Hello,

I hope someone can help me. I need to transfer a great deal of data from an old 4GB HD, which is installed in my old Toshiba Tecra 550 CDT. I will transfer it onto a partition of my new Dell Dimension 8400 desktop HD.

It's my understanding that I can use the PC Card slot on the Tecra laptop, and put a network card into it. Then, there is some crossover cable I can purchase to hook together the two machines.

Can anyone tell me:
(1) Which PCMCIA network card will do the trick? There are thousands on shopping sites!
(2) What is the exact name of the cable I would need, and what do its two ends look like?

I'm including info on the Tecra 550CDT below. Thank you!!

The old Toshiba Tecra has: (info from Toshiba support site)
Pentium 266 / 96Mb RAM / CD-ROM / Windows 98 SE
It has a stacked PC Card Slot which holds 2 - 5mm PC Cards Type II or 1 - 10.5mm PC Card Type III
PCI BUS v2.1
ISA BUS 8-bit
1 internal modem RJ-11 port
1 USB port
1 external floppy drive port
1 fast infrared port
1 9-pin serial port
1 25-pin parallel

Thank you so very much if someone can assist!
Molly

(1) Which PCMCIA network card will do the trick? There are thousands on shopping sites!

Any will do - just make sure its a 32 bit card which most are these days. Its a case of you pays your money and you takes your choice. Most Ethernet PC cards are Type II but you can get Type III cards as well which are a little more expensive but they don't need the cable adaptor that comes with the Type II card.

(2) What is the exact name of the cable I would need, and what do its two ends look like?

You need a Cat5 UTP crossover cable. It will have an RJ-45 plug on either end. This looks a bit like the RJ-11 plug on the end of your telephone cable but a little larger.

Stuart

Hi,

Mo> I need to transfer... ...I can use the PC
Mo> Card slot... ...some crossover cable...
Mo> Can anyone tell me: (1) Which PCMCIA network
Mo> card will do the trick? (2) What is the exact
Mo> name of the cable I would need...

Here's a verbose quote of Toshiba's documentation:

"These slots support 16-bit PC cards and CardBus
PC cards (32 bit) "...

This is good news because there's no need to worry
about compatibility issues as long as the card you
have is 5 Volts tolerant (better safe than sorry).

Mo> The old Toshiba Tecra has... ...USB port...
Mo> ...9-pin serial port... ...25-pin parallel...

Quite frankly, i don't see what's missing!!! Your
problem isn't a connectivity issue since there are
many solutions. A PCMCIA or CardBus NIC shouldn't
be hard to find and the same will be true of patch
Cat-5 cabling, USB transfer cabling is most likely
the best option in terms of speed. If you can get
a LapLink/InterLink cable, the parallel port works
but a bit slow (this one is easier to use with the
applications like Total Commander), euh... Serial
transmission speed being limited to 230.4 Kbps (in
the best case), this will be the last alternative.

Since you never used an NIC on your LapTop before,
i suspect an USB transfer cable should be suitable
for you if it comes with a CD-ROM but the EtherNet
interface may be wiser spending in the long run...

Relatively to the physical look of an NIC solution
i believe that Toshiba's documentation implies the
removal of a slot cover and hence it means you may
have to buy an NIC with a removable dongle adaptor
or its physical print will cause an issue. As for
the cross-over/"patch" cabling, it's all the same.

;-)

Salutations,

Michel Samson
a/s Bicéphale

The cable is easy. You can order a crossover cable off the internet no problem.

But if you are open to a suggestion I think I have a easier, less money plan.

Go down to your local Staples or other all purpose supplier and ask for LapLink. Last time I asked it was still around.

What you are looking for is a program with serial/parallel cable and software you load on each pc which allows you to transfer data/setting.

This is done via the builtin ports [serial/lpt1] so you don't have to do networking or pcmcia card or any of that.

google laplink and you will see what is avalable.

Golly gee wilerkers everyone! Learn to Internet Search