It is on a Samsung NP900X3D laptop, which appears to date back to 2013. It was given to Mrs g by her work.

The connector on the right claims to be a network connector, and the manual (online) says it requires an adapter to RJ45, which we don’t have, but there is a picture of it and it doesn’t look like it has any smarts inside it (this was 2013) so I imagine this connector is simply a small way of connecting all the wires for ethernet. It is not any type of USB, and there is an identical connector on the other side which the manual says will connect to a VGA monitor. My searching skills haven’t really got much, other than a hint that it might be some kind of small VGA connector. Inside it looks just like a USB type B micro socket, only wider.

Obvoiusly I could fit a usb network adapter thing, but I am intrigued as to what this actually is.

A bit of googling suggests there are dongles needed for each, the VGA one uses a “Mini-VGA” connector.

I’d guess the network one is a proprietary connection, I think it’s an “AA-AE2N12B” like this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samsung-Electronics-Amor2-Lan-Dongle-Ethernet-Adapter-AA-AE2N12B-/303664660028

That connector could be in the Aargh my eye thread

Thanks. It doesn’t look exactly like the mini-VGA connections I can find pictures of, even of Samsung ones(?). So a very proprietary connector shape then. And more expensive than a usb to lan adapter. I was hoping I could find something with that plug on it and wire it up to an RJ45 socket.

Has it got a USB3 port on it?

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Multi-Display-Removable-2560×1440-1920×1200/dp/B07VMQFT7F

… and that mini-VGA is likely micro-HDMI.

My picture has disappeared?

No it isn’t micro-HDMI, if you could see the picture you would see that the connector next to it, which is narrower, is micro-hdmi. It isn’t wide enough for mini-hdmi either (I looked up the measurements see).

I didn’t see the picture at all, it was guesswork. Can you repost it?

I had a X series Samsung (10 years ago) and had to buy the proprietary network and HDMI connectors. They were quite hard to find I seem to remember.

Trusted Review for it says:

There are two USBs, one on each edge (one USB 3.0), two video outputs in the form of a microHDMI and mini Display Port – again, one on each edge – a proprietary miniature Ethernet port and a headphone jack .

OK, from a less flaky source:

Well it might work if you ask to see the image.

Thanks @Fuzzy, in that case the proprietary mini ethernet looks identical to the mini Display Port. ETA but looks nothing like the ones on Wikipedia.

the proprietary mini ethernet looks … nothing like

That’s what proprietary means. (-:

And yeah, the one on the left is micro HDMI, if you were still unsure after the Trusted link and the fact it says “HDMI” next to it.

Mini DisplayPort is kinda square rather than flat, a bit like a USB-B shape. The label will be a P inside a D.

In both cases, mini / micro to full-size adapters are readily available.

Hah, which is what you said in the OP. There you go, then.

I looked up the manual online and it is indeed some kind of proprietry ethernet connector, presumably to keep the case slim, as standard RJ45 sockets are quite chunky.

I was just going to post a link to the manual but it looks like the OP already found it and figured that out.

I’d “imagine” its just a simple small plug to big plug converter thats required.

I’m amazed “mini-Ethernet” hasn’t become a thing yet.

Remember X-jacks? What happened to those I wonder. A little push-in/pop-out drawer like an SD card, then the Ethernet plug fitted vertically into it. Used to get them in PCMCIA Cards / PC Cards.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XJACK

Thanks everyone. Yes I am pretty sure its pins simply do what ethernet does only in a small package. I was hoping they made use of a type of plug/socket that was already at large, so I could find a lead with one on and try to bodge it (as a project, really, obviously I could get a usb adapter for it). But it appears not.

It does look like a wide micro-usb, I wonder if they just adapted that to make it wider to carry more wires. And the same for the VGA output on the other side.

Do check the pins are in ‘standard configuration’ if possible though, I wouldn’t be supprised if a company like samsung ‘pulled a sneaky’ to make you buy the official samsung adaptor.

But as it is a non-standard connector (for ethernet) there is no standard configuration, the output would need to be tested some way. It looks like two-sided thing inside, whereas RJ45 is all in a line. All academic anyhow as I can’t get hold of a plug other than by buying the official connector already connected.

I think it’s a Kempston interface or a Zorro II expansion connector

I’m not using my connectors – send me a mail and if you’re lucky mine might work and I’ll send them to you.

Thanks for your kind offer aP but I have concluded the machine probably isn’t worth bothering with.

Remember X-jacks? What happened to those I wonder. A little push-in/pop-out drawer like an SD card, then the Ethernet plug fitted vertically into it. Used to get them in PCMCIA Cards / PC Cards.

I remember (and liked) those – it’s a pain on slimline laptops etc. that don’t have an RJ45 port (if you’re somewhere with patchy/no WiFi), XJACKs should definitely be a thing…

They were probably fragile as shit. But there’s no reason why they couldn’t make modern ones in a more robust material / construction.