----- Original Message ----- From: Heather <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Richard Weil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 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 * [EMAIL PROTECTED] *- > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >
