How to Secure Laptop & Notebook Power Ports and Prevent Damage

This guide is not about repairing a laptop or notebook, but about preventing these precious devices from a certain kind of damage. Actually it is a product review of the JerkStopper laptop power cord retention device.

The JerkStopper is a small plastic plug, which comes in three flavors. There are three different plugs which may be placed either into the ethernet port, the modem port or one of the USB ports. Once attached to a port you can slip the power cord through the hole of the JerkStopper plug. The JerkStopper provides a retention for the power cord and prevents it from being accidentally ripped off, which may cause severe damage to the power port. It's a cheap and good means to prevent expensive and difficult repairs.

  Here the JerkStopper has been inserted into the ethernet port at the left side of my IBM ThinkPad T41.

  A close view of the JerkStopper, fitted into the ethernet port.

  The JerkStopper comes in three different flavors, there are plugs for ethernet (RJ45), modem (RJ11) or USB (type A) port.

Tips and Tricks

Tip 1: to attach the JerkStopper plug use a port you will probably never use. Usually this is the modem port in these days.

Tip 2: you may consider to secure the power cord a second time for example by wrapping it around a table-leg.

Resources

Just in case the damage has happened already and you have encountered a broken power port, here are some repair guides for laptop and notebook power supplies as well as power ports.