I have a computer problem

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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:06 am

My cats were chasing each other - one jumped over my computer and landed on my USB adaptor (netgear).

I could no longer connect to the internet. So I pulled the adaptor apart and found that right behind the silver part that goes into the USB section of my computer are these little metal wires - and one of them is broken. I tried just holding them together to get online but they were hot - So I stuck a piece of aluminum foil between the two broken sections and then put tape around it. So, I have a temporary connection to make this post.

I went to staples and got a wireless internet card - but it won't fit inside my computer (Dell - which has some kind of something in the hole - from the manufacuturer that won't let the card go all the way in the pc). And since my kid's pc is not XP, the product won't work with it - GRRRRRRRRRRRR

So - I have this "redneck connection" with aluminum foil and tape - so I can tap into my landlord's wireless connection - - and HOPEFULLY I'll be able to stay online and get online tomorrow.

If not - I'll be back as soon as I can go buy the correct product that will work with my computer and not stick out so far like the one I currently have does...I don't want my cat to break another.....

What a PITA!

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:05 am

Eliza_Doolittle wrote:

I have this "redneck connection" with aluminum foil and tape

Are you telling us you were surfing this forum without proper tinfoil protection before? After all our posts on IP security and safe baiting? This must be the most unreasonable behavious I've ever come across here and it certainly merits a **warned** tag. BY ALL MEANS: LEAVE THE ALUMINIUM FOIL ON!!! Or do you want us all to be traced and busted?

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:35 am

please can we have a picture of this Eliza Very Happy

to your repair, do you watch McGyver a lot?

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:17 am

^^^^Or 'The A Team'?

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:51 am

Get a usb wireless network stick, pretty cheap and they do the job fine.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 12:48 pm

eliza,,,,,,very simple way to fix that,,,,,it,ll be permanent.PM me .....i,ll explain how.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 1:39 pm

Don wrote:

Eliza_Doolittle wrote:

I have this "redneck connection" with aluminum foil and tape

Are you telling us you were surfing this forum without proper tinfoil protection before? .... BY ALL MEANS: LEAVE THE ALUMINIUM FOIL ON!!! Or do you want us all to be traced and busted?

Does it matter if the tinfoil is on our head and not in the computer?

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

if its just one usb thats broke you can cheaply purchase a usb hub 1 provides 4 (get a usb2 one powered - means it wont crash if you use a webcam and mic on the same hub)

If u were near me, id fix it for ya free in me shop.

Dont leave the computer unsupervised with tin-foil if it slips onto anything like carpet etc, if it shorts it can get red hot and become a fire-risk or blow the whole motherboard up, whilst it works its all good, also take the card back to the shop and get a full refund (under your consumer rights in its packaging, they might charge 5 or 6% for the packet being re-opened which isnt too bad .

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 1267

she can't get on any webpages, only skype..

She sent me these pictures

under the tape, is the tinfoil Laughing

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:11 pm

Ok Internet Explorer lets me view web pages.

Why won't firefox? Does it recognize a tinfoil connection????????

The piece that's broken is under the tape - it's the metal wire that comes out of that metal part that goes inside the computer and thn comes down and attaches to that little board with all the other metal things on it.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:12 pm

Nothing a soldering iron wouldn't fix surely?

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:18 pm

Yes - that would fix it - - but I'd have to go buy one of those things. LOL

It's cheapter to buy another card.

Staples is 5 blocks away. I just need to go return what I bought yesterday - which won't work with my computer - and buy something new. So, I just need to get off my lazy butt and walk over to staples.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:50 pm

wayne wrote:

Nothing a soldering iron wouldn't fix surely?

not easily, that is SMD* - a bugger to solder.
I fixed a USB memory stick with a similar problem once and nearly made it worse.

The fear of breaking the flimsy SMD-USB plug is the reason why I rather take the SD card out of my digicam, than connect the cam to the computer by cable.

* SMS = Surface Mounted Device

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:04 pm

If a piece of tin foil can fix it then it shouldn't be that difficult to solder it.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:11 pm

Same thing happened with my netgear adaptor. I now use a USB cable between the PC and the adaptor.

Duc

PS netgear USB adaptors are cheap as chips on ebay.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:01 pm

@Wane

Sticking a blob of solder on the connection is no problem, but mechanically and electrically it will be no better than the tinfoil.

Its the composition of the SMD solder which is the problem
the stuff has a different melting point from the usual everyday solder that is applied from a wire;
also those two didn't mix all that well when I was repairing my USB stick.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:42 pm

AH ,now I see,,,,,looks like if you want to repair it,,,your gonna need a soldering Iron,,,,You can get a cheap one for about 2.99$$ .
as far as SMD (surface mount device) before I acquired all the adaptor,s for mine ,,,,I use to cut a piece of solid wire,wrap it around the Iron tip, and do my repair,,,,,,crude but it work,s. If you were close I,d do it,,, take about 10 second,s.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:44 pm

Quote:

I pulled the adaptor apart and found that right behind the silver part that goes into the USB section of my computer are these little metal wires - and one of them is broken............So I stuck a piece of aluminum foil between the two broken sections and then put tape around it.

I'm assuming that one of the connectors has snapped rather than anything on the circuitry itself. I wouldn't recommend anyone bother trying to fix anything surface mounted, but if it's where I think it is (and I can't really tell from the pictures) then it's an easy job for someone with a thin tipped, hot soldering iron and a steady hand.

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:54 pm

from the pix it look,s like the connector to the board needs a little touch up,,,,,now all we need is the steady hand, Shocked

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:13 pm

Eliza_Doolittle wrote:

... I could no longer connect to the internet. ...

Ok, wait a minute. You can't go online, but you logged on to Eater.

Hmm, one question immediately comes to mind ... Shocked

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 1267

tinfoil does mysterious things!

Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:11 pm

^^^^^ Just what I was thinking...Hmmm! Is FireFox controlled by aliens?
Perhaps those conspiracy guys aren't all that nuts...Hmmmm!

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:41 am

@KD - I could NOT get on the internet before.
Then my tinfoil connection wouldn't let me acces firefox for some reason (or maybe something else was the problem) I got on Eater with IE.

Now - - I bought a new netgear adaptor - and am on using the USB until the internal wireless card from Dell gets here....then I'll use this USB on my son's pc so he can get online.

And anyway - since I no longer have a tinfoil connection....Just for your entertainment - I didn't think to hold a sign - but I did put on a tinfoil hat for you.

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 1267

Nice Hat..

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:50 am

Stylin,,,,,,I wouldn,t go out in a lighting storm though,,,,

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