Connectors for PCMCIA/Cardbus
Can someone tell me what kind of PC card I can use with the ancient laptop
someone just gave me?
A friend gave me a Toshiba Satellite T2100CS laptop this morning, because it was
too "obsolete" for her to run Windows on anymore. But I think it will be just
dandy as a firewall and NAT server.
It doesn't have integrated ethernet, but it does have two PC card slots. I
tried to plug my 3Com 3CCFE575CT 10/100 cardbus (32-bit) ethernet card into it,
and it won't fit. It seems to me that the socked on the card is not physically
compatible with the pins in the laptop slot.
But I took it to a local PC retailer, and they claimed that Cardbus cards will
work in 16-bit PCMCIA slots. They said the upper 16 bits of the data bus just
wouldn't be used. To prove this they pulled a Linksys 10/100 PC card from one
of their own laptops and popped it into my ancient toshiba, and it slid right
in, no problem.
They didn't have the Linksys cards in stock but said they could order one in for
me to pick up tomorrow, for $59. They were hip to linux and said they would
investigate to be sure it would work with linux before I ordered.
I thought maybe I hadn't inserted my 3Com card correctly, so I came home and
tried it again. It still won't go in. It inserts into my Pentium III compaq
presario 1800T without any problem, but it seems no amount of wiggling will get
it into the toshiba.
My theory is that the computer shop was blowing smoke about the compatibility,
and that their linksys card is PCMCIA (16-bit) not cardbus (32-bit).
My understanding is that PCMCIA is ISA bus in a small form factor, while cardbus
is a small form factor PCI. I find it hard to imagine how a cardbus card could
be backwards compatible with 16-bit PCMCIA.
Can anyone enlighten me?
To start with I'll be using the firewall with a hayes external 56k modem. But
I'd like to also get a modem PC card, so that if there is a power failure the
laptop battery will works as a sort of UPS. With the external modem I'd lose my
modem connection in the event of a power failure. My 56k hayes also is kind of
buggy, I have to reset it every now and then because it gets hung and won't dial in.
Thanks,
Mike
--
Michael D. Crawford
GoingWare Inc. - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com
Tilting at Windmills for a Better Tomorrow.
"I give you this one rule of conduct. Do what you will, but speak
out always. Be shunned, be hated, be ridiculed, be scared,
be in doubt, but don't be gagged."
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