this guide will show you how to hard wire an internal wifi adapter to your original xbox. you dont need a high level of soldering skills for this modification. i will be going through the tools and steps i personally used and did to get it working, you may find other suitable choices from what i have done. most of the stuff can be applied to different methods as we are just soldering directly to the pinouts of the ethernet port and 5v/ground from the psu.
please read part preparations to determine if you will need or would like any of the optional features.
- VONETS VAR11N-300
- or similar wifi adapter that has usb power and ability to setup over its own network to establish a connection with your wifi
- 22-24awg wire (PC fan wires will work)
- Wire Strippers
- Xbox Disassembly Guide
- JST SM Connectors [Space Saver]
- 22-24 Gauge 4 wire cable [Space Saver]
- can be single or 4 core i prefer the ribbon cable style.
- USB Female Adapter [Tethered Top] [Keep it Genuine!]
- Can also just cut your own unused usb cable with a female end.
- Unused Female cables can extended with JST SM 4 pin connectors and 22-24awg 4 wire cable.
- Can also just cut your own unused usb cable with a female end.
- Female Ethernet Adapter [Keep it Genuine!]
- Case Window [status light window view]
- 2 piece custom 3d printed plastic "molding", insert piece 1 into top of hole, cut plastic to holder, place second piece to hold plastic window on)
- Hot Glue Gun (mounting adapter and case window) [status light window view]
there are going to be several options listed on different ways you may want to install the wifi 1 is going to involve cutting both the usb and ethernet of the wifi adapter making it much harder to reuse. the other will involve no modifications to the wifi adapter making the cables reusable, the last method will just involve sacrificing the ethernet cable wich are easy enough to remake.
this method will allow for easy lid removal as the wires can be easily disconnected to service or add additional mods to your xbox
- Look at the Ethernet cable end and determine what color wires are going to pinout 1-3 and 6. REMEBER THIS! Refer to image of ethernet pinouts below. we will only need 4 wires as it is an older connector and all the other pinouts are unused for data.
- Start by cutting off just the ends of usb cable and ethernet cable attached to the wifi adapter.
- Prepare the wires by stripping the ends we just cut off of the wifi adapter.
- With the USB cable we just cut use a 2 pin JST SM connector (4 pin can also be used to store the unused data wires) and hook up either a male or female end to the wires using the crimping tools, wire color order doesnt matter but remember it for later.
- With the Ethernet cable also take a 4 pin JST SM connector and put either a male or female end on, wire color order doesnt matter but remember it for later.
- Prepare the other side of the USB connector, for this you will just need 2 long 22-24awg wires. used a long PC fan power cable and cut both ends)
- Take one end of the wire and attach a 2 pin JST SM connector. Be sure to match the same colors you put into pin 1 and 2 when making the connector on the wifi adapter.
- Prepare the other side of the Ethernet Connector, for this you will need 4 wires. (i used the 4 wire cable listed in the parts)
- Take one End of the wire and attach a 4 pin JST SM connector. Be sure to match the same colors you put into pins 1-4 when makimg the connector on the wifi adapter
- Strip both remaining ends of the connectors you just made.
- Continue To Tutorial!
this method will NOT! allow for easy lid removal it cuts the ethernet and wires it directly into the ethernet jack pinouts.
- Look at the Ethernet cable end and determine what color wires are going to pinout 1-3 and 6. REMEBER THIS! Refer to image of ethernet pinouts below. we will only need 4 wires as it is an older connector and all the other pinouts are unused for data.
- Prepare the Ethernet cable, cut off just the end of the ethernet cable attached to the wifi adapter.
- Prepare the FEMALE USB adapter, cut off one end of the cable LEAVING the female adapter end attached! (Not the USB attached to wifi but the spare one you bought or have laying around)
- Strip both remaining ends of the connectors we just cut
- Continue to Tutorial!
this method will also allow for easy lid removal and keep all wires on the wifi adapter uncut. we will be using different adapters to sacrifice to make the connections.
- BEFORE CUTTING Look at the Ethernet Adapter end you are going to cut off and determine what color wires are going to pinout 1-3 and 6. REMEBER THIS! Refer to image of ethernet pinouts below. we will only need 4 wires as it is an older connector and all the other pinouts are unused for data.
- Prepare the FEMALE USB adapter, cut off one end of the cable LEAVING the female adapter end attached! (Not the USB attached to wifi but the spare one you bought or have laying around)
- Prepare the Female Ethernet Adapter, cut off one end of the cable LEAVING the female end attached! (Not the the Ethernet attached to wifi but the spare one you bought or have laying around)
- Strip both remaining ends of the connectors you just made.
- Continue To Tutorial!
- Begin by disassembling the xbox all the way to removing the mother board and (PSU) power supply unit (guide provided in the Items List)
- Next take the PSU and locate the bundle of red wires running into the PSU board. on the back of this board where the wires come out and are soldered we are going to take our
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