Reply 80 of 133, by Scythifuge
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megatron-uk wrote on 2021-05-26, 07:18:Scythifuge wrote on 2021-05-25, 23:44:Intel486dx33 wrote on 2021-05-25, 21:54:Back around 1995 I was working at a computer education training center where they taught a networking basics class. We had the c […]
Back around 1995 I was working at a computer education training center where they taught a networking basics class.
We had the computers wired up with Coax and Ethernet for training purposes.
So if you really want to be early 1990’s tech go COAX.
You can use 3com 3c509b Ethernet cards. Its easy to setup too.
These cards have Ethernet 1o-base-t, coax, and serial connector.
I use this card in all my 386 and 486 builds.
It’s a classic from the 1990’sPerformance and reliability is okay too.
We use to load the computer operating systems over the coax network with no problems.I think I have that exact NIC. I'll dig it out later, because I may put it in my P3, temporarily. I'm now on the hunt for an ISA 10/100 card, as I potentially have a free ISA slot if I keep my SCC-1 out and get an AWE64 Legacy with a Dreamblaster X2.
While there ARE 10/100 ISA cards (3Com 515 is one of them), they are pretty rare and rather expensive.
Also, they don't improve things very much - you might get 2-3MBytes/sec out of one compared to 1MByte/sec max for a 10 megabit card. I'd stick with the common 3c509 for ISA machines.
Unfortunately, my slot availability in the Ultimate Retro Rig is limited. I was originally going to install a 2nd Voodoo2 for SLI mode, though I have since changed my mind on that, at least for now (I may try to get two more V2 cards for a separate, V2 based build,) which means 640x480 for V1 games, 800x600 for V2 games, and 1024x768 for V5 games (I put the respective glide files for each Voodoo card in the game directory so that the proper card is engaged.) This way, I am running games at the common resolution for their card and time period. This gives me a free PCI slot. Since the mobo is a P2B, I have three ISA slots with one shared with a PCI slot, so I really have two slots. Removing the SCC-1 leaves the AWE32 card and an empty slot. Once I get the AWE64 Legacy with a Dreamblaster X2, I can put an SCC-1 soundfont on the Dreamblaster and use the AWE64L to connect MT-32 and Sound Canvas devices and have AWE support along with OPL3 for compatibility with just about every DOS game. It will be disabled under Windows 9x, and the Live! card will be used for all Windows 9x games.
I found a card that has ethernet PLUS USB 2.0 and firewire (which I would never use - I have never owned a firewire anything.) However, the card is big enough that, like a 2nd V2, would restrict airflow to the V5. So I can put a tiny USB 2.0 card in the PCI slot which will allow for better airflow, and then I can put a 10/100 ISA card in for the LAN, and use an external serial port modem for dial-up. This set up will give me complete glide coverage, complete "best sound" coverage, give me better USB ports than what I get on the P2B, and allow for internet browsing at a decent speed, and allow for the PC to connect to the Retro LAN.
I set up a 128GB SSD for the main drive, and I am using a 3.5 bay IDE/CF drive for slave cards. However, as I was contemplating the build last night, I decided to swap them an make the SSD the slave drive, and by enough SD cards for my CF-SD adapter to create "cartridges" with each operating system. I'll have an 8gb card with an MS-DOS 7.1 install, a 4gb card with an MS-DOS 6.22 install, a Win95 OSR2 install, then 98SE, WinXP, and probably one with Linux since I played with Linux only briefly, before. I may even set up cards with emulators that work on a Pentium III 550 (600,once I buy another CPU) for consoles. I'll put labels with OS logos on each card and keep them in a case and use them like console cartridges.
An ISA 10/100 would probably have the broadest compatibility for every OS, and this set up will allow for the most functionality that I can provide for a 1999 PC.