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Swapping magjack/ethernet port on PC motherboards

DanDaMan

Mar 30, 2018
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I have two rare motherboards made by the same manufacturer. On one of the motherboards, the ethernet jack is dead as it doesn't connect to the internet and the two lights (yellow and green) do not light up. I'm planning to de-solder the dead ethernet magjack and re-solder a replacement.

My question is, does the replacement magjack need to be the exact same manufacturer and model, or as long as the pins align the same as my original will any make/model work? If a different make/model will work with the same pin layout, will I have to install any different drivers?

I'm asking cause on the board with the dead magjack, the make/model is a FoxConn jfm25u13-7103w but on the motherboard with a good magjack the make/model is PulseJack jwoa1p01r (for reference, here is a link https://www.diytrade.com/china/pd/1...Single_Port_RJ45_Connector_With_Dual_USB.html). I confirmed these 2 makes/models have the same pin layout. I found PulseJack replacements and can buy them, but can't find the FoxConn. So I'm basically wondering if I replace the dead FoxConn with a new PulseJack, will it work without needing to install any new drivers?

Thanks
 
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(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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25,510
It may be more than just the jack. My recommendation would be to disable the on board Ethernet port and install a separate Ethernet card.
 

DanDaMan

Mar 30, 2018
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it's not that easy. The motherboards are actually from my Golden Tee Live arcade machine which is a proprietary PC. It uses ubuntu and immediately boots into the game when first turned on. I suppose there is a way to get into the bios but no way to get into the OS to do simple things like adding drivers, changing device manager settings, etc. I assume installing a stand-alone LAN card would require a driver which is why I doubt it would work. That is why my question was specific asking if I replace the on board LAN port with a different make/model will that require a driver or are these ports very generic. Saw some videos on youtube where guys replaced vga ports on laptops and they didn't have to change drivers and I'm sure the make was different as these are very generic.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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If it's just the connector (or the magnetics inside a connector with embedded magnetics) then sure, you can replace it.

However, if the problem is any deeper then the task gets harder and harder. Beware that motherboards use multilayer boards and internal ground planes, so desoldering through hole parts can be quite difficult.
 

kellys_eye

Jun 25, 2010
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Beware that motherboards use multilayer boards and internal ground planes, so desoldering through hole parts can be quite difficult.
...is often the cause of more damage than the original fault.....
 

DanDaMan

Mar 30, 2018
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well, I found an identical layout ethernet/usb port from the local dump on a pc motherboard. Desoldered it off, then desoldered my original port off and installed the replacement. Fired it up and unfortunately no difference - still no lights and no connection. I double checked my soldering and am 99% sure it is perfect and not the cause of the issue. so I now think the issue is deeper in the motherboard. anyone have any suggestions? btw - no way to add a LAN card as there is no room for a card anyway as the slots are either taken or the fan of the video card is blocking a spare slot.
 

kellys_eye

Jun 25, 2010
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Got any close up, in focus, images of the mobo and the area concerned?
 

DanDaMan

Mar 30, 2018
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my online picture site is down so can't load the pics right now. But it is a basic mobo no different than any other one you would find in a newer (10+ year) computer, and the ethernet/usb port is what 99% of all newer desktop computers have (here is a link to what this port looks like - here is a link https://www.diytrade.com/china/pd/1...Single_Port_RJ45_Connector_With_Dual_USB.html). I looked under the mobo and top end, and no sign of burnt or damaged circuits or parts. I guess my last resort is figuring out how a standard mobo communicates with these ethernet ports to further test mine - but at the moment I'm lost
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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If yours looks like that one then the problem is that the motherboard has fallen off it.

If you have actual photos of your motherboard then please upload them here. Don't point is to another site.
 

DanDaMan

Mar 30, 2018
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what does "motherboard fallen off it" mean? Does that mean the traces from the physical port failed somewhere? Here are some bad pics - the last one is the closest up one - the port is that device that has the p35 stamped on it.

I know there are adapters that plug into usb and adds ethernet through it - I suppose such an adapter would need a driver manually installed to work? or would they now auto install drivers when plugged in? I'm thinking of giving that a try if I can't fix the mobo, but for the adapter to work it would need to autoload the driver (kind of how a usb thumb drive autoloads its drivers now a days). Cause I can't get into the OS to manually load a driver



p35
413835367.jpg
413835369.jpg
413835368.jpg
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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My comment about the motherboard fallen off was based on the fact that you were asked for close up views of the actual motherboard and you showed us what I believe is a stock photo of the connector.

And as you rightfully point out the next images are pretty useless too.
 

DanDaMan

Mar 30, 2018
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OK, I read off the mobo model which is Intel D915gag/d915psy and found the data sheet online. I then found that this mobo uses a lan chipset of Intel 82562ez. I suspect this chipset is dead and if replaced will fix my issue. My questions before I buy a new one:

1) on my 2nd Golden Tee computer, it has a different mobo model (Intel d865glc) and uses a lan chipset Intel 82562ex (not ez). Anyone know if these chipsets are identical - can I buy a ex model off ebay to try or must I buy the ez? Or can I buy other models of Intel's LAN chipsets as long as they are the same size/layout (looking on ebay there are tons of identical sized lan chips that Intel makes)

2) on ebay I found complete mobo's of the d915gag which include the cpu, fan, heatsink and I guess video chip under the heatsink. I looked at a few on ebay and they are 100% the same as the mobo in my Golden Tee. My question is, would buying one of these and swapping likely work in my Golden Tee setup? Could the manufactuter of Golden Tee perhaps used a unique CPU or video chip, and would that even matter? Also if I buy one off ebay, would I first need to match the bios settings to the Golden Tee version, or would I simply just swap the mobo and fire it up?

Thanks
 
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