PCMCIA network cards

golem · 29 November 2022, 22:21

Wow I had occasion to look at the price of older 16 bit Ethernet PCMCIA cards on eBay and was shocked at how much these are going for. If you can find them some are £70 on buy it now. Like Amigans themselves the old tech gets rarer. Trying not to brag that I have one already but I just fixed it with Cardreset patch it needed optional switch. I’ve probably been unplugging it for 15 years to get it to work!

alexh · 29 November 2022, 23:27

16-bit 10mbit ethernet Cards are dirt cheap. They sell for 99p every day. It's the cables that everyone has lost that cost about £20-£30

jurassicman · 30 November 2022, 11:49

Unfortunately it is not that easy to get (a working) one.

And when you get one it could be defective like the latest I got that isn't "seen" by easynet/amitcp even if I checked before buying it that it was compatible (it should work with the cnet driver but I don't even get its mac address when I query the card within easynet).

As alexh said there are also many for sale without dongle so they are completely useless. I haven't understood yet if the dongles are all different or if it is possible to use a dongle with any (or at least more) cards but I guess that you have to use the specific dongle for each cards.

In a few words... good luck!

alexh · 30 November 2022, 12:04

Xircom 16-bit PCMCIA ethernet cards with integrated cables have a compatible Amiga driver.

But IIRC they don't fit without removing the plastic shell from the card OR increasing the height of the PCMCIA slot opening in the Amiga case using a file.

The 3C589 driver came along many years after the cnet driver. As such these cards tend to be cheaper but equally compatible.

alexh · 30 November 2022, 14:43

There are two drivers for the two (?) PCMCIA ethernet chipsets.

https://aminet.net/package/driver/net/cnetdevice
https://aminet.net/package/driver/net/3c589

Use the wrong one and it's not going to show up.

jurassicman · 30 November 2022, 16:39

I have been using easynet pro since 2014 and during all these years I used at least 5 or 6 different cards with it (probably more including wifi cards).

I had a 3com that I used with the 3c589 driver and now I have a card that uses the cnet driver and that works well (I don't remember the maker at the moment).

The latest card I bought (a Belkin F5D5020) was supposed to work with the same cnet drivers but when I plug it I don't get any "signs of life" from the card (no blink at all on the dongle's led and no mac address when I query it within easynet).

lesta_smsc · 01 December 2022, 00:29

I have 3 x BNIB PCMCIA network card that has an ethernet port so cable, that typically comes with such cards, is not required. Tested one on A600 and worked perfectly well!

Bruce Abbott · 01 December 2022, 05:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by jurassicman

As alexh said there are also many for sale without dongle so they are completely useless.

Not completely useless...

jurassicman · 01 December 2022, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Abbott

Not completely useless...

Cool solution...

larsovef · 01 December 2022, 17:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Abbott

Not completely useless...

Teach me !

ncafferkey · 21 December 2022, 00:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

Xircom 16-bit PCMCIA ethernet cards with integrated cables have a compatible Amiga driver.

Which ones? I thought all Xircoms used a proprietary chipset (not cnet.device compatible). Unless there's a Xircom-specific driver I don't know about.

29 November 2022, 22:21	#1
golem Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Nottingham, UK Posts: 77	PCMCIA network cards Wow I had occasion to look at the price of older 16 bit Ethernet PCMCIA cards on eBay and was shocked at how much these are going for. If you can find them some are £70 on buy it now. Like Amigans themselves the old tech gets rarer. Trying not to brag that I have one already but I just fixed it with Cardreset patch it needed optional switch. I’ve probably been unplugging it for 15 years to get it to work!

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29 November 2022, 23:27	#2
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	16-bit 10mbit ethernet Cards are dirt cheap. They sell for 99p every day. It's the cables that everyone has lost that cost about £20-£30

30 November 2022, 11:49	#3
jurassicman Registered User Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Sassari/Italy Posts: 867	Unfortunately it is not that easy to get (a working) one. And when you get one it could be defective like the latest I got that isn't "seen" by easynet/amitcp even if I checked before buying it that it was compatible (it should work with the cnet driver but I don't even get its mac address when I query the card within easynet). As alexh said there are also many for sale without dongle so they are completely useless. I haven't understood yet if the dongles are all different or if it is possible to use a dongle with any (or at least more) cards but I guess that you have to use the specific dongle for each cards. In a few words... good luck!

30 November 2022, 12:04	#4
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	Xircom 16-bit PCMCIA ethernet cards with integrated cables have a compatible Amiga driver. But IIRC they don't fit without removing the plastic shell from the card OR increasing the height of the PCMCIA slot opening in the Amiga case using a file. The 3C589 driver came along many years after the cnet driver. As such these cards tend to be cheaper but equally compatible.

30 November 2022, 14:43	#5
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	There are two drivers for the two (?) PCMCIA ethernet chipsets. https://aminet.net/package/driver/net/cnetdevice https://aminet.net/package/driver/net/3c589 Use the wrong one and it's not going to show up.

30 November 2022, 16:39	#6
jurassicman Registered User Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Sassari/Italy Posts: 867	I have been using easynet pro since 2014 and during all these years I used at least 5 or 6 different cards with it (probably more including wifi cards). I had a 3com that I used with the 3c589 driver and now I have a card that uses the cnet driver and that works well (I don't remember the maker at the moment). The latest card I bought (a Belkin F5D5020) was supposed to work with the same cnet drivers but when I plug it I don't get any "signs of life" from the card (no blink at all on the dongle's led and no mac address when I query it within easynet).

01 December 2022, 00:29	#7
lesta_smsc Registered User Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 3,173	I have 3 x BNIB PCMCIA network card that has an ethernet port so cable, that typically comes with such cards, is not required. Tested one on A600 and worked perfectly well!

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