OT: BayNetworks (Nortel) Instant Internet Hardware (Baystack)

  • Thread starter Thread starter NuT CrAcKeR
  • Start date Start date
N

NuT CrAcKeR

Hello Group,

I know this doesnt have anything to do with MS Networking, except that I use
this equipment in my MS environment.

I have 2 Instant Internet 100's and 1 Instant Internet 400. The 100's are
dual ethernet (sporting little devices, actually) and the 400 has a 10/100
LAN port, and a 56K modem. The modem doesnt do me much good, and I would
like to put a couple of 10/100 NIC's in this beastie for a multiport lan
router. This unit has 2 shared PCI/ISA slots, and 2 ISA slots.

Here is the thing: There is a nortel usenet group, and while i have asked my
questions there, i have had no luck finding the answers i need. So, I
figured i would ping you guys to see if you have the answers...

Does anyone know what PCI NIC's I should use in this (400) thing? The 100
has a Kingston ISA NIC in there. I tried to do a transplant from the 100 to
the 400 but the unit would not initialize properly, so that didnt work. If
there is a way to make that work, I would like to hear about it.. but I am
really interested in PCI 100TX options.

If anyone out there has any experience with this hardware (i have used it
for years, and can configure it in my sleep... its the hardware
upgrade/change out that I am struggling with) i would really appreciate the
advice.

Thanks so much,

NuTs
 
I haven't worked with these devices, but you might want to see if people on
eBay have done what you are trying to do and are selling them. Then ask them
what nics they used and see if you can get some free info. :)

You can always call Nortel and see if you can get a good support guy to see
if they can give you what chip set is compatible, then you should be able to
easily find a nic.
--

Brian Oakes

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroup so that others may benefit.
 
If you dont bribe nortel, they wont talk to you. and they are NOT CHEAP to
payoff....

But thanks for the thoughts.

NuTs
 
http://activator-uk.net/home/index.htm?http://activator-uk.net/products/nortel/ii/

I haven't worked with these devices, but you might want to see if people on
eBay have done what you are trying to do and are selling them. Then ask them
what nics they used and see if you can get some free info. :)

You can always call Nortel and see if you can get a good support guy to see
if they can give you what chip set is compatible, then you should be able to
easily find a nic.
--

Brian Oakes

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroup so that others may benefit.
 
thanks for the link... but what specifically did you think pertained to my
question? The "ordering information" at the bottom is for pre-configured
units. These are not device numbers that I can go and order 1 piece, install
and have it work.

I have also learned from another news group that these units are not
field-upgradable. Any configuration changes need to go back to nortel where
the ROM is reprogrammed with the necessary device support. This is a service
that is no longer offered, and support for the entire line is slated to be
canned in 2005.

Oh well..

NuTs
 
It said support for this particular unit was going to end in 2005 yes. What
I didn't see was support of any 3rd party cards. Network General sniffers
used to come only on Compaq portables with specific cards you had to get
from them that were EXTREMELY over priced. However, their software only
looked for their cards and nothing else worked. This may be the case with
these devices but trying other NICs should not be physically risky. It is
easier to add your own signature and test for it with your driver, rather
than actually modify the physical design of the bus and associated cards.

This product came out in 1996 and has had a good run. Not knowing when you
purchased yours but perhaps you have gotten your money's worth. There
appears to be an upgrade path for the 400-S but the document I read might
have been written in 2000?! You stated you already tried a NIC from a 100
and that didn't work. That would lead one to believe unless you have
control of the driver being used, any NIC not specified might not work.
Thus, I chose to list what I found to be the only available cards offered.
Understandably you are not satisfied with that answer but sometimes that is
all there is.

Clearly nobody likes the constant upgrade game but that's the game and as
technology improves and devices decrease in size and increase in features
and performance, cost generally decreases or stays the same so we actually
get a benefit because it usually saves us time which should always be
considered in the performance evaluation process. What are the features?
What are the benefits and what is the ROI?

Nortel has moved on with new technology. You are currently trying to keep
alive a product you like well that has performed well for you that they
chose to drop in 2000 which in a little over a year will have no support
whatsoever. You can spend time trying to find 3rd party parts to work with
it, which will not give you any warranty or guarantees or you can consider
upgrading to newer technology that has a guarantee and a warranty and weigh
the differences there in features, benefits and ROI.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Roland
 
Thanks for the input.

my ROI at this point is - $35.00 (including shipping, not including my time
hunting for answers).

Oh well.... not a big loss.

NuTs
 
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