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Registered Member #16
Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 02:22PM
Location: New Wilmington, PA
Posts: 554
Through a bit of fantastic luck yesterday, I scored a free HP Mini netbook (if I had to pay for it, it sure wouldn't be an HP). It came from Verizon, and has a built in 3G card. The trouble is, I absolutely must have an external antenna port if this netbook is going to replace my USB air card. I'm hoping someone here has screwed around with these sorts of cards and might know just what would be involved in hacking in an external port.
I haven't cracked it open yet, but I suspect it's probably a mini PCIe card, in which case it may be as easy as it is with a standard 802.11b/g card, and I'll just need some RG-214 coax and one of those little button connectors.
Registered Member #63
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
Location:
Posts: 1425
Hi Dave, I've opened my HP Mini 2133 several times. Like any well-engineered laptop, they're a pain in the arse to disembowel, but this may help:
edit: I've just re-read your post; you're not going for the 802.11 but the 3G; once you get the keyboard and fascia off, it may be a black-plastic-laminated module under where your left hand will rest. I think the PCIe stuff is under where your right hand would rest.
* the antennae up go into the screen through the left hinge, * the IPX/UFL pigtails terminate on the underside of the motherboard, * any free space might be at the front of the machine near the power slider
You'll need a set of small Torx and Posidriv bits. This is from memory, do read through the steps first and don't pull too hard on anything that doesn't give; I may have missed the occasional screw/clip!
1) On the bottom, use a knife to gently pry the four rubber feet out of their holes. They will reveal captive rubber straps about 15mm long, don't rip them off! Remove the four Torx screws. Note one of them is a shortie.
2) Remove the battery and unscrew the three screws that become visible.
3) Gently remove the keyboard, releasing the flex connector by rotating the retaining clip.
4) Pry off the remaining fascia. A flat screwdriver may help to loosen the surrounding clips, including one that goes under the big copper heat spreader. Try to leave the touchpad / peripherals attached if you can balance it somewhere.
5) The hard-drive will need to come out. Remove the two screws and unscrew the third (captive on spring).
6) Use the finger-ribbon on the rigid-flex adapter to disconnect the delicate SATA adapter.
7) Grab the black pull-tab integral to the casing of the hard-drive and wiggle it out of its padded location.
8) IIRC you will now find two steel retainer plates; one over the left-hand USB/peripherals and one over the right-hand USB/peripherals. Carefully pull the Bluetooth module intact from the left one, then go for the Torx screws on both.
9) There are two or three Torx screws holding stuff down... though you may have already encountered those when you pried off the fascia. Don't mistake them for the ones that hold down the copper heat-spreader to the CPU / GPU, these stay!
10) I think the motherboard should be wiggleable at this point, and you will be able to lever it up and tilt it up-and-out to the right (because the VGA connector is captive in the left side of the case). See how much play is available.
11) At this point, take a look at the fragile LCD connector and consider if you want to remove it. The motherboard can come out without disconnecting any of the electrics going through the hinge, you'll just need somewhere to balance it.
I believe if you've got this far, you should be able to tilt the motherboard up and get underneath to see the those tiny IPX / UFL connectors.
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Internal 3G Broadband Card Hack
