Author Topic: The best Zorro slot network card (Read 10004 times)

spavatch · « **on:** December 09, 2003, 09:42:04 PM »

It has to be done. I have to face it. Picking the best network card for my A4000. Which one should I get? Ariadne/Ariadne II or X-surf/X-surf II? Or maybe there are other ones? The ones I've mentioned are available (off-hand) so I'd prefer them instead of unknown ones. NICs are expensive but it's still better investment than using that old 28.8k modem when 15 Mbit LAN is around... :roll:
Please choose one and justify your choice.

adolescent · « **Reply #1 on:** December 09, 2003, 09:45:32 PM »

I've heard good things about the X-Surf II. Though, I myself have my good old A2065 that I've had working for 10+ years with no problems.

Effy · « **Reply #2 on:** December 09, 2003, 09:46:38 PM »

I sold last week one Xsurf for 51 euro + 5 euro porto on Ebay worldwide. That may give you an idea ...
The Xsurf II is still for sale brandnew as it is a new card ...

platon42 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 09, 2003, 10:21:31 PM »

Okay, I'm just posting this here, because it is an often neglected and unknown possibility. There is a small 10MBit TP network module for the Algor and Highway USB cards. This add-on is a bit cheaper than the stand-alone network cards. However, it is of course more expensive for only buying a network, as you have to buy the Algor or Highway USB carrier board (although this will give you USB and 512KB FlashRom). The card (combo) itself does not obscure a video/PCI/ISA slot because it is just as large as the Zorro slot (unlike the X-Surf/Ariadne). However, you don't get the additional IDE ports of the X-Surf. There were some reviews in several Amiga magazines.

This is just for information, not for advertising the product. Find out more yourself

Ilwrath · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2003, 10:28:26 PM »

I was NOT pleased with my original series X-Surf. It had some performance and reliability issues, to say the least. My advice would be to avoid this one. Mine caused mucho Zorro bus intererence, even before the ISA network card that is grafted onto it started malfunctioning.

The A2065 is a sound old workhorse, but you need an adaptor or 10-b-2 CoAx connection... This is the card I currently have in my A4000, though. It's cheap, fast (well, fast for 10mbit), reliable, and compatible. What I SHOULD have bought in the first place. I was worried that an old-school Zorro2 card designed for an A2000 might have problems on a SuperBuster-11 modern A4000, but it has behaved very well. Designed back in the "golden years" of Commodore. ;-)

I have heard good things about the Ariadne 2 and X-surf 2.... I haven't owned either one, myself, though, so I can't give a review.

Matt_H · « **Reply #5 on:** December 09, 2003, 10:51:43 PM »

I've got an XSurf in my 1200T. I'm not making use of the IDE or clock ports, but it's nice to have the option open. Heavy network traffic (downloads) interferes with MP3 decoding/playback via my Delfina Lite, but I'm not sure if that's a software issue or another general problem. Reliability-wise, I've had no problems.

spavatch · « **Reply #6 on:** December 09, 2003, 10:52:05 PM »

I forgot to mention - it would be best if "the chosen one" had a RJ45 connector... Commodore A2065 sounds nice 'cause it's marked with C= sign ;-) but it's not so easy to make RJ45 plug fit that BNC socket hahaha :lol:.

sdesros · « **Reply #7 on:** December 09, 2003, 11:02:07 PM »

My XSurfII works great... Too bad my A4000 doesn't. :-(

fragment · « **Reply #8 on:** December 09, 2003, 11:16:20 PM »

Quote

spavatch wrote:
I forgot to mention - it would be best if "the chosen one" had a RJ45 connector... Commodore A2065 sounds nice 'cause it's marked with C= sign ;-) but it's not so easy to make RJ45 plug fit that BNC socket hahaha :lol:.

Yeah, but you can plug a transceiver into the AUI port, right?

spavatch · « **Reply #9 on:** December 09, 2003, 11:32:31 PM »

Probably yes. But it must be included with the card - it's not easy to find one nowadays... :-(

tweek · « **Reply #10 on:** December 09, 2003, 11:35:00 PM »

I have used an X-Surf II board for about a year without any problems (it's still in use right now... *
I would recommend it, but I must admit that I've recently ordered a Mediator and am going for pci.

-Tweek

Matt_H · « **Reply #11 on:** December 09, 2003, 11:37:44 PM »

A lot of older routers have AUI/BNC connectors on them. Maybe you could get one from a network room at an office/basement/closet?

Doobrey · « **Reply #12 on:** December 10, 2003, 12:16:24 AM »

I got an Ariadne II when they came out, and never had a problem with it. It even came with the Genesis TCP stack which was a bonus.
Shame it`s no longer made, like others have said, if you want a new card it`s either X-Surf II or the Norway and Algor combo.

Smack · « **Reply #13 on:** December 10, 2003, 11:13:28 AM »

Matt_H

Quote

I've got an XSurf in my 1200T. I'm not making use of the IDE or clock ports, but it's nice to have the option open. Heavy network traffic (downloads) interferes with MP3 decoding/playback via my Delfina Lite, but I'm not sure if that's a software issue or another general problem. Reliability-wise, I've had no problems.

Is that interference still there with the current versions of DelfMPEG (v1.0) and delfinampeg.device (v1.6)?

I'm asking that because these last updates include fixes for a problem like this: MP3 playback had interfered with network activity, especially serial I/O with a modem - most of the time the network connection became extremely slow and unreliable when Delfina MPEG decoding was active. That should be fixed now.

duesi · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2003, 11:22:40 AM »

I used to have a X-Surf1 first. The damn thing fried my A4000 Mobo one day... so it was bad luck or the X-Surf1 is crap !?
I have an X-surf2 now.. this one is faster than the X-Surf1 and works nice