Belkin F5L009 Network USB Hub Teardown
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 5 Steps
In this guide, we’ll walk you through taking apart the Belkin F5L009 Network USB 5-Port Hub. Originally marketed as a network print server for USB printers (and a few other things), it’s an interesting device to explore. I’m mostly diving into this teardown to see how feasible it is to make it work on systems beyond Windows and Mac OS X—specifically, Linux-based operating systems. Let’s get started and see what we can uncover together!
Step 1
– Shown here is the Belkin F5L009 along with a plastic opening tool and a #1 Phillips head screwdriver (at least, that’s what the label says…). These were the only tools I needed for this job. A guitar pick or some other slim, flat plastic item might do the trick instead of the opening tool—I didn’t give it a shot myself.
Step 2
– Start by flipping the F5L009 over. It’s always good to take the first step with a little flip.
– The case is held together with small tabs running along the sides. Use a spudger to carefully work between the halves. I found it easiest to start with the side that has the Ethernet port, as it gives a bit more flexibility.
– Once you’ve got a little gap between the top and bottom halves on one side, grab your opening tool and slide it around the case. Keep going until all the tabs are free. They’re pretty soft and easy to pop out, so don’t worry about breaking them.
Step 3
– Gently flip your device onto its back and carefully lift the top away from the bottom.
– During my teardown, a small plastic piece popped off over the indicator LED when I removed the top of the case. Don’t worry if that happens—just keep an eye out for any tiny bits that might fall loose!
Step 4
– It’s a bit odd—there are three screw holes, but only two screws actually hold the mainboard to the bottom case. Unscrewing those two is enough to free the mainboard. Just below the two central screw holes, you’ll spot tiny plastic spacers—be sure not to lose those. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 5
– Let’s dive into the mainboard, which boasts four major integrated circuits that deserve a shout-out! You can check out three of their datasheets attached to this guide for all the juicy details.
– First up, we have the Micrel “Centaur” KSZ8695PX chilling in the upper-left corner. This little powerhouse is an ARM-based system-on-chip that runs on a single 166MHz 32-bit ARM9 core. It can handle up to 64MB of combined RAM and ROM, plus it comes with built-in ethernet and PCI interfaces. Talk about versatility!
– Next, over to the right, we find the NEC D720101GJ. This chip is commonly found in standalone PCI USB cards, such as the Belkin F5U220. Its presence here indicates that it’s part of a PCI-driven USB chipset integrated right into the mainboard. It supports up to 6 USB 2.0 ports, but only five are in action here.
– On the bottom left, we encounter the Excel Semiconductor ES29LV160D 16Mbit (2MB) flash memory module. Rumor has it that this stores a modified version of Linux. I reached out to Belkin about the firmware source code, but I’m still waiting on a reply… fingers crossed!
– In the bottom-middle, let’s not forget the Winbond W9812G2GH SDRAM module. It boasts a capacity of “1,048,576 words x 4 banks x 32 bits,” which, if my math is correct, translates to about 2MB of RAM. The datasheet is a bit vague, so it could be either 2MB split into 4 banks or 4 banks of 2MB each.
– The datasheet clearly indicates that this chip was designed to work with that PCI interface for a wireless networking card or similar chipset, making it ideal for a wireless router setup.
– When we put together the flash memory and the aforementioned components, we get a fantastic total of 4MB of combined RAM and ROM. That leaves a generous 60MB of extra space if someone wants to upgrade with larger memory modules!