Hello everyone,

I am in the process of fixing a water damaged "Macbook Pro 15 A1707 EMC3072"
Wi-fi module was shorting the board, so i have replaced it.

Now i have an issue where the Wi-fi is not being detected by the system. ( system does not detect the wi-fi module )

I wonder if this can be MeRegion / GBe region? issue ?
( I have the bios dump from the board i took the wi-fi chip from )

Would clearing the MeRegion be enough? or would this require some GBe Region manipulation?
In general are there scenarios where the wi-fi modules can be linked to bios? initialized to specific bios so that replacement of the wi-fi module will make it not work?

Thanks

That should not be required, with the ME I mean. Is the replacement wifi module the exact same model? If yes, and even if not, probably still nothing needing adjusted in ME for this, and issue is probably something else also shorted when the water incident happened.

Test another card in that slot if you have one, like small SSD or something and see if it registers in any software tools. For your last questions, no, I do not think that is possible, well maybe possible but not likely done by any manufacturers.

Have you tested the new module on another system, to ensure it's working? DOA items happen all the time, so best to be sure the card works before more troubleshooting is done.

Did you press down very hard on all the connectors when putting back together? I read some reports of same issue when replacing, and this helped some so could possibly be due to this.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro...eplacement/5886

Or possibly some other tiny resistor blew when it all shorted, which you may not be able to recognize as blown

The issue is that the Wifi module on the new macbooks model A1707 is soldered onto the board, so there is no way to try out anything else in that slot( easily ).

The replacement wifi module is the same, i was thinking it is linked via mac address to the chipset somehow.
I know there are securities in place so that if you start replacing some of the chips like bios password that can be stored on the chipset, not bios.

So though maybe its something similar in relation to Wi-fi ( so you would not be able to change the chip/mac address? )

If it is soldered to the board, you're replacing it by soldering in a new one? If yes, then check your solder connections for shorts or cold joints etc.

Replacement would have it's own MAC address, and if anything, such as BIOS was locked to a certain MAC, the device with incorrect MAC would still show up in the system *ie detected in device manager, shown in hardware detection / system info programs

All things you mention, stored keys etc and kept in the BIOS usually. Chipset does not store such information.
This does not apply to peripherals like a wifi card, otherwise they would be bothered too much by having to deal with customers who fixed a small part and now need a newly coded BIOS, that's too much work for them to lock things down like that.

But yes, often MAC address is stored in the BIOS, but once you change out the related part the BIOS will update or at least give you invalid MAC in device manager etc for the device and then you can correct in the BIOS.
They have to work this way, ie function and be powered up with the system, or you could never update the MAC ID in BIOS in instances that required changes such as that.

Does the device show up in HWInfo64, assuming you have wine or something installed to run windows based apps - https://www.hwinfo.com/download.php
You can download the portable, unzip and run then just click run (no changes to windows presented). If nothing shows in network section then device is non-functional.

I am not sure what "Device Manager" equivalent is in MAC/OSX, hopefully you know of some software tools that allow you to view all installed hardware in various sections of your system.
Check with that, if nothing in network then device is not functioning (Functioning and working are not same in my thoughts here, it would still show up no matter what if functioning)
Does it show up at all in your BIOS?

Did you replace the wifi with the same model, or different? If different, please give me the new and old model numbers, then link me to your BIOS download page, I will check to see if maybe the wifi you purchased is maybe blacklisted in the BIOS or something.

It was replaced with the same model chip.
so i would not think its blacklisted.

That's good, and yes I agree, that should be smoothest change out. Have you checked to see if the device shows up in any system device type tools yet, or in BIOS anywhere?