Aftermarket 3G mini PCIe

At least with the Mini PCIe Connector, you can get free samples from molex.. see my thread for a little on the matter: http://www.aspireoneuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=3070

 

I assume it's probably possible to just directly wire a USB hub to the traces on the motherboard where the mini PCIe connector would attach to. Of course a separate 5V source would be needed though.

 

i was thinking that but there is not much space to comforably have the USB onboard w/o cable and be able to stick and remoave a USB device easy. they dont make a 5.5mm or 6mm ?

 

Isn't there also another piece of hardware needed to use a mini-pci WWAN card that may or may not have been installed on the current and earlier AA1 units...a built in antenna? It is my understanding that the mini-pci cards, unlike the external cards, do not have a built in antenna and rely on the laptop manufacturer to install and connect an antenna somewhere in the laptop...apparently most often in the lid, where it can be large and not have as much interference from the electronics of the main case of the laptop.

Have any of the folks who have disassembled their AA1 taken apart the lid to see if there is already an antenna and lead to the inside of the case from that antenna? If there is no antenna, wouldn't the installation of a slot and a sim card slot be insufficient to utilize WWAN without an antenna, leaving us to have to use the external WWAN cards (in this case a usb)?

 

There is no antenna and coax. If you want to do some 3G mod you have to install everything yourself...

 

With regards to people complaining about the thing not having the slot fitted, this likely happened because the a) acer is still tring to get approvals finalised for the 3G version and b) its all about getting the product to market before the (majority of) compeditors so they can make some cash... note that asus had the eeepc for ages, but only recently have the other big players such as dell, ibm, been able to get their product to market... by wich point those of us interested in the ultramobiles have already succumb to temptation! This is how the game is played.

With regards to actually getting 3G working,
One option is to wait and see what they deliver when the 3G enabled versions become available. At this time we can pull one apart, check board revisions (fingers crossed no changes, but this is unlikely), and we can just copy all the parts down, someone makes up an upgrade kit, slap it on ebay, and BAM! (i hope your SMT soldering is upto scratch!) we have our 3G (after the software headaches ofcourse)

Or just get some USB peice of crap 3G module and shove it in there. There is plenty of room!

No worries mate.