Hi, I have an IBM thinkpad and connect to broadband via a USB port. However, the plastic internals to the port have snapped off into the USB socket, rendering it useless.
Can anyone suggest a good solution? do I need to strip the laptop down and replace the port? if so, how much will this cost, and what is the name of the part?
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks in advance.

has there been any reply to this query? I have the same problem and would like to know more before I look for a repair shop. I have had very poor luck with such shops and am wary of trusting their judgment and/or expertise.

I can be reached at pamela at yancey dot main dot nc dot us

I have the same problem with my Dell. The little plastic tab snapped off. By looking at the other USB port I have on my system, the plastic tab doesn't even seem to fixed to something. It's like some small metal claws are keeping the piece in place. But I'm not able to keep it in place by simply putting it back in.

Isn't this annoying?!

best I've been able to find so far is a PCMCIA card that has a coupla USB ports

i have that problem too, none of the USB ports will work. i have a compaq, windows computer. It used to work, but then all of a sudden one day they quit working. so i tried to get my webcam to work by shoving it in, which caused made it even worse, because the inside of the USB is stuck up top. i just need to know how much it would probably cost to get repaired?

best solution to this.... get a pcmcia card with usb ports.. they're quite common these days, and at around £25-30 max it'll be a whole lot cheaper than trying to get the usb ports fixed :)

I repair Thinkpads. The USB port is on the system board. You can get a replacement on the internet for about $370. If you have the skill and the proper tools you could de-solder the ports and solder on new ones if you have the part. Dont put pressure on your USB cables and the ports wont break. Also, Why not use Ethernet to connect to the network???