Baslinux mailing list

[James Miller <jamtat AT mailsnare.net>]

On Fri, 7 May 2004, Sindi Keesan wrote:

> I have one PCI ethernet card with both round and phone-type connectors.
> Is one better to use than the other, assuming I can get a free connector
> and matching card?  Do you do something different with the software for
> each connector?

Round connector on a PCI ethernet card?  You mean a bnc connector?  I
thought coax had gone by the wayside long before PCI NIC's appeared . . .
There may be a hardware history lesson in this.  All newer (wired) NIC's
use the phone type plug (called an RJ 45 plug).  If you watch your
dumpsters and curbs carefully, you should be able to pick up enough cast
off wire (called UTP [unshielded twisted pair] or cat 5) - some even with
ends on it - to wire several houses.  I picked up a couple of hundred
yards at the local community college when they rewired their library's
computer lab (pulled out of the trash, unrepentant dumpster diver that I
am).  Just get yourself one of those crimpers and some RJ 45 plugs and you
can make your own custom cables.  I also picked up loads of ISA NIC's at
an auction there which, unfortunately, don't work well with the module
they are supposed to use under the 2.2.16 kernel.  I did get one working
by using the module from the 2.2.19 kernel and forcing it to load with the
-f switch.  They work fine in DOS and Win, though.  ISA NIC's are
basically throw-away items now, since they're only 10baseT (1/10th the
speed of 10/100 PCI NIC's).  If you want either cards or cable, I'd be
happy to send you some if you pay the postage.  They're just taking up
space in my storage locker.

James

PS If the round connector you're talking about is bnc/coax, then the same
module should work for the NIC regardless of whether you use the bnc
connector or the RJ 45 plug.  You'll need to look up the card and see what
module(s) it uses under Linux - if it's supported.