Nostalgia: Network cards for Amiga

Old article from the time when Amitopia TV was amigaworld.org magazine on-line

Zorro boards:
Welcome. First I want to describe the Amiga Zorro system a bit. This is a slot system, like PCI, wich the “big-box” Amigas have been using. Zorro2 and Zorro3 is the most supported slot systems now. You find Ariadne_II, X-Surf, now also X-Surf 2 and Norway 10mbit expansion for HighwayUSB. Zorro2 is 16 bit, while Zorro3 is 32 bit. All of these Ethernet cards are Zorro2, wich means that they are also Zorro3 compatible.

The big difference between these boards wich we write about is not the speed, but what they contain. All of the 4 Zorro Ethernet sollutions wich we got, is 10mbit and not 100mbit. You dont find any 100mbit network cards for Zorro. We’ve chosen 3 Ethernet cards for Zorro and 1 expansion for HighwayUSB and the new AlgorUSB card, because theyre supported today. New drivers is comming and thats what we at AmigaWorld care about. Consumer service.

To start with the downside of it all. As said, there is no Zorro boards wich is 100mbit. Another thing is that they are expensive. But if youre an Amiga user, you dont really care :) . You support.. hehe.. so.. well These boards gives you atleast something for the price. Feature list here:

# Ariadne_II = TP and Coax -10mbit speed
# X-Surf = Ethernet card with clockports and ide controller on the board – 10mbit speed
# X-Surf 2 = Same as over, but without clockports and ide controller on the board – 10mbit speed
# Norway = 10mbit Ethernet expansion for owners of HighwayUSB – 10mbit speed

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