Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!thad
From: thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Amiga Ethernet Connectivity
Message-ID: <35954@cup.portal.com>
Date: 15 Nov 90 11:49:12 GMT
References: <54@cheetah.cs.utexas.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 45

garnett@cs.utexas.edu (John William Garnett) in <54@cheetah.cs.utexas.edu>
writes:

	I have an Amiga 1000 that I wish to connect to an 030 NeXT box
	using thin-wire Ethernet (or possible twisted-pair after the 040
	upgrade).  Has anyone done something similar to this who would
	like to share the details?  What I'd really like is a transceiver-like
	device that would plug into the Amiga's parallel port (or other port)
	and associated software to provide a disk device driver that can
	speak NFS.

Adaptec, Inc. (691 S. Milpitas Blvd.; Milpitas CA 95035; 408/945-2518 ext. 105)
has been advertising a device named "Nodem" which is a SCSI-to-Ethernet LAN
interface; from its picture it appears to be approx. 2"W x 6"H x 6"D in a
reasonably attractive free-standing case (much like that of an external modem).

Per their ads:

``	... Because unlike Ethernet cards, the Nodem sits outside and plugs
	into the SCSI port ... and your expansion slots remain free for
	other important functions.  From there, the Nodem plugs directly
	[onto your Ethernet] via twisted-pair, or thick or thin Ethernet
	cables.  You're off and running at a sizzling 10 MBps.
	...
	Pricing starts at $545.
''

Of course, it's extremely unlikely they provide any software for the Amiga,
and you're also at the mercy of whomever's SCSI adapter you've interfaced to
the Amiga concerning either device or handler software.

Other than that (unless you can find one of the old Ameristar expansion "desks"
for the A1000 into which you can plug the Ameristar Zorro Ethernet card), I
don't believe anyone made a SOTS Ethernet card for the A1000.

If anyone knows of SOTS Ethercard cards for the A1000, I'd be interested, since
using RS-232-C NIU adapters at 19,200 baud on a StarLAN network is not exactly
my idea of "network connectivity."   :-)

Thad

P.S. "SOTS = Slap On The Side"; the type of external expansion typically used
on the A1000.

Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal!cup.portal.com!thad ]