Many ISA Ethernet NICs, including those based on the Realtek RTL8019 chip, can run in an 8-bit ISA slot . IMHO, parallel port Ethernet NICs are more trouble than they are worth and should be considered in a last case scenario only .

darry wrote on 2020-07-11, 15:14:

Many ISA Ethernet NICs, including those based on the Realtek RTL8019 chip, can run in an 8-bit ISA slot . IMHO, parallel port Ethernet NICs are more trouble than they are worth and should be considered in a last case scenario only .

But are they intended to work that way as retrocompatibility or it may damage the bus or the mainboard for who knows any 16bit/8bit circuit requirements difference?

386SX wrote on 2020-07-11, 15:23:

darry wrote on 2020-07-11, 15:14:

Many ISA Ethernet NICs, including those based on the Realtek RTL8019 chip, can run in an 8-bit ISA slot . IMHO, parallel port Ethernet NICs are more trouble than they are worth and should be considered in a last case scenario only .

But are they intended to work that way as retrocompatibility or it may damage the bus or the mainboard for who knows any 16bit/8bit circuit requirements difference?

They are that way by design . Using 16-bit cards that are 8-bit compatible in 8-bit slots is a common practice .

The 16-bit ISA bus is an extension of the 8-bit ISA bus . The 8-bit part of a 16-bit ISA slot is electrically identical to a an ISA 8-bit slot . An 8-bit ISA card will also work in a 16-bit slot (as long as the card's physical design allows it to be inserted while not interfering with the 16-bit extension physically) .

like darry said, the 16-bit slot is just an 8-bit slot with some additional address, data, and control lines

even if a 16-bit card won't function properly in an 8-bit slot, there is no way it could damage anything (unless the overhanging card edge were to short against something)

Understood. So I may use the NE2000 card into the 8bit bus and cover the 16bit part with eletric isolation tape and try to see if it works.
I would have even used a 8bit sound card to free up a 16 bit connector but their prices seems a bit too high.
Or maybe are there any combo cards like ethernet and audio card into one? 😁

Note that you may need special drivers (eg. packet drivers) to run 16 bit NE2000 cards in an 8 bit slot.

That's another problem too I suppose. I'll search for it.
EDIT: found them a generic one. I'll try it soon. I've at least four different NE2000 similar cards, I'll take a photo to ask you which might be the best for such old machine (considering also I'd like to make it works in Win 3.1).

Don't forget about PLIP, too, in a pinch. It uses a LapLink cable so that you can connect to another computer's parallel port and it emulates an Ethernet card. It can run about 4x as fast as 115,200 serial but I don't know how well it would do on a 386.

I was checking the card I've got and I've these ones:

AT-2000B ISA PnP ethernet card 16bit
Kingston KNE2021LC EtherRx LC ISA 16 bit
Netware Yes ISA with jumpers or PnP config 16bit too..

All are NE2000 compatible only the latest has jumpers.
I'm using the AT2000B for now and tried with a Win95 installation it reports being seen at I/O 0240-025F and Interrupt 15 but I suppose the Netware may be the best option cosidering the jumpers?
The AT2000 is seen into the 8bit ISA port as said the only ones remaining on the riser card, what about the others?
Also another question, I tried to install the MS Network for Dos disks but it ask me for the OEM disk of the card. Considering I've to use a modified NE2000.COM 8bit version drivers do I have to find the original drivers too? And what about Windows 3.1 (not WfW) network requirements?
Thanks

Are you sure the jumperless ones don't have a config utility to disable PnP and set the settings you want.

jakethompson1 wrote on 2020-07-19, 17:02:

Are you sure the jumperless ones don't have a config utility to disable PnP and set the settings you want.

I suppose if I find specific apps for them they may disable it but still I'm using on an 8bit ISA connector and I suppose I'd have problem also with them or their original drivers. I found someone compiled on another vintage computer forum a 8bit NE2000.COM driver that strangely recognize the AT2000B ISA card on a different config than the W95 ones.. Interrupt 9 and 0x300 while on the W95 default config values it'd result with the usual FF:FF:FF.... mac address like the card wasn't found.