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April 8th, 2023 08:00
Precision 3571 Bluetooth option greyed out in BIOS with Bluetooth enabled WiFi card
My company originally purchased a batch of Dell Precision 3571 models, we found that Bluetooth was not configured when reviewing the order sheet, which was an oversight on our part, so the models in the batch, have all shipped with a non-Bluetooth WiFi card.
I figured, it would be easy enough to replace the original WiFi card by swapping in a AX211NGW WiFi card with Bluetooth it would be a fairly easy remedy given it was out mistake, however despite swapping out the non-Bluetooth WiFi card that shipped with the model, the Bluetooth option remains greyed out. On the summary screen in the UEFI firmware, it states the Bluetooth Module as "Installed", but when going to Connectivity > Bluetooth the option is still greyed out and cannot be ticked.
The swapped card works fine in Windows for WiFi, just without Bluetooth, given in the firmware it's showing as disabled.
Based on some information we found, it suggests when first provisioned by Dell, a one-time write occurs to the motherboard with a specific flag to control this option and given because the original unit shipped with no Bluetooth the firmware has disabled this option, regardless of Bluetooth enabled hardware being installed, this does not enable Bluetooth as it's being controlled by something else in the firmware.
Can I get clarification if it's possible for the Bluetooth option to be enabled, despite the original unit being "No Bluetooth". It seems really excessive to have a one-time write process control the functionality of Bluetooth at a firmware level, when compatible hardware is present. I was potentially told the motherboard of the Precision 3571 would have to be swapped potentially, that also seems crazy, but I will acknowledge the original issue of no Bluetooth was ours and not spotting it on the order sheet, but I'm looking for clarification on if the above is accurate, before potentially just going with external USB 3.0 Bluetooth 5.0 receivers.
DELL-Cares
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April 9th, 2023 00:00
Thank you! We have received the required details. We will work towards a resolution. In the meantime, you may also receive assistance or suggestions from the community members.
Olexiy
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August 18th, 2023 06:08
@DELL-Cares I faced with same issue on Precision 7780. BIOS version 1.5.1.
HedgeFundManager
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August 23rd, 2023 23:33
If the Bluetooth remains greyed out check for a BIOS update as pretty much every laptop out there now supports it.
My old precision 5540 came with an old Wifi card and I recently stuffed an Intel AX210 in the machine and it works dramatically better with bluetooth devices such as earbuds etc.
nainareo
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August 24th, 2023 03:17
It appears that the lack of Bluetooth functionality despite swapping in a compatible WiFi card might indeed be due to the initial provisioning of the system by Dell. In some cases, a one-time write process in the firmware sets specific flags that control hardware options like Bluetooth. While it might seem excessive, this is a way to ensure system integrity and compatibility. Swapping the motherboard as a solution seems extreme and not very practical. If the Bluetooth option remains greyed out despite the hardware change, it's likely that the firmware is preventing its activation. In such a situation, external USB 3.0 Bluetooth 5.0 receivers might be a viable workaround to add Bluetooth functionality to these systems. This might be the most practical solution given the constraints.
(edited)
HedgeFundManager
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September 5th, 2023 21:57
Probably best bet is to ask Dell about this firmware
bacillus1
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September 5th, 2023 22:25
What generation intel cpu does your laptop have?
iirc the AX211 card needs some inbuilt cpu functionality to work correctly. the AX210 card on the other hand doesn't need this cpu "extra" to function as intended.
HedgeFundManager
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September 10th, 2023 16:31
@bacillus1
The 9th Gen CPU uses the AX210 while more recent ones use the AX211 as Intel elected to change the way WiFi cards are interfaced after using PCIe for years. The AX211 uses CNVio2 which is not backwards compatible.
The goal Intel wanted was to reduce the cost of WiFi cards by moving some logic to the CPU. Historically the network card has a CPU to handle MAC and packet assembly/decoding etc
Also Intel wanted to be proprietary which is unethical in an age of de facto standards, PCIe 3.0 is fast enough to handle ay WiFi speeds.
(edited)
letitech
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October 2nd, 2023 16:53
Did you get a response from Dell on this issue? I have the same problem on a Dell Precision 3540. Updating the wifi card or the bios to the latest version does not help.
Neil Gray
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October 3rd, 2023 07:46
Technician replaced motherboard on my XPS 9150 and upgraded the BIOS (1.22.0) and I have the same problem.
In addition I cannot reset my Trusted Platform Module despite a day trying everything under the sun. I'll search that on another thread.
HedgeFundManager
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October 5th, 2023 17:44
check in the BIOS and see under security