Such thing as ethernet to female USB adapter?

sharingan_sasuk · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:42

Hi all, I have a laptop here with 2 USB ports; one simply doesn't work while the other is intermittent. To replace both of them would mean replacing the entire motherboard!

Is there some sort of adapter that will plug into the ethernet RJ45 socket, and thus give me at least USB port with which I can plug in USB products?

Regards

Rroff · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:48

Ostensibly no - while you can actually get a RJ45 to USB adapter its designed for something different (and plugging a USB device into it will NOT work and potentially damage the machine) and AFAIK no one has written a software driver to wrap the USB functionality.

Mockingbird · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:50

Well, there's things like this:
**link removed**

Designed for sharing USB devices over a network. That one's about £50 though.

What model is your laptop?

It may be that it is one of those with a removable DVD drive or other optional plugins, in which case a USB plug-in for the same socket might be a cheaper, more covenient option.

sharingan_sasuk · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:51

It's an Emachines E525, so I don't think there's any plugins.

Oh well, thanks for the replies. Worth asking

Rroff · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:53

That device mockingbird linked to would work (tho not cheap) but it doesn't work by plugging into the Ethernet port directly it works by sitting on the network and sharing any plugged in USB devices with any PC connected to the network - kinda neat actually.

EDIT: Tho for things like mice, etc. it probably wouldn't work too great if it even worked with them at all.

MikeHunt79 · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:56

Does your laptop have firewire also? If so you can get FW external hardrives, soundscards and such...

andy_mk3 · 7 Jul 2011 at 16:59

Does it have a PCMCIA slot?

Mockingbird · 7 Jul 2011 at 17:02

I can't seem to find a full review or spec sheet online to see whether PCMCIA is an option.

Edit - found a youtube video review and the sides look moulded around the DVD tray + card reader, so unlikely to be modular.

reflux · 7 Jul 2011 at 17:02

Does that laptop have a spare PC card slot you could use?

EDIT: Beaten

Confused Stu · 7 Jul 2011 at 17:03

Mockingbird said:
Well, there's things like this:
<snip>
Designed for sharing USB devices over a network. That one's about £50 though.

Think you'll need to remove that link mate. Linking to competitor sites is a bit of a major no-no on this forum (on the grounds that OcUK run and pay for the forum).

sharingan_sasuk · 7 Jul 2011 at 17:06

No ports of such. It is an Emachines after all lol!

Rroff · 7 Jul 2011 at 17:07

Yeah doesn't look like theres any expansion ports on it - I found a PDF for the specification which has no mention of anything.

The card reader is often sitting on top of a USB interface so there might be potentially an adapter for that but I've never heard of one.

Mockingbird · 8 Jul 2011 at 10:32

Removed link to competitor - was linking mainly for reviews, never even considered it was a point of sale. sorry!