Worn RJ45 Port

Question

I purchased an Inspiron 5160 last November. A few months ago, my LAN connection started dropping intermittantly. Wiggling and adjusting the ethernet cable would restore/drop the connection. And it got worse as time went on. Apparently, I've worn out the RJ45 port.   You see, I plug my laptop into a LAN everyday at work and unplug it when I go home.   Is this a defect in my laptop, or is the LAN port just low quality? Anyone else wear out their LAN ports? I know it is not uncommon for RJ45 sockets to wear out, but:   1) I have used other network adaptors the same way for years without wearing them out 2) A laptop should have an RJ45 socket that is built to last, otherwise what's the point   I'm using a PCMCIA-based adapter as a replacement for now, and a wireless whenever it happens to be available at my current location -- but I'm kind of disappointed that the internal LAN port didn't last. I was actually thinking of selling the 5160 and getting a new Dell laptop, but who's going to buy a laptop with a worn-out LAN port? and will the LAN port in my next Dell wear out too?

jmwills · Answer

Maybe it's the plug that has worn out.  Try a different cable.

PJCasey · Answer

You're not alone! I have a 2 year old Inspiron 8600 that I paid about $2600 for and both my RJ45 and USB ports do the same thing. It appears to be a design flaw in that the connectors have no upper support. I see the connectors flexing whenever I plug a cable into them. The top of the connectors push back into the chasis just enough with every useage so that over time the connectors will get shorted from the motherboard. Usually this would require a motherboard replacement as the connectors are soldered onto it but I haven't checked into it yet. I too had to purchase a USB PCMCIA card in order to use USB devices and now rely on my wireless NIC. What a pain in the neck.

Keep me informed on what you find out and I'll do the same. As to buying a new DELL, I'd hold off untill these type of issues get fixed. My first Dell was flawless (Latitude), so I upgraded only to get subpar quality.

Pat

jmwills · Answer

An alternative would be a docking station.

BrotherJulian · Answer

After searching the web a little, I found a data sheet for an RJ45 modular jack that is mounted on a circuit board. The manufacturer claimed it was good for 750 mating cycles. This might be typical of what these connectors can handle.   That one would have lasted me roughly two years, probably more if the mating cycle spec is conservative. I imagine that they tested it with some kind of robotic device. That's probably more abusive than my typical usage.

BrotherJulian · Answer

Sure jmwills, some people aren't trained to solve technical problems.

I am. I've been schooled in the art of logical problem solving, and I have experience providing PC support. And although I have initially overlooked the possibility that equipment was not plugged-in on a few occasions, I didn't take me too long to figure it out.

BrotherJulian · Answer

C'mon jmwills ... That's troubleshooting 101. Ofcourse I tried a few other cables.

jmwills · Answer

Oh really? I once went to help a friend with a machine that she insisted would not boot up for any reason. Guess what, it wasn't plugged in. Take nothing for granted.

There could very well be a problem with the port but a docking station would take care of that immediately.

BrotherJulian · Answer

Docking stations are an interesting invention.   I've developed a philosophy that if I'm going to use a portable, it needs to be trully portable. I made it a point to use my laptop as-is 100% of the time, so I don't get used to anything that I can't carry with it. No docking station, no external keyboard, no external monitor, etc. I use what's on the laptop and what I can fit in its bag.

jmwills · Answer

Well then, I guess you will figure this one out too.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

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