[G4] Ethernet repair

[Ronald Steinke]

On 20 Jun, 2007, at 4:38 AM, Howard Evans wrote:

> What's involved in diagnosing the extent of the problem and what's  
> the needed repair likely to be.  Can I do it or does it have to get  
> sent away?

If the ethernet socket is toasted, there is no repair short of a  
board replacement without knowing exactly which transistor/diode/chip  
is the affected one. Even then, it is a most difficult repair and  
every shop I know of will tell you that you need a new board.

In any event, to keep your cost lower than an Apple authorized repair/ 
service center will charge you, search eBay for that particular  
machine board and try to get it from there. Replacing the board in a  
G4 box is quite simple, a matter of disconnecting a few wires/cables/ 
ribbons, unscrewing a few screws, and lifting the board off the  
chassis. Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly.

Make darn sure that you note which screws came out of which holes for  
reassembly accuracy. And, of course, the regular warnings will apply:  
Ground yourself before attempting to do self-repairs to the Mac, Use  
the proper size tools, Do not drink or eat near the work area, Wash  
your hands after using the bathroom, etc.

You could always buy an add-on PCI ethernet card, just make sure that  
you have a return option if it is not compatible with your machine.  
This is the cheapest option available and the easiest to install.