PCA Forums

I've been repairing laptops, and during the repairs, I check all the external ports with a tester, but I don't have a tester to check for the Ethernet port found on laptops. The ideal tester would be one that I plug into the port on the laptop, and it indicates that the port is functioning as expected. I just need to check the jack only and not the wiring.

The problem is there are so many things that can be wrong with a network port. You can plug it into any switch, and if the light comes on for that port on the switch, then you know it's at least got power and works electrically, but that won't tell you if the driver is installed, if the protocals are installed and working right, etc.

If Windows is installed I just plug it into my network, and try to browse a website. If that doesn't work, then I use ipconfig at a CMD prompt to make sure it has obtained an IP, and use the ping command to ping the router.

FlyingPenguin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 01, 2023 12:49 pm You can plug it into any switch, and if the light comes on for that port on the switch, then you know it's at least got power and works electrically

Thanks for this tip. That is exactly what I did with a spare switch.

I have another small tester for USB ports and USB-C port (shows voltage output). I also plug in another monitor for VGA/DVI/HDMI to verify that those ports work. So far, I've sold over 20 laptops. I only make about $20-$50 bucks, but it keeps me busy since I'm retired. On one Dell 5580 laptop, I had a dead USB port which I had to remove the mobo, then remove the defective port, and solder in a new USB socket. Before I tried this, I used a dead mobo to practice removing components with a heat gun.

Here is the USB tester: https://www.amazon.com/Binval-Multimete ... 379&sr=8-4