Network solution for my old faithful..

[Munchkin]

Just for the fun of it I'm thinking about making my old A500 useful. How about using it as a webserver for example. I don't think that's to much for it to handle since I have a VXL-030/50 (downclocked to 40) in it. So, what I need is a ethernet-solution of some kind.

What kind of possibilities is there? Is there any at all? I can imagine that the world isn't flooded with possibilities but there's got to be some.

At first, I have a GVP HD8+ controller on it, so that has to be taken into account. That might limit OR expand the possibilities, I don't know. If I knew I wouldn't ask

I've had this old faithful servant for 15 years and I hate seeing it in it's old box. It still works just as well as it did when I first got it. And, it would be so much fun to get it up and running in my small network at home, connect it to my A4k and the pc that I'm glad I haven't payed for myself... (said I'd never buy one and luckily I got a job who supplied one for me so I won't need to!)

So, anyone got any suggestion and where I might find what I'm looking for?

Oh.. I need to be able to connect it to my hub, so I suppose it has to be TP.

Sincerely
A madman who'll never give up!

[Colmiga]

Considering you have a HD interface connected to the side port rules out the possibility obtaining one of the very rare A500 specific Ethernet cards, unless you purchase a HD controller that fits on your motherboard. What you could try is making a Zorro slot adaptor with a passthrough for your HD controller. This would allow you to obtain a Zorro Ethernet card and use that to network your A500.

For information on how to build an adaptor, check Aminet or search with Google.

[gnarly]

I know that Micronik used to make an A500 tower kit, with a busboard which had Zorro slots, a kick switcher and an A2000 CPU slot.

You might be able to find one of those floating around and put a Zorro ethernet card in it.

Ebay? Amibench?

[edit]

Oooh, i forgot. Amitrix do AmigaLink (here) which is similar to ethernet, ut significantly slower. Works though.

And IIRC, in theory, a scsi network is possible, never seen such a thing implemented on the A500 though. I think the Siamese System used one.

[edit again]

DOH! It would appear that AmigaLink is no longer available.

However, aminet/hard/hack/AddZorro2slot.lha has details on how to add a Z2 slot to the A500 with a passthrough for your SCSI interface...