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Want 'discreet' PC-Card network adapter

paul.brett

Experienced Member
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Jun 20, 2007
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Wisbech, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, UK
I have a Toshiba Satellite 220CS, which has PCMCIA slots that support the Cardbus standard. In here, I have a Xircom Realport adapter, which I like because when it is not being used, I can close the plastic flap. Neat.

I also have a Compaq LTE 5000, which only has PCMCIA slots do not support the Cardbus standard, and as such, the Xircom Realport range is a no-go on this laptop. I am using a Netgear FA411, which unfortunately, sticks out of the slot.

The question is, are there non-Cardbus PC-Card network adapters that will sit 'flush' in the slot, the same as the Xircom?

FA411.jpg
414R43NPGKL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Thanks.
 
I believe Xircom made some realport ones in 10base-T that were PCMCIA. 100base is too fast for PCMCIA, so you will never find a 100base card that isn't a CardBus card.

Also there are a lot of cards that require "dongle" cables that are flush when the cable is removed, however you are stuck to using the proprietary cable/dongle.

EDIT: I shouldn't say you will NEVER see a 100base in PCMCIA, theres probably some out there that link to 100mbps, but PCMCIA wont have the bandwidth for full 100mbps throughput, just like ISA, yes ISA 100base cards exist, but they are not full speed because the bus just can't support that fast. I was just saying you will probably have a better time finding a 10base card that meets your flush fit requirement in a PCMCIA card.
 
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What about 3COM Ethernet PCMCIA cards with X-Jack connector for RJ45? Those are indeed discreet, plus they only use one single PCMCIA slot.
 
What about 3COM Ethernet PCMCIA cards with X-Jack connector for RJ45? Those are indeed discreet, plus they only use one single PCMCIA slot.
Good call, I forgot about those, I must be loosing it in my old age, I have owned a few of those over the years, lol
 
The ones that are one-slot high have very fragile connectors (regardless if it's x-jack or external connector on a cable), so I'd recommend aiming for a two-slot high card.
 
Linksys USB100 is pretty small. I picked one up for 5 bucks but haven't tried it yet, so no recommendations except it looks cool. Looks like this. The little flap opens up so you can put your RJ45 connector in it.
Except that's USB and if the computer in question doesn't have cardbus, it will certainly not have USB.
 
I'm liking the idea of a non-Cardbus version of the Xircom. It seems I have to get a version with a model number REM and NOT RBEM, as the B means Cardbus. Thanks for the thoughts guys.
 
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Which begs the question: did PCMCIA cards (16 bit) to-USB ever exist?
This came up on another thread on this site, and the answer was no, no one thinks so, however I seemed to recall seeing one long in the past, and came up with a CF to USB card (CF being 16-bit PCMCIA) which MAY work, but it was so expensive no one wanted to try.

Found the old thread (PCMCIA comes into play about half way through thread), it was about putting a PCMCIA USB card into an ISA to PCMCIA card to try to get USB in old 486.
 
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I got a couple of those, but as RWallmow pointed out, a laptop of this age does not have USB. Thanks for the idea though.

Interesting. However, I don't usually make suggestions like that without at least doing a quick net search. In this case this Cnet review says that computer does have USB. USB came out in about '94-5 and that laptop is dated 1997 according to Toshiba Europe which also says it has USB. Anyway, thanks for putting me right on that. :)
 
Interesting. However, I don't usually make suggestions like that without at least doing a quick net search. In this case this Cnet review says that computer does have USB. USB came out in about '94-5 and that laptop is dated 1997 according to Toshiba Europe which also says it has USB. Anyway, thanks for putting me right on that. :)

The Toshiba he mentioned HAS a Cardbus slot, and hes using the Xircom Realport in it, he was asking about the Compaq LTE 5000, which is PCMCIA only, and NON-USB. Personally my old PCMCIA only laptops I stick a Cisco 350 card in them, it may only be 802.11b 11mbps, but its got drivers for just about everything, DOS and Win3.1 through Win7.
 
CreditCard Ethernet

CreditCard Ethernet

Here is the "1u" ethernet card I have. Like someone said earlier the connector is pretty fragile.

enthernet.jpg

Matt
 
At least the Google homepage will render without script errors. But I know what you mean.

I have recently used Seamonkey 1.1.19 with Windows 95, successfully. That is a 2010 Gecko HTML and javascript engine. Plus it comes with Mail and USENET client, HTML composser and a IRC client.

Also, you can install NoScript version 1.1.4.3 (that version is light in memory consumption) which works great with that version of Seamonkey.

For bonus points, get a copy of the "freebl3.dll" from here so you can connect to HTTPS sites without getting an error: http://toastytech.com/files/95browsing.html
 
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