Sockets on rear of puters?
 

Bro next door has decided to enter the 21 century and get webbed up,so a box is delivered containing broadband modem PSU and various cables,not a prob, connected a few peoples broad band modems up over the years.
Open box,tiny wee moden power supply examine same only connection option on the modem is ethernet,one I did for neigbours a while back had the option of USB or ethernet,trouble is Bro's puter, HP Pavilion 7946 inherited from Nephew does not appear to have a Ethernet socket on the back,it has a couple of USB sockets it has normal internal PCI modem sockets marked Line and Phone,and another same type of plug as the modem type,ie exactly the same as the one's marked phone and line,it has no legend above it only a funny symbol,anybody any idea what this socket is,ie be it firewire or summat of that ilk?
Bro is going to try and change the modem they sent for a one with the USB option.
:confused:

Or just buy an ethernet pci card, they're cheap enough.

Yer I could do that,I may even have one in me box of bits,just curious as to what this socket is,I don't particularly want to mess about with his puter as one shall be blamed for anything that goes wrong wi it forevermore.
:confused:

Tony,

According to the HP website, that PC had the V90 modem as a PCI card, rather than on the MoBo. It is possible that someone added another PCI modem card, Fax card, or even an ISDN card.

The only connectors on the mobo are:

1 - Mouse
2 - USB
3 - Parallel
4 - Gameport
5 - Microphone
6 - Line-in
7 - Speaker out
8 - Serial
9 - Keyboard

Anything else is in a PCI slot.

SD

It is a off the shelf job,only thing ever done to it was I stuck in a new hard disk,spose it could be summat to do with fax as it is the same type of socket as a modem.
Thanks for the help chaps,
PS Nephew misplaced the manual yonks ago as nephews tend to do.
:uhoh:

ISDN? Thought that was a book number. :}

I use this type of USB to Ethernet converter on our older laptops at work which don't have ethernet ports. I use these to connect to PLCs for programming, diagnostics and upload/download of software etc, so don't know if they would work for internet connection....

Lanshop - USB to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter - Belkin F5D5055ED

ISDN: Innovation Subscribers Don't Need.

Mystery socket
 

I seem to remember a generation of 56k modem cards having a phone-out as well as a phone-in socket. Idea being, I guess that you don't have two phone cords to your desk. No use for UK of course as we don't use RJ45 connectors on the wall outlets, but the old GPO-invented sockets, so a standard phone wouldn't plug in.

But that could well be what your mystery socket is...
Jim

Tony, get on eBay and buy a PCI ethernet card. Under a fiver, and dead easy to set up.

Not having a socket to look into at the moment but look in. You should see all the connecting pins. Does this match the pins on the Modem cable?

Apparently they have supplied Bro with a ethernet to usb cable?I though they used different protocols,well never mind,if push comes to shove I'll get a ethernet card.
The pci modem does have line in and phone sockets Mr Jim,the mystery is a extra socket of the same type as they on another card.
:rolleyes:
never mind Drapes refuses to be defeated by a mere machine one shall triumph,eventually.:rolleyes:

A picture says a thousand words.

Why not post a photo - so we know what "strange orifice" of which you speak?

Have you examined Device Manager to see what hardware is installed?

SD

Right bro has been ont phone to one of the tech support guys,he recommends a ethernet card so that is what we shall do,the lead he was given has a wee box on it with different coloured leds powered from the usb socket that supposedly converts ethernet to USB,I'm not happy with that as we have no instructions or information on this gizzmo and the Virgin media guy says they do not support the use of any third party kit
PS bro got this lead and doohickus from a mate not from virginmeda as one had been led to believe.
Thanks agian chaps one shall report later on the success or otherwise of Ethernet card which one shall get tomorrow.
:rolleyes:

The USB to ethernet dongle will work just fine. But an ethernet card is a little nicer.

Weird stuff, bro connects it up again just for summat to do and its now working!!
Well we shall leave well alone.:ok:
Thanks again chaps.