I say just use a fucking softmod! Damn, it will solve all your problems, atleast it did for me. You can do a harddrive upgrade without messing around with your LPC ports. Just make sure you transfer the right shit (EEPROM, etc) to the upgraded harddrive. Then voila, you can do almost the same shit a mod chip can do but cheaper! I saved myself about 50 dollars from just softmodding. It might take more time, but ur chances of getting banned due to LPC ports is ZERO percent! So then you just have a upgraded harddrive, and if you get banned for that too...then sol, next time go with a switch to switch between original harddrive and upgradded harddrive. I personally think mod chips are a waste of money, but that is my thought. If I can do almost the same shit for free, then wtf, im going for the free path. I also think its easier and less stress installing sofmods. You also dont ruin your warenty by opening your Xbox (if you keep orignal harddrive). If you fuck up your harddrive, nobody will know (like repair people), ITS MESSED UP. They will either reformat it or just pop a fresh one in for you. I forgot to lock my harddrive once, and my local repair guy just popped a new one in for me. Of corse I was ban from XBL, and didnt know...but thats besides the point....
And yes I did use profanity a lot, im pissed, at some fuckers, and I think softmods are the way to go if you dont wanna go through all the confusion of the gay MS banning.