From: dgreen@sti.com (Dan R. Greening) Subject: Re: [386bsd/linux] LAN Adapter for Parallel Port: Supported in Linux? Date: 6 Feb 1993 02:07:08 GMT
gumby@tweedledumb.cygnus.com (D V Henkel-Wallace) wrote:
> From: dgreen@smurf.sti.com (Dan R. Greening)
>
> I'd love to have a UNIX laptop, but the only way it makes sense for my
> situation is to have an ethernet lan adapter stuck onto the notebook.
>
>Zenith/Bull make a few. They're kinda heavy (~ 6lbs), but reasonably robust.
I just ordered one.
> There are LAN adapters that attach to the parallel port of a notebook.
> The one that my computer salesperson recommended was a Soletek thinlan
> adapter. Does Linux or 386BSD run on such a beast? Would it be difficult
> to create a driver for said beast?
>
>Beware -- those parallel-port interfaces are very slow. I am instead
>trying to get a pcmcia ethernet controller that I can drive from linux.
Please let me know how this turns out. I have my Z-Note on order, but I
can cancel up to a month after I get it. You're right, I shy away from
a parallel-port adapters, because most of my data is going to be NFS
shared.
Zenith Z-Note 425LN. 486SL, 4 hour battery, 8MB, 120MB, $2880. I think it
has an active matrix greyscale screen. The internal ethernet board is
NE2000 compatible. Because it is NE2000 compatible, I don't think Linux
will run on it, however I think 386BSD will. The ethernet attachment is
the 14-pin job, so you have to get a $50 adapter to use thinnet or twisted
pair (get these from Allied Telesis 800-424-4284).
Zenith also makes an active matrix color version, with 200MB, for $4280.
Let's share info on these guys publically, so all can get the best bang for
the buck (and so we can give the bucks to those with the best bang).
Regards,
-- ____ \ /Dan Greening Software Transformation 1601 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd, #100 \/dgreen@sti.com (408) 973-8081 x313 Cupertino, CA 95014