Thinkpads Forum

Hi Group,

Apparently I have a built-in (free) ADSL connection & service in my hotel room and I'd like to use it. I assume I'll need to buy some kind of external ADSL modem.

Is there any special consideration in getting my 600 to work with an ADSL modem?

One store offered to sell me a USB ADSL modem. Is there any disadvantage with that? I believe the Thinkpad 600 has USB 1.0 (?), and not a later version -- would that slow things down? (Of course, I'm used to dialup service, and I don't need blazing speed.)

Thanks in advance!

jsuebersax wrote:Apparently I have a built-in (free) ADSL connection & service in my hotel room and I'd like to use it. I assume I'll need to buy some kind of external ADSL modem.

Typically, people use PC Cards (PCMCIA/CardBus) to add a network card to their system and that is usually all you need to connect to such a network in a hotel. I don't have experience using a USB network card, but I would recommend trying to find a PC Card instead if you are still using Windows 98 as the drivers will probably be better.

jsuebersax wrote:Is there any special consideration in getting my 600 to work with an ADSL modem?

You should be clear on exactly what service the hotel is offering. When they say "ADSL connection", they usually mean that you can connect directly to their network using a standard CAT-5 network cable, not a phone line. In that case, you don't need an ADSL modem. The ADSL modem is what allows the hotel to connect to the Internet through a phone line, but all you should need is a network card to connect to the hotel's network -- unless this is a very odd hotel.

jsuebersax wrote:I believe the Thinkpad 600 has USB 1.0 (?), and not a later version -- would that slow things down? (Of course, I'm used to dialup service, and I don't need blazing speed.)

A PC Card will definitely allow faster network transfers than a USB 1.0/1.1 connection.

Phil.

Yep, Phil is right. Any hotel I have used just has the network cable plug right on the desk. Just plug it into your laptop and go. Actually, some have both a network cable & phone line in case you just want to use the dial up modem. But for the price of a PCMCIA 10/100 network card (available for less than $10), why not slide one of those in and get high speed.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... =3&Recs=10

I also would advocate getting a 10/100 PC Card. In particular, you can pick up a used 3Com adapter from eBay for $10-15 that has an XJACK connector. When you don't need to use it, the ethernet port clicks back into the PC Card, making it flush with the side of the computer. Very spiffy!

Thanks all for the helpfull replies.

So I guess I'll try to pick up a PCMCIA 10/100 network card here in Brussels.

Followup question: I see some cards online listed as 16-bit, and some as 32-bit; does that make any difference given that I'm using a 600 and W98?

Thanks.

32-bit cards perform much better and will work fine with Win98. You'll want a 32-bit card.

16-bit cards are slower and put much greater demands on the CPU, but will work in very old laptops.

Edited to remove any possible confusion

Wingnut seems to be a little confused.

16-bit cards are also called PCMCIA, which is also the name of the industry association.

32-bit cards are also called CardBus. These slots are backwards compatible and will accept 16-bit cards.

Both 16-bit and 32-bit cards can be type-I type-II or type-III. The type refers to the thickness of the card. Type I cards are very thin and are typically memory cards.

Type II cards are "normal" thickness, and I've personally owned card readers, modems, NIC's and WiFi adapters in that form. I'd imagine SCSI, USB, FireWire, and most things with connectors are also type II.

Type III are the thickest, and typically take up both slots in a laptop. Hard drives and some modems and NIC's are type III.

Further, there are 3V and 5V cards and slots, and they are not always compatible.

Sorry if I added confusion.

Wingnut wrote:Sorry if I added confusion.

OK, but I would note that your latest post continues to confuse things I think. I thought whizkid's explanation was pretty clear and sound. Here are some details to help clarify the difference between Type I,II, and III (card thickness), 3.3 volt vs. 5 volt (special grooves), and 16 bit vs. 32 bit (metal band visible on card):
PCMCIA.org Frequently Asked Questions

To jsuebersax, don't worry too much about all this card definition stuff. I would recommed following The Spirit of X21's advice and getting one of those X-Jack 3COM/USRobotics 10/100 netork cards. They are ALL "Type II" cards and I expect that they are also all 32 bit. If they are called "CardBus" cards then they are 32 bit, but you can always ask the vendor.

Phil.

Okay, now I'm confused.

pkiff wrote:I would recommed following The Spirit of X21's advice and getting one of those X-Jack 3COM/USRobotics 10/100 netork cards.

Sounds good.

pkiff wrote:They are ALL "Type II" cards and I expect that they are also all 32 bit.

Does that mean my 600 slots are designed for Type II PCMCIA cards?

pkiff wrote: If they are called "CardBus" cards then they are 32 bit

If they are called "CardBus", is there a problem fitting them in a 600 PCMCIA slot?

Also, I thought I posted this question, but don't see it. Checking the hotel connection, the wall plate, labelled "ADLS", has a female socket that accepts the standard, tabbed, clear plastic phone connecter used in the US. Is this consistent with the idea that probably all I need is the 10/100 card, and not a modem?

Thanks,

jsuebersax wrote:Okay, now I'm confused.

pkiff wrote:They are ALL "Type II" cards and I expect that they are also all 32 bit.

Does that mean my 600 slots are designed for Type II PCMCIA cards?

No. Your 600 takes two Type I or Type II CardBus (32-bit) or PCMCIA (16-bit) cards, or one Type III card of either 16- or 32-bit. Only one because they are so thick they take up both slots.

jsuebersax wrote:

pkiff wrote: If they are called "CardBus" cards then they are 32 bit

If they are called "CardBus", is there a problem fitting them in a 600 PCMCIA slot?

Nope. No problem at all because the 600 series is designed for CardBus.

jsuebersax wrote:Also, I thought I posted this question, but don't see it. Checking the hotel connection, the wall plate, labelled "ADLS", has a female socket that accepts the standard, tabbed, clear plastic phone connecter used in the US. Is this consistent with the idea that probably all I need is the 10/100 card, and not a modem?

ADLS doesn't mean much, I'm afraid. You should really ask the hotel what equipment you need to connect to their system. They should make it easy for you.

If it really is RJ-11, which is a telephone connector and has 2 or 4 connectors inside, that's just odd and it may need a modem. If it's RJ-45, which is very similar, but wider, and has 8 metal prongs inside, that's a network connection.

But really, ask the hotel. The desk person might not know, but should be able to get the information to you.

whizkid wrote:If it really is RJ-11, which is a telephone connector and has 2 or 4 connectors inside

I unplugged the male connector from the telephone and it fit into the female 'ADSL' socket.

whizkid wrote:But really, ask the hotel. The desk person might not know, but should be able to get the information to you.

That's the right answer. Even if they don't know, they should go through the exercise of trying to find out.