Note: This guide was
submitted by PMV.
To start off, here is a list of things you may need:
First, picking a card. You need to pick one that has
desolderable points on the LED pins and that works. Theres no sense in doing
this mod if the card doesnt work, unless you are practicing. Some cards make it
impossible to desolder the stock LED without totally ruining the card. A good
common card is the D-Link DFE-530TX+. I see these everywhere and you can pick
one up for a few bucks, and their pins are easy to access. A picture of my dlink
is below:
Back of the Ethernet Card, the four pins close to the
bracket are the ones that need to be desoldered.
Next you need to find some LEDs to use. I get my LEDs
from superbrightleds.com, awesome
retailler and prompt delivery. I recommend these guys if your shipping around in
the States. If yer in Canada, it will cost a bit more for delivery. The one I
will be using is a used 2000mcd 3mm BLUE LED for the LINK light, and a 5500mcd
5mm BLUE LED for the ACT light.
Next you will need some wires long enough to reach your card and
wherever you want your LED to go. It also has to be a rather thin gauge cable
too, since it has to be soldered onto tiny ports on your card. I recommend some
phone cable, you can cut to length and pull out the cable from the sheith. An
example of such is shown below in a picture. Phone Cable. The sheith is on the
left, and the now stripped bundle of wires are on the right.
Almost everything you need is shown right here. Ethernet card,
wire, LED, Soldering Iron, Solder, damp sponge, and desoldering wick (sticking
out from under the sponge). Not shown, is a phillips screwdriver and a pair of
pliers.
