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new ethernet/wifi card?

TX_Dj said:
I'm a big fan of using wifi bridge modules to connect hardwired hardware onto wireless networks. The host needs not understand a thing about wifi, just the ethernet and protocols that you'll be running on the network. It is by far the simplest solution to what is honestly a simple problem.
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This is bloody brilliant and I am kicking myself for not thinking of it on my own. I have been driving myself nuts trying to figure out how to route cables from my switch to my 5155 for that true "LAN Gaming Experience" on the go and this solves the problem! I jest a bit of course but it is a brilliant idea.

Anyone can recommend a bridge to play nicely with a 3C503-TP (10mbit 8bit ISA) NIC?
 
MikeS said:
you can get direct RS-232 to Wifi bridges (without the wired ethernet in between).
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Mike,

Would these work on a XT class machine (i.e. non-buffered UART, slow CPU, SW/driver issues?). If so they maybe an option for getting a 5140 (w/ the serial port attachment) on the net!
 
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I can't speak for everyone but a lot of the people I've heard doing this reflash their little router/bridge with ww-drt so you'd be looking on the ww-drt site for compatible gear. From there it's really just a physical cable being plugged into a wireless router so you're not likely to have many issues with compatibility. On the bright side also you can find hoards of old obsolete wifi gear (people upgraded to have gigabit network ports) and who gave their old 10/100 wireless routers to goodwill or other thrift stores. You can often find a cheap one out there for next to nothing and with a return guarantee :) My only problem is I think out of my entire collection I only have 1 possibly 8-bit NIC.
 
barythrin:

I have a Linksys WRT54G which would do the task but the big blue box is a bit conspicuous. I was hoping for something a bit more discreet and compact so I can vow people with the WiFi capabilities of my 5155! ;)
 
Shadow Lord said:
barythrin:

I have a Linksys WRT54G which would do the task but the big blue box is a bit conspicuous. I was hoping for something a bit more discreet and compact so I can vow people with the WiFi capabilities of my 5155! ;)
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How about something like this: eBay 121135665870
 
Shadow Lord said:
Mike,

Would these work on a XT class machine (i.e. non-buffered UART, slow CPU, SW/driver issues?). If so they maybe an option for getting a 5140 (w/ the serial port attachment) on the net!
Click to expand...
Don't see why not; check out eBay and Google for RS232 wifi to get an idea. Here's an example: eBay 221250092200
Embedded TTL versions are a little cheaper.

Or, if you're going to use a (mini-)router with your 3C503 anyway you could probably find something like this to go from serial to router: 111119754250

With a little patience you should find cheaper ones...
 
MikeS said:
How about something like this: eBay 121135665870
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Last night while looking around I saw that particular unit. Have you used it personally?

MikeS said:
Don't see why not; check out eBay and Google for RS232 wifi to get an idea. Here's an example: eBay 221250092200
Embedded TTL versions are a little cheaper.
Click to expand...

With these units I am not sure exactly how they would be exposed to the SW. I read the manual for a similar unit but of course it only spoke of using the unit with Windows (and not 3.xx ;)). Is there a packet driver, or NDIS drivers for these units?

A simpler choice maybe to have a Xircom LPT adapter and then just use a wifi bridge. That way you can do wired or wifi as the mood strikes you. Of course you'd have to fit everything on a single floppy disk since LPT HDD would be out now...
 
So, I've done a little research into my idea, and I'm 99% sure it will work without creation of new software/drivers on the DOS side. It'll also work with non-DOS systems, and it doesn't tie up the parallel port.

What I've got in mind is a small *NIX embedded device running a console network manager (wicd-curses probably). You connect via serial console connection from your vintage machine via terminal emulator. You can then login as a user with access to telnet/SSH/FTP/(X/Y/Zmodem). Or you can configure the network device (wireless OR ethernet) using a (n)curses-based tool. That's nothing new.

What would make it uniquely useful as a network bridge to a vintage machine is including SLIP support. This would allow the little device to act as essentially a dialup modem for your vintage machine. In the case of DOS and old UNIX-like OSes, SLIP drivers already exist.

So, it's a single bit of hardware that will bridge RS-232 to EITHER wifi or wired ethernet. You can use it in SLIP bridge mode or as a terminal server. It'll run some FOSS operating system (probably Linux), and provide an easy-to-use configuration system. It should require zero custom hardware (unless you want to integrate it into a vintage system). It's not tied to any architecture other than the RS-232 requirement.
 
glitch said:
What would make it uniquely useful as a network bridge to a vintage machine is including SLIP support.
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Absolutely. That would allow more primitive systems with dialup interfaces to work. That's how many folks modded the PalmPilot ethernet cradle. It's really a serial port with SLIP to ethernet support.

On a separate note I've found a disappointing lack of 8-bit ISA network cards out there for sale (at least at a practical price).
 
Shadow Lord said:
I have a Linksys WRT54G which would do the task but the big blue box is a bit conspicuous. I was hoping for something a bit more discreet and compact
Click to expand...

It may be large, I'm not sure. Most the hacks I've seen take the circuit board out of it's plastic housing and mount just the boards in the computer case. But yes, you should still be able to find another smaller cheap little unit somewhere too.
 
barythrin said:
On a separate note I've found a disappointing lack of 8-bit ISA network cards out there for sale (at least at a practical price).
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Many 16-bit cards either work in 8-bit mode or have a jumper to enable 8-bit mode. I believe all of the non-PnP NE2000s I've had supported an 8-bit mode. The 3Com EtherLink II does as well.
 
I haven't had time to work on the idea yet, but I was thinking of using an android device with a micro usb to host USB and a USB to RS232 Serial adapter to provide easy to move wifi connectivity to older devices. I was also hoping it would be possible to transfer files between the PC and the android device using a zmodem protocol of some sort.

The "using a dd-wrt router as a bridge" idea works great, though I have yet to find a way to easily manipulate the router wifi settings from the command line. I mounted one onto the outside of a Compaq Portable 386 expansion bay. Gives it more of the 'mad scientist' look.
 
Hatta said:
How about mTCP telnet into the router?
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Yeah I was fully able to telnet into it, which was neat because dd-wrt has a good chunk of pre-compiled programs(a couple games too) that can be downloaded to it then ran from the command line. The problem was managing the wifi connections from the command line. I know how to do it in a regular linux box but I don't think that's how dd-wrt works exactly. Plus I remember the telnet connection freezing everytime I ran ifconfig (I think)
 
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