I was so frustrated for not having an internal wifi in my cheap 20 GB PlayStation 3. Without that thing, I can't play online games, I can't sign-up for PlayStation Network and I can't get the updates that needed for my console. So, I need to buy and run a LAN wire on the wall from the router to my console. And that's not good 'coz I am such a lazy ass to do something like that. But I do not have any other way but to do it, so I decided to set up the LAN wire and use it for temporary connection.
I tried to look at google search if there's anyone out there has find any solution for this thing. But no one had ever try to modified their PS3. Even the USB wifi dongle will not going to work. A wireless bridge can work, but it's too expensive and I dont want another bulky unit attached to my (already) big and heavy game console. I kept thinking about this problem everyday (as in seriously). One day, I'd thought about installing an OEM wifi chip inside my PS3. It means I have to open the unit and it also means I'll void the warranty once I do this project. But I guess I am stupid, so I decided to do it anyway. But of course, not without being careful and doing a research first.
I found another mod that you can do for your PS3 and that is the hard drive upgrade. I never thought that the hard drive upgrade of PS3 is one hell easy work to do. And here's my own version on how to upgrade the hard drive your PS3 and the main idea of this article: "Installing OEM Wifi to your PS3":






Here are the things that we need before we start this project:


1.) PlayStation 3




2.) Tools (small type of Screw drivers and a size 10 T-6 Screw driver)




3.) 1 or 2 GB USB flash drive for back up of game saves and other files.




4.) 100 GB 2.5-inch 5400 rmp serial ATA model commonly found in notebooks.
You can also get 200, 160, 120 GB with 7200 rpm for faster performance and bigger file capacity.



5.) WiFi/Bluthooth chip from 60 GB PlayStation 3



6.) WiFi wire from 60 GB PlayStation 3





PS3 Hard-Drive Upgrade



Let's do the Hard-drive upgrade first. First, save all the games save and files into your USB flash Drive. By the way, by doing this mod alone will not going to void your warranty. It is because you don't need to dissasemble the whole unit to pull the hard drive off. There is an easy access door on the side of PS3 ( Let's thanks Sony for making this thing so easy).


You'll see a tiny space on the side of this door. This is where you can use your flat head screw to open this door.

Once you've opened it, you'll see a shiny metal plate and that will be the hard-drive cover plate. Unscrew the blue screw with your philip screw driver and turn it counter clockwise(lol).

Always remember that every little pieces of this unit is important! Do not misplace the blue screw!
Anyway, when you've finally unscrew it... there is handle right on the plate that looks like a paper clip. You can hold on to it to pull out the Hard Drive. To pull the Hard Drive out, you must slide metal plate to the right first. By then you can feel that the HD was already loosed. Now you can pull it out from the unit.

As I've said above, there is still a metal plate cover on the HD. You'll need to unscrew the four screws on each side of this plate to free the HD from it. Once you're finished, get your precious meaty 100 GB SATA Hard Drive and remove the unnecessary parts that you dont need (like the rubber moldings) and mount it to the metal plate. Put all the 4 screws back and the rest are opposite of this process.

When you turned your unit on, the PS3 automatically detcet the new HD and asks that the new drive need to be formatted. Click YES and after the process you'll se the result.

'Sad to say that my 100 GB is not really a 100 GB :-(






PS3 OEM WiFi Installation


Installing a WiFi is not an easy thing to do. First, you must void the warranty seal for you to open the unit. Second, you have to have a technical ability. Third, you need to do a research. Lastly, you need to find the right parts that you need for this project.

Anyway, let's do this. On the other side of your PS3 is the access to open the whole unit.
Ok, can you see where I am pointing my finger at? That's the evil warranty seal. At this point you can still decide if you want to back out.... or if you dont really mind about voiding the warranty seal (like me), well then... let's go!


First, you must peel off the warranty seal from the unit.




After that, pull the rubber out and youll see a screw inside. Unscrew that thing with your size 10 T-6 screw driver.




Lay down your PS3 on the floor or any flat surface. Slide the the cover towards you and pull it up.

We can now see the second layer cover of the unit.

See the encircled portions below? Those are screws. Unscrew those with philip head screw driver and pull the cover - left portion first (pull it like a door) to your right.

Finally we've opened the unit. Once you see the whole package, you'll immidiately noticed the part that you need to replace. See the encircled portion on the picture below (green), that's the bluetooth chip. Free the chip by unscrewing it from the unit using philip head screw driver. The chip can be free from ribbon wire by simply lifting the black portion . WARNING: From this point you have to be extra careful. You dont dont wanna lift this black clip real hard, because this is the one that holding the ribbon that makes this bluetooth chip working. If you break it, then youre done! Treath this like a little door. It swings back and forth.
Here's a closer look.

So have you pulled out the bluetooth chip? Here's the closer look of 20GB Bluetooth Chip and 60GB Bluetooth Chip W/ WIFi. See the difference?

BACK
FRONT

CLOSER LOOK OF THE FRONT

Do you see that little gold plated round shaped tiny thing right there? That's where the WiFi wire should go.

Now let's mount the replacement Bluetooth Chip with Wifi to the unit. Put everything back like the opposite of what we did before.
Try to look at the end of the Wifi wire, there is a black circle thing with a tiny hole. The gold plated tiny circle on the Bluetooth chip and that black circle thing on the wifi wire are link together. Snap that into the gold plated tiny circle.

Once you're done with mounting everything, run the Wifi wire in between the power supply and the disc drive toward to the back .
Look at the picture:

On the back portion of the unit near the blu-ray disc drive, you'll see a screw (see photo above). Unscrew that and mount the other end of the wifi wire. Keep it straight and neat.

There you go. We're done! Now keep everything back together and turn your PS3 on. The controllers will not going to work because we replaced the bluetooth chip. What you'll need to do is use the USB to your controller. Reset your console into factory setting. After the process, free the controller from USB and hold the PS button for about 10 secs. If still didnt work, hold the power button of your PS3 for about 5 secs until you hear the beep sound. The PS3 will reset. Then, do the same thing again, hold the PS button on the controller for 10 secs. , your controller BT should be working now.

Now, set-up the necessary things you want for your PS3 to operate, like the video setting, audio etc...
Download the latest firmware of PS3. This should update the system and detect the new hardware (WiFi) that we added in your PS3. Once you do this, the option on the internet connection settings will be updated. The Wireless will now be selected as an option for internet on the menu.

But if you have the latest firmware already, then you have to wait for a while. The 2.0 Firmware is coming.


The total cost of this project: $24.00

100 GB -$20.00
BT and Wifi Chip -$4.00




DISCOVERY

Card Reader upgrade for 20GB PS3 is possble!
look at this pictures:


Unscrew


Open

Viohla!

The card reader can be installed if you have the right parts for the connection. We also need to solder this part to the motherboard.