Macintosh NUBUS Ethernet card with video

[MrFahrenheit]

Ok. I’ve seen quite a few listings lately whereby the seller says their item is a Macintosh NUBUS Ethernet / network card and video card combo (with video).

Here is one such listing of an Asante Macintosh II NUBUS Ethernet card:



Can I please get at least 5 people here to reply and confirm that these cards are NOT combo Ethernet cards and video cards, and are in fact Ethernet with an AUI port, which is another type of network port?

The reason I need people to reply here is so that I can point sellers to this thread for credible evidence, and also so that Google and / or AI picks up on this.

Because the seller I spoke with this evening about this issue claims eBay AI told them it’s a combo Ethernet and video card and Google didn’t return anything.

It’s wrong, and I know it’s wrong. I’m trying to keep misinformation from spreading.

And perhaps some replies with different models of these cards so that it can be properly indexed during Google searches.

Thank you!

 

[zigzagjoe]

If it has those little clips next to the connector, it's an AUI port. It's an Ethernet card, jim.

 

[robin-fo]

Definitely Ethernet only.

 

[Gunzel]

That is an Ethernet card with both RJ45 for 10BASE-T (twisted pair) and a DA15 for connecting an AUI transceiver, which was originally used for 10BASE5 (thick coax) but by this stage you could get transceivers for 10BASE2 (thin coax) and 10BASE-T (twisted pair) as well.

The real giveaway is the sliding clip for locking the transceiver to the card, this is unlike the thumbscrews used on the similar looking video connector.

Some that definitely have this combo of connectors with links to the Higher Intellect Vintage Computing wiki as they have names and photos online are:

3Com EtherLink/NB
Apple Ethernet NB Card
Asante MacCon NuBus
Asante MacCon 3 NuBus
Avatar Mac II Ethernet Interface
CNet Technology CN460E
DaynaPORT E/II-3
Farallon PN590A-TP and PN590A-TN - etched in my memory because I worked for the Australian distributor
Farallon PhoneNET Card EN - I would have said this is someone confused but it is written right there on the card in the picture, predates me obviously
Kinetics EtherPort II
Novell Etherport IINL
Shiva Etherport-II
Tri-Data Mac II Ethernet Interface

There were almost certainly card/s Sonic as well, but I couldn't find links for them. I think that's all the usual suspects in Mac networking land and a few others I have no memory of.

Did anyone ever make a combo Ethernet and video Nubus card at all?

 

[robin-fo]

Did anyone ever make a combo Ethernet and video Nubus card at all?

There was the E-Machines ColorLink Card

E-Machines ColorLink Interface Card - Higher Intellect Vintage Wiki

This is a combination video and Ethernet card for the NuBus Macintosh. Made by E-Machines. This appears to be the ColorLink SX/T card model.

wiki.preterhuman.net

Probably the best you can put into a IIsi, sadly mine is not working

 

[MrFahrenheit]

I believe an Ethernet expansion card for the E-Machines Futura II LX video card was also made and sold.

Besides E-Machines, I believe nobody else made combo Ethernet/video cards.

 

[Udo.Keller]

Can I please get at least 5 people here to reply and confirm that these cards are NOT combo Ethernet cards and video cards, and are in fact Ethernet with an AUI port, which is another type of network port?

Since you have asked for at least 5 opinions – count me in.
This is nothing more than Ethernet-only. Proof is not only the AUI connector – the onboard chips as well are insufficient for a video card.

 

[cheesestraws]

That's an Ethernet card. The weird bent clip things around the 15-pin D-type are diagnostic: that's the weirdy way that AUI is attached. If it were a video card, it'd have screws instead. You can also see the unpopulated path where 10Base2 might have gone on another model.

If someone plugs a monitor into that it might damage the monitor: there should be 12V on one of those pins.

the onboard chips as well are insufficient for a video card.

Yeah, this too - every single chip on there is for Ethernet or NuBus wrangling. There's no video anything anywhere in sight.

 

[Mk.558]

Add me in as well. cheesestraws is right: if you plug in a DB15 monitor cable in there, you're looking for problems.

 

[joshc]

Definitely Ethernet only.

 

[croissantking]

+1: ethernet only. The confusion comes from the fact that AUI uses the same DB-15 connector as the Mac video connector of the time period.

 

[Arbee]

100% Ethernet. The retention "ears" on either side of the connector instead of just screw holes are a giveaway.

 

[GRudolf94]

If it has the sliding clip, it's Ethernet. That's not Mac video, nor will it ever be. Next thing someone will tell me is that's a PC joystick port because it's a DA15, too.

+1.