What USB 2.0 Cardbus adapter should I choose ?

[dede.strasbourg]

Hi everyone,

Like many other T4X laptops use to do, my T41 2374 is playing with my nerves when I want to connect my external HDDs or my USB keys, recognizing them as USB 1.1 peripherals.

My Thinkpad T41 2374 is currently running Windows XP SP3.

I do understand that there's nothing else to do than connecting a Cardbus adapter provinding me with 2 or 4 USB 2.0 ports.

I'm wondering what Carbus I should choose between a D-Link DUB-C2 and a TRENDnet TU2-H4PC. (Here in France, those are sold at the same price)

What's your favorite ? Are you experiencing issues or incompatibilities using them with a T41 ?

As far as I know, the Trendnet model is provided with its ACDC adapter. Do you need to use it everytime you want to connect an USB key or whatever ? Have you ever had problems connecting a HDD ont the D-Link card, which has no cable ?

Thank you for your help.

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

I haven't used either one of those PCMCIA USB adapters so I can't give you any recommendations. Some external hard drives may require the use of the power adapter because they take more than the 500mA of current that the USB port can supply. Use of USB flash drives will not need the power adapter.

[91011]

I had two T42p machines with dead USB ports; got two of these; they worked great and were cheap. Later saw some on eBay that were slightly less expensive but can't vouch for them.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14848

They use a NEC chip and WinXP saw them without installing drivers. Took about two weeks from China to the US.

Ignore the picture on the box - the cards are flush with the side of the laptop. (There is another 4-port style that does stick out) They fit so tight that removing a USB cable doesn't pull out the card with it.

John

[ohthinker]

I use an Adaptec AUA-1420A for my T22. Works fine for me ...

[sjthinkpader]

It doesn't matter what brand is on the housing. The chipset inside is what matters. For instance, Linksys, D-Link, Netgear all share chipsets from Atheros, Marvell, Broadcom etc.

So what's within matters more than the skin.

[nolanamy]

My T42p's USB ports were running at USB 1.1, so I bought one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027Q ... ss_product

The T42p i was using was a replacement for my original which would only past POST after a ram reseat. Anyway, I had been too lazy to do a fresh install (using my recovery CD set), and was using the new thinkpad as it had been shipped. It had some weird driver issues (it refused to disable the wireless card, for example, claiming that it did not support "plug and play"), and I really should have wiped it clean. Anyway...

Putting this card in my thinkpad caused it to bluescreen. I tried installing it a several different ways with essentially the same result.

HOWEVER, I have just now restored the new thinkpad to its factory state (or to my original thinkpad's factory state - they're both 2373s, so they're probably the same). The card installed immediately upon insertion, and I was using my external HDD in USB 2.0 as soon as I plugged it in.

Like John's card, this fits flush and uses some NEC chipset.

Nolan

[mpcook]

My T42p's USB ports were running at USB 1.1, so I bought one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027Q ... ss_product

I also bought one of these but was not able to get it to work in my X60s. It froze when a device was plugged into it. That doesn't mean it wouldn't work in your laptop however. It was cheap and worth a try.

[thinkpad1]

Hi everyone,

Like many other T4X laptops use to do, my T41 2374 is playing with my nerves when I want to connect my external HDDs or my USB keys, recognizing them as USB 1.1 peripherals.

My Thinkpad T41 2374 is currently running Windows XP SP3.

I do understand that there's nothing else to do than connecting a Cardbus adapter provinding me with 2 or 4 USB 2.0 ports.

I'm wondering what Carbus I should choose between a D-Link DUB-C2 and a TRENDnet TU2-H4PC. (Here in France, those are sold at the same price)

What's your favorite ? Are you experiencing issues or incompatibilities using them with a T41 ?

As far as I know, the Trendnet model is provided with its ACDC adapter. Do you need to use it everytime you want to connect an USB key or whatever ? Have you ever had problems connecting a HDD ont the D-Link card, which has no cable ?

Thank you for your help.

If I was you, I'd try to get a new laptop. If so, that will solve the problem. I wish I could. That's exactly what I'd do to solve the problem. The next step would be to spike the T4x laptop like a football and then put the pieces into the garbage!

[RealBlackStuff]

If your USB ports work as USB1.1 instead of USB2.0 you have a "loose Southbridge" problem.
Reflowing or reballing of that chip will fix your problem.
Contact Nick in the UK (poshgeordie on this Forum) about this.
See http://www.reflowrepairs.co.uk

[thinkpad1]

He's in France, though?

How much does it cost to ship your laptop around Europe? Just curious...

If OP can do that, sounds like the best fix! I think the hardware solution is buying a cardbus adapter and I ordered one on ebay for $9.

I borrowed one to try (as luck would have it) and it worked fine.... except it got stuck in my laptop but I blame it on the laptop itself...

I thought the card was ideal as it is the kind that fits flush against the rest of the laptop and you could even place two in the slots so you could have four usb ports available to you.

[RealBlackStuff]

He's in France, though?

I know, that's why I advised him to check the UK, as it's the nearest country (to him) with an excellent facility to fix these problems.