5G Network Adapters Availability on Dell Laptops

The first laptops that were sold with 5G network adapters were sold on Latitude laptops, which were first sold in early 2021.

Only computers designed to support the 5G frequency bands receive the 5G signal.

This means that if you retrofit a 5G adapter into a computer not designed for 5G, you cannot connect at 5G speeds.

• To see if the computer you are considering buying or recently bought (and is still be sold on our site) is sold with a 5G adapter, perform the following steps.
  1. Browse to the Dell Sales website.
  2. Select Laptops, and then For Home or For Business.
     NOTE: Depending on the sales site you are on, you may not have those as options.
  3. Browse to the sales site of the laptop model that you are considering buying or have bought recently.
  4. Look in the Mobile Broadband section to see if that model offers a 5G adapter.

   

• To see if your computer bought after January 2021 supports 5G, perform the following steps.
  1. Browse to the Dell Support website.
  2. You are given three options to identify your computer.

     Either:

     • Touch or click the listing for your computer under THIS PC.
       NOTE: When there is no listing for your computer under THIS PC, touch or click Download & Install SupportAssist, which automatically identifies your computer for you. Follow the prompts to download and install SupportAssist.
     • Enter the Service Tag, Dell EMC Product ID, or Model, and then touch or click the Search button, and select your computer from the list.
     • Touch or click Browse all products: Select the type of device that you have, the brand name, and then the product model.
       NOTE: For more information, see the Dell Knowledge Base article How to find the product model of your Dell computer or the video below.
  3. Browse to the Documentation tab.
  4. Open the Setup and specifications guide for your computer.
  5. Browse to the Wireless module or similar section, to see if a 5G modem is listed.
     NOTE: When a 5G or 5G modem is not listed, then your computer does not support 5G.

To turn on or off cellular communication (Mobile Broadband) in Windows 11 or Windows 10, see the steps in the Windows 11 or Windows 10 sections:

For Windows 11, perform the following steps:

1. Right-click the Start icon.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Network & internet.
4. In the Cellular section, select the Cellular switch to turn off or turn on (Figure 1).
   
   Figure 1: Cellular settings in Windows 11

For Windows 10, perform the following steps in one of the two options:

Option one:

1. Select the Network system icon, located in the lower right corner of the screen.
2. Look for the Cellular title (Figure 2)
   
   Figure 2: Cellular tile in Windows 10
3. Select the Cellular Network tile from gray to blue to turn on, and blue to gray to turn off.

Option two:

1. Right-click the Start icon.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Network & internet.
4. Select Airplane mode.
5. In the Airplane mode section, select the Cellular switch to turn off or turn on (Figure 3).
   
   Figure 3: Cellular Communication in Windows 10