only allows it to move left and right. Forcing the card to move in other directions may result in breaking the track.
Completely remove the WiFi card.

Abschluss

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Tinte & Feder

Daniel Wagstaffe

Mitglied seit: 03/04/12

97 Reputation

Ein Kommentar

this is a1143 model not a1354

allls - 10/03/19