Very Computer

I have a 1994-era Quantex 60 MHz Pentium PC on which I am running
RedHat Linux 6.2.  It has a PCI bus, but is not "Plug-and-Play".  I
would like to add this machine into my home network.

The first thing I need of course is a network card.  It appears to me
that currently available cards require a PnP architecture in order to
function (I use NetGear FA311s in my other, newer machines).  Being
much more a software, rather than hardware, type person, I'm seeking a
recommendation on what kind/make of card to use in such a machine, and
then some advice on getting it properly configured in the BIOS and
Linux.

Appreciate any help,

Marc A. Criley

Quote:> I have a 1994-era Quantex 60 MHz Pentium PC on which I am running
> RedHat Linux 6.2.  It has a PCI bus, but is not "Plug-and-Play".  

Actually, it is, in the generic sense of the term.  The trademarked term
"Plug and Play [tm]" applies only to ISA.  PCI is inherently capable of
auto-configuration and always has been.

Some computers were (and are) advertised as having a PnP BIOS.  But even
for ISA cards that is only really relevant for DOS-based versions of
Windows.  NT-based Windows and most other systems (including Linux) have
that functionality in the OS.

Quote:> The first thing I need of course is a network card.  It appears to me
> that currently available cards require a PnP architecture in order to
> function (I use NetGear FA311s in my other, newer machines).

Any supported PCI NIC should work fine.

--
 -| Bob Hauck
 -| To Whom You Are Speaking
 -| http://www.haucks.org/

See other reply, however if you are looking for an ISA NIC, I suggest 3com,
particularly 509B series nics, the drivers tend to be good and widely
available. Don't pay anything for them tho.

Ed

Quote:> I have a 1994-era Quantex 60 MHz Pentium PC on which I am running
> RedHat Linux 6.2.  It has a PCI bus, but is not "Plug-and-Play".  I
> would like to add this machine into my home network.

> The first thing I need of course is a network card.  It appears to me
> that currently available cards require a PnP architecture in order to
> function (I use NetGear FA311s in my other, newer machines).  Being
> much more a software, rather than hardware, type person, I'm seeking a
> recommendation on what kind/make of card to use in such a machine, and
> then some advice on getting it properly configured in the BIOS and
> Linux.

> Appreciate any help,

> Marc A. Criley

I didn't know that (as I mentioned--HW just isn't my thing :-), thank you.

Quote:>>The first thing I need of course is a network card.  It appears to me
>>that currently available cards require a PnP architecture in order to
>>function (I use NetGear FA311s in my other, newer machines).

> Any supported PCI NIC should work fine.

I tried one of the NetGear FA311s, but that didn't work, kudzu never
noticed that anything was plugged in.  I went back and looked at the specs
for that card and it says the card requires that the system have bus
mastering capability, which pretty much everything from a 133MHz Pentium
and later has.  As this is a 60 MHz Pentium, I'm presuming it doesn't.  So
I'm still looking for a card that will work in this machine.

Thanks.

Marc

Quote:

> I tried one of the NetGear FA311s, but that didn't work, kudzu never
> noticed that anything was plugged in.  I went back and looked at the specs
> for that card and it says the card requires that the system have bus
> mastering capability, which pretty much everything from a 133MHz Pentium
> and later has.  As this is a 60 MHz Pentium, I'm presuming it doesn't.  So
> I'm still looking for a card that will work in this machine.

I've used D-Link 530TX+ (Realtek rt8139 based) cards in a wide range of
ancient machines including P60s and even a 486 or two.  You'll want a pretty
recent kernel for newer revisions of these cards but otherwise they have
been trouble free.  Cost is around $10-$15 just about anywhere.  

--
Ray