Keep-whole modulesKeep the moduleUnplug and unscrew

Wi-Fi card

Also called mini PCIe wireless, M.2 wireless, laptop WLAN.

The card in a laptop, with antenna jacks. It is a replacement part for another laptop of the same era, not a hobby radio. Mini PCIe and M.2 A/E key are the common shapes and they do not fit the same slot.

If you are new to this category

Some scrap is already a finished object: a webcam a computer recognizes, a barcode scanner that types numbers, an amplifier board between a jack and a speaker. Opening these to pull a chip almost always throws away the useful thing. If it still works when you plug it in, stop there.

Test the whole module before you unscrew it. A working webcam is worth more than the parts inside a dead one.

Stop when it still works

Plug the module in before you take it apart. A webcam the computer already sees, a scanner that types into a text box, or a speaker board that plays music is the finished part. The chips on the board are not an upgrade.

Specification. The right-hand column is what is typical. The label on the part in your hand wins if they disagree.
What to look for	Usual figure
Interface	Mini PCIe or M.2. The antennas are U.FL.
Bands	Printed on the label, sometimes honestly

Volts are electrical pressure, amps are how much current is flowing, and ohms are how hard the part resists that flow. A higher voltage than the part was built for is how salvage parts die on the bench. If a cell in the table says “read the stamp”, that stamp is the whole specification.

What people actually use it for

Repair
A spare for a machine you still have

Leave this one when

The label is a whitelist-locked OEM card and the target laptop is a different brand that refuses it. Some older laptops do this.

Buying a new one is the better idea when

A USB Wi-Fi dongle, if you wanted Wi-Fi for a project rather than for that laptop.

How to tell if this one still works

Install it in a machine with the antennas connected. A card without antennas will associate poorly and then disappear.

Tools you will want: A screwdriver, The antenna leads.

Where people actually find it

3 notes, most useful first. “Leave it” means the part is in that machine and you should not take it: it is dangerous, worn out, or only useful if you already know that exact repair.

Harvest at a glance
From	Call	How many	How often	Where it sits
Laptop	Worth it	1	usually	Mini PCIe or M.2 slot.
Set-top box or streamer	Bonus	1	sometimes	Internal, on later boxes.
LCD television	Bonus	1	sometimes	On later smart TVs.

Worth pullingLaptop1 · usually
In this particular machine
A complete radio with two antenna jacks.
Where to look
Mini PCIe or M.2 slot.
How to get it out
Pop the antennas straight up, then the one screw.
The condition to expect
Good if the jacks are not torn off.
Bonus, if you are already in thereSet-top box or streamer1 · sometimes
In this particular machine
A USB or PCIe radio.
Where to look
Internal, on later boxes.
How to get it out
Only if the connector is standard.
The condition to expect
Mixed.
Bonus, if you are already in thereLCD television1 · sometimes
In this particular machine
Often a USB module.
Where to look
On later smart TVs.
How to get it out
Only if the connector is obvious.
The condition to expect
Fine.