Abrasha wrote:
Mark Mossberg wrote:


Why don't you just get some PCI cards with a standard RJ45 plug. The
machines would have to be over 15 years old to not have PCI slots, in
which
case you should just toss em.


Since he is still running Windows 95 (according to his OP) he may indeed
have old ISA slots.

Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com
I've had my PCs hooked up by Ethernet for about the last 10 years.
NetBEUI over 10Base2 cabling. Oldest PC just runs DOS. there are 2
Win311 boxes, a Win95 box and then it goes to a hub with a BNC port to
take it to the two Win98 PCs and the DSL router on 10BaseT cabling.

Rules of thumb for successfull home networking on the cheap:

Start with 2 identical 3Com used cards (download the driver disks) or a
pair of new cards.

Use known good 50 ohm coax cabling, tees and 50 ohm terminators or UTP
cabling and a hub for your first attempt. There is enough to go wrong
*without* guessing if the hardware is OK. Use the diagnostics program on
the card driver disk to test communications before loading windows
drivers. Long term, UTP cabling with a hub is *much* easier to
troubleshoot, you just check all the idiot lights are green :-)

Use NetBEUI. Its not routeable so cant leak out over the internet. DONT
leave TCP/IP bound to Microsoft file and printer sharing. NetBEUI is
still on the XP cd, its just a very well hidden extra now. TCP/IP is
*hard* to set up then your firewall will break your filesharing :-(

When trying to bring up an extra machine using used/suspect bits,
connect it to to machines that allreade see each other properly.

Dont get wireless networking untill you understand the ordinary wired
stuff AND THE SECURITY PROBLEMS properly.

Finally, try to resist the temptation to place the offending bit of
network hardware on your anvil and hit it with your largest hammer . . . .

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk [at]=@, [dash]=- &
[dot]=.
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