Finally, some hardware hacking on an iPad. Finding the 3G connection that came with the iPad lacking, this industrious hacker yanked it out and replaced it with the guts from a MiFi. At the cost of his GPS, he’s gained a better connection and is now a wifi hotspot. It wasn’t horribly complex, but he did have to do a tiny bit more than just plug and play.
[thanks Smilr]
Thank you for sharing!
Just curious.. Has anyone installed Android in iPAD yet? I think it’s possible.
At long last is right. Does anybody know if there is a hack out there to upgrade a non-3g ipad with a 3g module? Im sure someone out there must have givern it a try instead of paying apple the extra $200.
this guy should get a less conductive work bench..
epic hack though
Thats not the bench I’m sure- it’s the inside of the ipad.
That is the most ironic, epic hack I have ever seen! Fuckin WIN!
So, he has taken out the 3G board, lost GPS and audio quality to fit the internals of a mifi into it. What is wrong with keeping the 3G board, sat nav and sound quality, keep the mifi in his pocket (they aren’t big) and connecting to it through the wifi.
Would have taken 30 seconds and not disabled anything on the iPad. Smells like a fail to me.
Cause then it would be called useaday…
Wow… dumb.
Buy the cheaper wifi only ipad and do that. Doing that to the 3g ipad was a major dumb move.
Heck, this is inspirational!
I am integrating a cellular and radio scanner on the iPAD!
He mentions in his build log that the reason he chose the 3G iPad also included the fact that it has the plastic antenna knockout on the back, reception would have been much worse with a regular iPad’s full metal back.
wow, the expensive i-pad doesn’t have wifi?
This was pretty stupid. ALL of the iPads have wifi so what was the point. The non-3g ipad also has the little plastic “pop-out”(it’s the mac logo).
@zzz: No, it does. This is MiFi. The device communicates with Verizon’s cellular network (they call it 4G now, right?) and creates a small WiFi hotspot. This internal hotspot is what the iPad connects to. The 3G iPad connects to AT&T’s 3G network (which is…lacking) or a WiFi network.
You know….. wireless communication between components in a device seems kindof inefficient, doesn’t it? Then again, the alternative could be really complicated. Also, I didn’t think about the part where it also shares the network.
It sure would suck if Verizon stopped supporting his MiFi device, though!
@kristian That does seem very inefficient, why not just connect the radio on the MiFi hotspot directly to the radio on the iPad?
Or put a Verizon MiniPCI-E radio card into the existing slot….
@Hitek146
Just curious.. Are there any iPAD drivers for the VZW MiniPCI-E 3G card?
Dudes!, This modder freakin’ RULES!! But the name should be >>> MyFiPad! A VERIZON CONNECTED IPAD THAT’S ALSO A WIFI HOTSPOT?! FREAKIN’ MIND BLOWING!! IF U ARE READING THIS, SUPERMODDER, EMAIL ME SO WE CAN TURN YOUR MODDING EFFORTS INTO A $$$$ BUSINESS SELLING THESE MyFiPads, at least until Verizon sells iPads, if ever! (I will be your first adoring customer!!) Screw the warranty and GPS. Modders don’t need no stinkin’ GPS! And when Verizon moves to LTE and the next iPad has a 2GHz A5 Apple chip, we can make/sell 4G MyFiPads!!!!!!! -holycat
It’s bad for the future!
@Jon,
“It’s bad for the future!”
Why? Can you please elaborate, bro???
@turbodude
If I am not mistaken, most of these cellular cards interface to the host using the USB interface pins in the Mini-PCI slot, and not the actual PCI-E signals, themselves. I think this would appear to the system the same as any generic USB serial communication device would…
This is a GREAT idea.
Not everyone has AT&T nor wants it. If he already has Verizon, then he can get a discount on the MyFi unit for service. Plus Verizon has far better coverage and speeds than AT&T. Also nobody has realized that not everywhere has WIFI signal, so as long as he has VZW’s signal, he can use it.
Thanks for the details, I am truly looking forward to the Samsung Epic 4G, although I have constantly been very interested in cool gadgets, for a long time I have already been looking for my very first smartphone and I did not get it yet. The explanations are very simple: each and every several of months there is a revolution in the marketplace (tough to decide!) and prices here in Brazil are very abusive. Maybe I would enter this world in wonderful style with a Samsung Epic 4G. I hope so.
@Holycat, or iMyFiPad
well the link has been hacked to go to dishnetowrk crap
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This is crazy cool!