re: pcmcia ethernet cards
----- Original Message -----
From: Heather <star@betelgeuse.starshine.org>
To: Richard Weil <rcweil@yahoo.com>
Cc: debian-laptop <debian-laptop@lists.debian.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 1999 1:45 PM
Subject: Re: pcmcia ethernet cards
<snip>
>
> I use a Dlink that has been supported for a long time - it
> has been reliable (even under adverse hub conditions) and
> its cord has not been fragile as certain others have.
My Dlink card has dongle the size of Montana, which puts a lot
of strain on the connector when you are using the laptop in
your lap (which Dell says not to do, btw).
>
> "Certain others" having been 3com cards. After a colleague
> told me he had broken 4 cords in the previous 6 months, I
> wondered if he had a run of bad luck, but others in the office
> reported the cords as fragile also. (You can guess, I suggested
> we change the standard issue PCMCIA ethercards) Cords can be
> about half as expensive as the whole card, so fragile cords
> can really rack up the price for some manufacturers.
My 3com (all I think) has a lifetime guarantee. They'll replace
the cord as long as you live, no matter how many times it fails.
I'm on about my third in 18-24 months, and I use it about 70 hours
a week (about half that it's sitting on a desk, and the other
half it's 'mobile'. I sort of figure ALL dongles will break, so get
the brand that you don't have to buy replacements for. OTOH, I
also have a Xircom Realport. Now THAT is nice. Unfortunately, its
not quite working right under Linux.
> > I'm planning the following setup:
> >
> > - Dell Inspiron 7000, running Debian w/ firewall
> > options compiled into the kernel as the "permanently"
> > connected machine.
Be sure and visit http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~steveh. He has
the best page I've found for Linux on the Dell Inspirons.
(I have a 7K too)
> >
> > - On occassion, a second laptop will be networked with
> > the Dell, so it can also use the DSL connection [it
> > runs Windows 95].
> >
> > - Rarely I'll need to bring the Dell with me places
> > and I'll want to use a modem.
> >
> > With this in mind I think I may need 3 cards (please
> > correct me if I'm wrong -- I have never setup a
> > network before). One card for the DSL-Dell connection,
> > 2 cards for the PC-PC connection [one each]. And I
> > guess one of the three card should be an ethernet +
> > modem. Obviously, this means 2 cards in the Dell.
> >
> > Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Richard
>
> If you get a card type which the Dell and your MSwin box are
> both happy with, which uses flatcords and therefore is happy
> to be type II slot friendly, you'll be happiest.
>
> If one of the cards in the Dell is for connecting to the DSL,
> when you're one the road you won't need that because the modem
> will be serving the same purpose (outside world connectivity).
> So, that could be one dual-natured card, or you can simply get
> 3 of the ethercard, and one plain modem. For a total of:
>
> DELL - slot 0 (ether and/or modem)
> slot 1 (ether to speak w/mswin-top)
>
> mswin-top - slot 0 (ether to speak w/DELL)
>
> plus one cross-connect cord.
>
> You didn't mention if your DSL codec also doubles as an etherhub.
> Most don't, though my Trancell does.
>
> -* Heather Stern * Starshine Technical Services * star@starshine.org *-
>
>
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