W200 Multiport modification?

Hello. Has any owner of an Evo or Presario with a Multiport module on the
lid ever modified it to accept a standard USB 2.0 device (i.e., a standard
USB plug)? I've just been thinking that it might not be so hard to replace
the W200 802.11b card with a newer 802.11g USB 2.0 key card and then just
replace the cover. Of course, I might be horribly wrong!

Thanks,

Josh

Hi Josh,

I have the W200 802;11b multiport card you are refering to. To the best of
my knowledge, HP Compaq never released a faster G or A speed via Multiport.

I have an EVO 800V 2.0Ghz P4 and its consumer Presario 2878CL 2.0Ghz
equivalent - both use the Multiport devices. I use a Bluetooth on the
Presario, and I had purchase a stripped Compaq EVO D510U Ultra Smal Form
factor which uses the Multiport for its optical drive and you can mount the
W200 multiport on its side, too.

Pretty nifty not to mention that the D510U has a 2GB RAM capacity and I run
the 2 1GB memory upgrades in it. It's FAST.

I would love to get a GPRS Multiport for GPRS wireless, they were marketed
in Europe according to what I read on the HP website.

My experience and 2 cents!


"Josh Schneider" <> wrote in message
news:Xns96076EF709AC4jaschneider1yahoocom@130.81.6 4.196...
> Hello. Has any owner of an Evo or Presario with a Multiport module on the
> lid ever modified it to accept a standard USB 2.0 device (i.e., a standard
> USB plug)? I've just been thinking that it might not be so hard to replace
> the W200 802.11b card with a newer 802.11g USB 2.0 key card and then just
> replace the cover. Of course, I might be horribly wrong!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Josh

Thanks for the input, Mary

I realize HP/Compaq never released anything other than the W200 (802.11b)
and Bluetooth module in the US. If there's really another option in
Europe for GPRS and even a drive, maybe there's something else floating
around out there.

Really, though, I was thinking that the multiport connection on the
Presario/Evo models that have it use a proprietary USB connection, and
that if it could be modified to create a standard USB socket, any
miniature USB device, including 802.11g, could sit underneath that lid.
The connection on the laptop lid is basically an array of 8 contacts, I
think, with which the multiport modules mate and keep tight contact using
a small spring load. If this isn't just a modified USB connector, please
correct me.

Thanks,

Josh

"Mary B. Winfield" <> wrote in
news:IyqTd.11617$:

> Hi Josh,
>
> I have the W200 802;11b multiport card you are refering to. To the
> best of my knowledge, HP Compaq never released a faster G or A speed
> via Multiport.
>
> I have an EVO 800V 2.0Ghz P4 and its consumer Presario 2878CL 2.0Ghz
> equivalent - both use the Multiport devices. I use a Bluetooth on the
> Presario, and I had purchase a stripped Compaq EVO D510U Ultra Smal
> Form factor which uses the Multiport for its optical drive and you can
> mount the W200 multiport on its side, too.
>
> Pretty nifty not to mention that the D510U has a 2GB RAM capacity and
> I run the 2 1GB memory upgrades in it. It's FAST.
>
> I would love to get a GPRS Multiport for GPRS wireless, they were
> marketed in Europe according to what I read on the HP website.
>
> My experience and 2 cents!
>
>
> "Josh Schneider" <> wrote in message
> news:Xns96076EF709AC4jaschneider1yahoocom@130.81.6 4.196...
>> Hello. Has any owner of an Evo or Presario with a Multiport module on
>> the lid ever modified it to accept a standard USB 2.0 device (i.e., a
>> standard USB plug)? I've just been thinking that it might not be so
>> hard to replace the W200 802.11b card with a newer 802.11g USB 2.0
>> key card and then just replace the cover. Of course, I might be
>> horribly wrong!
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Josh
>
>
>

I decided to tinker a bit in the hopes that I could gut the innards of a
W200 and put in a more Linux friendly USB adapter (perhaps an 802.11g
adapter even). The Linux drivers for the Orinoco based W200 seem to only
work when they want to.

Here's the pinout that I've discovered so far. I haven't tested this port
for standard USB functionality yet, but they seem USB standard. I have a
hunch that there may even be two USB ports here, but I don't know for
certain just yet.

Pin 1: Ground (Black)
Pin 2: vcc +5 volt (Red)
Pin 3 and 4: Data - (White)
Pin 5 and 6: Data + (Green)
Pin 7: Unknown (Perhaps this sends the Fn-F2 signal?)
Pin 8: Ground (Black)

My previous data was incorrect, however I do have updated info. I managed
to get a USB mouse working via the Multiport using this pinout
configuration.

Pin 1 or 8: Ground
Pin 2: vcc +5 volt (Red)
Pin 5: Data + (Green)
Pin 6: Data - (White)

I have no idea what pin 3, 4, and 7 do.

Now it's time for me to go run to Best Buy and buy me a USB WiFi adapter.
^_^

can you give some details and/or pictures on how you did this? i wan
to do the same but i'm having trouble with the nuts and bolts..

thank

XSTYLUS

Hi, I am also very interested as to the possiblity of changing the
compaq W200 from 802.11b to g.

XSTYLUS

Hi, Can you kindly post a picture of which is red, black etc.

Thanks in advance

> viglactinwrote:
XSTYLUS,
>
> Hi, Can you kindly post a picture of which is red, black etc.
>
> Thanks in advance.

Can't provide pictures, sorry, but the pins on the multiport are
numbered and I can tell you which does what. I have wired up a
working netgear MA111 WiFi adapter to replace my dying multiport
card, and it works fine.

With the laptop facing you, the pins are numbered as such:

4321
8765

Pins 1 and 5 are even marked to help you, in case the above diagram
isn't good enough.

If you were to chop up a USB cable, you'll find four cables - Red,
Green, White, and Black. You may also have an outer wirey mesh or
sheath, which serves as interferance shielding and also doubles as
ground (which is also the black wire's job too).

Pin 2 = Red
Pin 5 = Green
Pin 6 = White
Pin 1 or 8 (either one is fine) = Black/Ground

As for the other pins, I have no idea what they're for, nor do I need
to care. The above pins give a normal USB port, and that's all I need
to know. However, note that the Fn-F2 button you used to use to switch
the multiport on or off will no longer do squat.

I bear no responsibility if you blow things up, so use at your own
risk. It works for me though.

For people who own a Presario 900 or an older Compaq with Multiport
capability, this still only gives you a USB 1.1 port. So, if you're
looking to replace your 802.11b W200 with a fancy 802.11g card,
you're wasting your time and money. Grabbing an 802.11g card will do
you no good what-so-ever because the port can't go any faster than
11mbps, unless you want it strictly for bragging rites.

If you own a Presario 1500 or newer, I think those units are equipped
with USB 2.0 chipsets so you might get some love there if you want
802.11g, but I'm not 100% on that. Your milage may vary.

Hi everyone

My frd got a Presario 280

soldered with a normal usb socket to the multport
tested with a mouse, mobile hdd, usb memory ke
all work

expect a Dlink 122G usb wireless,
if plug into the motherboard, it work
but whenever plug into the multiport, window reckon as Unknow Devic

and one more funny thing, all ports on motherboard are 2.
but the multiport is 1.1 with usb hdd pluged as windows described...
aranoid:

and ideas why the wireless usb is not working? thank