etherbridge ?? ISA-bus Network on a 4000 ???

[xaccrocheur]

Hi guys

According to this feature
http://obligement.free.fr/articles/reseaupasserelle.php

You can *actually* use the ISA busses for something, namely put an old NIC inside !

One thing is unclear : What is this A2286 board ? Do I have one in my barebones A4K, or a A2088, ? Or none ?

I mean I *have* ISA slots.

This would prove itself cheaper (free) than a X-Surf II.

Thank you 4 the light

pX

[xeron]

The A2000, A3000, and A4000 all have ISA slots, but they are inactive. This means that there is no controller hardware, and there is no means for the Amiga to talk to anything plugged into them.

They are activated by a "bridgeboard". This is a card with an x86 processor (typically 286 or 386). These allow you to run MS-DOS or Windows 3.1 on the bridgeboard processor, and plug PC cards into the ISA slots.

Some, but not all, bridgeboards make it possible to access these cards from AmigaOS.

Commodore made a couple of bridgeboards, and there were some third party ones. (such as the Vortex GoldenGate cards).

One thing is unclear : What is this A2286 board ?

Its a bridgeboard.

Do I have one in my barebones A4K

No.

[Jope]

Hmm ok..

That's something that consists of a Sana-II driver and an MS-DOS driver.. The DOS driver runs on the 2286 BridgeBoard and the sana driver talks to the DOS driver through memory.

If you don't have a BridgeBoard now, don't bother. It isn't worth the hassle..

I myself have a GoldenGate 2+ with an NE2000 card in my A2000, but that leaves a lot to be desired speedwise..

The A4000 has an Ariadne II, which is quite ok, but still disappointing in it's transfer rates. both boxen are 060/50..

[Jope]

One thing is unclear : What is this A2286 board ?

Its a bridgeboard.

It's a PC emulator-bridgeboard.. :-)

There are also plain bridges (like my GG2+) that only activate the ISA slots, but don't contain a PC on a card.

[xaccrocheur]

OK. Very clear indeed.

X-Surf II that is :-)

thanks !

pX