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Bluetooth replacement for Handoff, Continuity, etc. on Mac Pro 5,1

Nick Batzdorf

Nick Batzdorf

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I know you can spend $150 for a replacement card that works, and it's not worth anywhere near that much to me.

But is there a reason a card like https://www.ebay.com/itm/192542948048?ul_noapp=true (this) would work on a hackintosh but not a MacIntosh? EFI/BIOS and other letter salad? It has the requisite chipset.

TIA
Click to read more...
 
Nick Batzdorf said:
I know you can spend $150 for a replacement card that works, and it's not worth anywhere near that much to me.

But is there a reason a card like https://www.ebay.com/itm/192542948048?ul_noapp=true (this) would work on a hackintosh but not a MacIntosh? EFI/BIOS and other letter salad? It has the requisite chipset.

TIA
Click to expand...
It lists in there that it does support macOS though...

Description:
  • Brand Name: Fenvi
  • Model: FV-T919
  • Chipest:Broadcom BCM94360
  • Type: Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0
  • Speed up to 1300Mbps
  • Support Bluetooth 4.0
  • Dual band 2.4Ghz/5Ghz
  • Support Hackintosh
  • With 4 pcs Antenna
  • Support for Windows7/8/8.1/10/linux/Hackintosh/MacOSX
  • Note:Bluetooth function not work well on MacOSX 10.12,thank you.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, that punctuation makes it look like it work, doesn't it.

But why does Bt "not work well on 10.12,thank you?" Bt is the whole point.

I dunno. The seller is in China, and I don't want to get stuck with a $50 throwaway.
 
Nick Batzdorf said:
Yeah, that punctuation makes it look like it work, doesn't it.

But why does Bt "not work well on 10.12,thank you?" Bt is the whole point.

I dunno. The seller is in China, and I don't want to get stuck with a $50 throwaway.
Click to expand...
I am not sure why it does not work very well on Sierra, but I am on High Sierra and it works absolutely fine :)

If it is the BCM94360, then it is the official card that is supported by Apple in their machines

I bought the kit that provides the extender cable and adaptor, which replaces the current Mac Pro 5,1 setup exactly
(broken link removed)

And I can vouch for that fact that that ^ kit is fully supported
 
Your card looks great... except for the price.

I wonder whether there's more to it than the chipset.

By the way, I have a cable like that going to an external Wi-Fi antenna for Bluetooth (via a jack I mounted on a PCI slot cover). It solves the problem of the case blocking the signal.
 
Nick Batzdorf said:
Your card looks great... except for the price.

I wonder whether there's more to it than the chipset.

By the way, I have a cable like that going to an external Wi-Fi antenna for Bluetooth (via a jack I mounted on a PCI slot cover). It solves the problem of the case blocking the signal.
Click to expand...
That is interesting :)

Could you show how and where you have it?
Would be interested to see this, though I know the official one is not inside the case, but behind a plastic area below the PCI slots. Just like the Wi-Fi Antenna is on the bottom behind a plastic cover
 
If you are just looking to replace the bluetooth one, I'd recommend taking a look to this little dongle $13, no drivers required, plug & play:
Amazon product ASIN B007GFX0PY
It has worked flawlessly on my Mac Pro 5,1 and fully compatible with newer devices. :)
 
Thanks Garlu, but I actually have Bluetooth in my 5,1 working fine.

The issue is that you need a specific, more modern Bluetooth chipset to use Handoff, Continuity, and AirDrop - features Apple added to later macOS versions. That lets you do things like insert photos from your iPhone into an email you're writing on your Mac - which would be nice, just not worth $150.

And as far as I know, there are no cheap Bt dongles that will work.
 
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