Inside a wireless router

collisster · 26 Oct 2007 at 20:10

I've got a 1000 word report due in on monday for a product disassembly,
I chose to take apart a wireless router I did the netgear dg834g. when I took it apart there was this removable card thing which the aerial was attached to. I was wondering why make this removable
the things I'm thinking about are::
dont plug the card in when selling the non wireless version so they dont have to make 2 different types or router
put a different one in for better ranges
different ones for different countries ie: frequency interference

help please
collisster

touch · 26 Oct 2007 at 20:14

you've prolly got all the main reasons in your post there.
Maybe also they only need to make 1 type of card but can use it in different models of router?

collisster · 26 Oct 2007 at 20:16

thanks,
now I've got to word all that and try and make it not sound really simple like I unscrewed the screws and took off the top plate etc ......

touch · 26 Oct 2007 at 20:18

collisster said:
I unscrewed the screws

"de-torqued the retaining mechanism"

Phemo · 26 Oct 2007 at 22:37

Yes, often those cards are nothing more than Mini PCI wireless cards. I actually had an old laptop with a Mini PCI slot and no internal wireless and I also had a knackered router. I simply took the Mini PCI card out of the router, tracked the drivers down for the chipset, popped it in the laptop and it worked.

drunkenmaster · 27 Oct 2007 at 01:34

one more thing, cheaper replacements. making any major part removable means if they get rma'd they don't have to simply replace the whole thing if it can't be fixed, they can keep a perfectly working psu and pcb, and replace the wireless card. or the wireless card might work fine, but the pcb has a burnt out chip, replace just the pcb. coupled with the other reasons that becomes useful. mostly the being able to have one pcb design across the entire range and choosing what to plug in.

you also have the other option, manufacturing issues leaves you with excess wireless routers, but they aren't selling well and the wired versions are sold out and shipments need to go out. open a bunch up, remove the card, send off, or the other way around, can't get any more pcb's, so open up a bunch of the wired ones, stick in the wireless card and send them out.