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How to disable a laptop's built-in WiFi NIC when using a PCMCIA one?

rated 0 times [ 2] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 2393 / 2 Years ago, sat, april 9, 2022, 1:29:14

I have a weak (having to reconnect frequently) "Intel Ultimate N WiFi Link 5300" built-in WiFi module in my Dell E5500 laptop and prefer to use a PCMCIA "Atheros AR5008" instead.

On Windows I just switch the laptop's wireless switch to off and the built-in module gets disabled (while Atheros (D-Link, actually) drivers just ignore it). But XUbuntu 11.10 understands the wireless switch and disables all the WiFi modules, including the PCMCIA one.

How to disable the built-in one without disabling the PCMCIA one in this case?

I don't want to have both of them (as I do now). Would be cool If I could switch them on and off easily and in an instant, as I can do in Windows.

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cugure

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2 Years ago

answered 2 Years ago steaocyte · Accepted Answer

You could try unloading the module (I believe that card uses ~~iwlwifi~~ iwlagn):

sudo rmmod iwlagn

I've just checked, and it definitely works here with the BCM4312, wl module.

To bring it back up, use

sudo modprobe iwlagn

Since you wanted to permanently disable the built in wireless NIC, one way to do this is by blacklisting the supporting module. since Intel chipset is supported by the iwlagn driver, you can blacklist iwlang. Run:

gksu gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Add this line to the file:

blacklist iwlagn

Save the file and quit the text editor.

Now, even on reboot this module will not be loaded.