First steps: installing a compatible Bluetooth card to my laptop? [closed]

Question

I'm looking to install a Bluetooth card to my laptop, as it currently doesn't have Bluetooth support and I'd like to get away from having to use an external USB dongle. I own a Gateway NV51 series laptop, but I don't know really where to even start with this. If it were a desktop, I'd know at least which direction to head in, but since it's a notebook, I'm lost. Is this even possible?

I think that at the very least, I can upgrade my wireless card, perhaps I need to just open up my notebook and take a look. Does anyone have any recommendations for a card that will be very compatible with a recent kernel as well as one that will be compatible to be put into a notebook? I don't have a side-port on the notebook, so it'll have to be internal if I'm going to install it.

Answer 1

I thin you're starting at the wrong end of the stick. It sounds like you're trying to narrow the field first on Linux compatibility, with a caveat about your hardware situation.

First figure out what hardware options you have, then check on Linux drivers. Look at your machine specs or open it up and figure out what kind of slot options you have. There may be a bluetooth module for the machine with a special place to plug it, or you may have a generic place to put mini-pci cards or whatnot. Figure out what kind of hardware you can add, then go to the store (figuratively speaking, online is good) and figure out what you can buy in that form factor. Then when you get a few options, search Linux drivers and make sure they are out there. Make sure the chipset used doesn't show up splattered all over the web with people unable to get it working, and make sure you find a few references to the chipset being supported both in the kernel driver list and somebody saying they have it working.