Mangled Ethernet Socket on a Dell PC

Z

zoe

Registered User
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I have a Dell desktop PC which has an ethernet socket. I was trying to install broadband and the installation process informed the PC does not appear to have an ethernet socket.

So I had a look at the ethernet socket and I noticed that about three of the metal strips inside the socket have been bent out of shape.

I suppose each of these metal strips has to be in perfect alignment with the metal strips on the ethernet plug? I suppose I can't just detach the bent metal strips inside the ethernet socket?

Is it possible to easily replace the ethernet socket in the PC?

I had a look inside and the socket appears to be connected down into the circuit board. I'm not sure if it's soldered in, or maybe it's only plugged in...

Thanks for any advice...!
 
Is the ethernet port on the motherboard or is it a separate network card? Either way if the port is irreparable then the easiest option might be to buy a new PCI ethernet card for about a tenner and install that instead (assuming that you have a PCI slot spare).
 
ClubMan said:
Is the ethernet port on the motherboard or is it a separate network card?
Click to expand...
I'm not too knowledgeable about computers, but the ethernet socket is connected to the large circuit board which covers most of the side of the side wall of the PC, so I guess this is the motherboard? It's definitely not connected to one of the small slot-in cards, of which there is two.


ClubMan said:
Either way if the port is irreparable then the easiest option might be to buy a new PCI ethernet card for about a tenner and install that instead (assuming that you have a PCI slot spare).
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. So if I purchase a PCI ethernet card do I remove the current broken ethernet socket and would the new socket be placed in the same place as the current one? Or is the spare PCI slot which you mention a different section and not where the current ethernet socket is situated?

edit:
I've just had a look at the back of the PC and there appears to be a total of four slots with one spare one, so I think this is what you are referring to.
 
Last edited:
Yes - sounds like an on board (on the motherboard) network adaptor.
No - you just leave the existing one alone, fit the new card and use that. Or you may be able to get a USB ethernet adaptor instead which might be easier to fit/use. Try Maplin or the like unless you want to buy online (locally or eBay etc.).
I've just had a look at the back of the PC and there appears to be a total of four slots with one spare one, so I think this is what you are referring to.
Click to expand...
Yes - but make sure you read all instructions about installing new hardware and drivers and if in any doubt get somebody with more technical expertise to help or do it.
 
If your pc has a spare usb port why not use that, most broadband routers allow usb connections.

You could just try bending the metal strips back into place, if you get a link light when each end of the ethernet cable is plugged in then the electrical signal is going down the wire ok, which the metal strips are there to complete the connection and allow the electric signal to travel.

Failing that, as suggested a PCI ethernet card should take 5 mins to install.
 
paddyc said:
If your pc has a spare usb port why not use that, most broadband routers allow usb connections.
Click to expand...
Yeah, can use that in the meantime. As far as I know the USB connection is slower than ethernet which is why I wanted to use ethernet.
 
Most ethernet cards are 10/100 Mbps. You can also get 10/100/1000Mbps cards these days but gigabit is overkill im most cases. USB 2.0 is 480Mbps. There is no reason that the USB connection to your router should be slower than 10/100 access as far as I can see (even if some of the work done by a hardware network card is done in software/drivers for the USB connection).
 
I purchased a slot-in eternet card and it states in the instructions

1. Turn off the computer and remove its cover.
2. Insert the adapter into a PCI slot.
3. Lock this adapter to the rear of the computer and put back the computer cover.
4. Connect the adapter to network using twisted-pair cable.

I understand 1, 2 and 3, but what is meant by connecting the adapter to network using twisted-pair cable?

I just have the one PC, not on a network, so I suppose I just ignore this part...
 
#4 just means plug the network cable in. The cable should have pairs of wires twisted around each other - hence the 'twisted pair' description. Unless you have some very weird cable (unlikely and even then not a problem in most circumstances) it really just means connect it up to your broadband router.

z
 
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