wireless on an old Thinkpad 600
Hi to everyone !
I would like to install wireless facilities on my old Thinkpad. It has a
300 Mhz processor, 128 MB of RAM, and 4.1 GB of space on hard disk. It
used to run on RedHat 7.2, which stayed there for about six years without
any problem. Since I have been unable to get wireless working on it using
pcmcia IBM 'EtherJet' card and a router in client mode 'FON2200' (the so
called Fonera), I installed Debian Sarge instead of RedHat 7.2.
This Debian system still did not acknowledge the EtherJet card, but it
accepted an Ethernet pcmcia 'D-Link 660' card, and gave
me a good fast 1 MB DSL connexion. Now, my purpose is to have a wireless
connexion to my DSL
modem/router (as well as connexions to hotels wireless facilities etc..).
I thought that I could achieve this with the router Fonera, but, even
though I have tested this with Microsoft Windows 98, I can't get it
working on Linux.
My first question concerns the cable connexion between the router Fonera
and my pcmcia Ethernet cards. My first Ethernet card, the IBM 'EtherJet'
gets connected with four plugs : five pins, six pins, then a sort of a
hook in the center, then again six pins, then five pins. It seems rather
weird as a plugging system. This, as I said, goes into the pcmcia
EtherJet card ; in the other end of the cable there is something that
looks like a standard network plug ; it is supposed to get plugged into
the router Fonera. This EtherJet card, with this special cable does
provide a connexion with the router under Microsoft Windows. But, as I
said before, this EtherJet card is not being reckognized on my Debian
system (or I have not been able to get it to work on it). On the contrary,
the D-Link Ethernet card is being reckognized under Debian... but it does
not provide the same plugging system as the other card... Instead of that
weird 4 plugs system, it takes only one central plug with I can't count
how many pins, which central plug is connected to a converting cord which
other end has a female outlet in which any network cable can be inserted.
This system does work for Ethernet either on MS Windows or on Linux, but I
have not been able to get it to connect to the router Fonera in either
system. I mean : the plugging is feasable as far as plugs and converters
are concerned, but, once done, the Fonera does not respond to calls to its
addresses 169.254.255.1 and 192.168.1.1, while it does with the other
plugging system, at least under Windows. Is this normal, or have I missed
something ? In any case, how can I solve this problem ? which Ethernet
pcmcia card will have the same plugging system as the EtherJet card as
well as being workable under Linux ? From the above report of trials, I
am unable to know whether the fact that I cannot run this system under
Linux is due to this system or to the connection mode...
Thanks in advance for any useful tips or information.
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