While having a mobile device like a laptop is helpful, carrying a laptop with you only for live port detection is far from ideal. I started to look for an alternative solution.
After a bit of research, I found a site where one of the users describes a process of converting a CentreCom 210 TS Tranceiver into a live port detector. The process is fairly easy, it involves some soldering and it requires a small switch and a battery.
Since I had no available transceivers, I started to look for a different solution using something that I have. Basically any small switch, hub or even a Raspberry Pi (quite an expensive solution for port detection) would do the job as long as the device has a link light and can be powered with 5 V. I had a look around the house and I found a small USB print server that had a 5 V input. Great! Now the only thing needed was a 5 V power source. Obviously EBay had the solution and it does not need any soldering just a bit of electrical tape and double sided tape.
What you need:
- small USB print server (I had a DLink DP-301U one but there are plenty others on EBay and Amazon, just make sure they have a 5 V power input)
- battery box holder (I've used this.)
- electrical tape
- double sided tape
- 4 AA batteries
The steps to create the port tested:
1. cut the power adaptor wire
2. take of the insulation for approx. 2 cm
3. take of the insulation for approx. 2 cm on the battery box
4. identify the + and - cables (most of the times the + is the internal part of the jack)
5. connect red to + and black to -
6. using double sided tape, tape together the print server and battery box, making sure that you will still be able to use the switch and you don't cover the MAC address
7. insulate the cables using the electrical tape
8. connect the cable to the print server
9. add the batteries
10.test the device
That's it.
And here is the result:
the size of the end device
End product in operation
