# Firewire to Ethernet Adapter



## mneub (Sep 15, 2002)

Hi, I am looking for a product that lets me use ethernet through my firwire port. What company makes this sort of product and where can I buy it? It needs to be compatible with OS 9. Thanks.


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## Howard2k (Feb 9, 2005)

Never heard of one.


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## ender78 (Jan 23, 2005)

I only know of USB Ethernet adapters, have never heard of a firewire based one.


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## mneub (Sep 15, 2002)

What are some of the USB ones then?


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

There's no such thing for Firewire. The USB adapters and meant more for Wintel machines.

Let's get to the hear of your problem... What Mac are you running and what version of OS is installed? Then we can figure out what your options are.


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## Todd (Oct 14, 2002)

I agree with gmark2000. If you have a Mac with a Firewire port, then you certainly also have an Ethernet port - so why the need for an adapter? Has your Ethernet port died, perhaps?


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## mneub (Sep 15, 2002)

Its an older computer. Its a Power Macintosh 5400. I am just wanting to get on the internet with it. I am getting a Firewire and USB PCI card for it so I thought that I could get an adapter for ethernet.


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

mneub said:


> It's a Power Macintosh 5400.


Hmmm... On lowendmac.com they list these specs:
requires System 7.5.1 through 9.1
CPU: 120, 180, or 200 MHz PPC 603e
bus: 40 MHz
performance: XXX (relative to SE)
RAM: 16 MB (120, 180 MHz) or 24 MB (200 MHz), expandable to 136 MB. 8 MB on motherboard. Accepts one or two 8, 16, 32, or 64 MB 70ns 168-pin DIMMs.
VRAM: not expandable
Video: 15" screen, thousands of colors at up to 800 x 600, 256 at 832 x 624
L2 cache: 256k
hard drive: IDE, 1.2 GB on 5400/180, 1.6 GB on 5400/120 and 200
CD-ROM: 4x or 8x
ADB port for keyboard and mouse
DIN-8 GeoPort on back of computer
DB-25 SCSI connector on back of computer
[*]comm slot (used by ethernet port on 5400/200)
bay for Apple TV/FM Radio System
video slot
one PCI slot









I suppose there isn't an ethernet port built into yours? Other sites list it have a 10Base-T Ethernet port. If you don't have it, I would look an eBay for this part as it'll be the most integrated solution. Not sure how cheap it'll be though.


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## mneub (Sep 15, 2002)

It isn't built in because I have a modem in that slot that I use for my mac to phone and fax. I wanted the ethernet adapter because I might be able to get 10/100baseT ethernet. i havn't been ablt to find a PCI ethernet card that fits in the casing in my mac but have found a Firewire/USB card.


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

mneub said:


> I have a modem in that slot


That doesn't make sense. PM5400s used the DIN-8 GeoPort connection for the GeoPort modem adapter. AFAIK, there was no internal solution.

Do you have pics of the rear connections you could post?


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## mneub (Sep 15, 2002)

The modem came with a Performa 5200 and The Power Mac Board did not come with ethernet so I took the modem out of the Performa and put it in the comm slot of the Power Mac 5400.


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## Kami (Jul 29, 2002)

I just checked the back of my 5500 (which is similar to your 5400). You have a bit of a problem with your setup

1) the PCI slot is filled with the Firewire/USB card
2) the Comm Slot II is filled with a modem

If you're still running OS 9 then you'll have to find a Mac compatible USB-Ethernet adapter - not easy since drivers may be an issue

Better and probably easier solution is to find a SCSI--> ethernet adapter made by Asante if I recall correctly. People with compact Macs use these all the time


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## mneub (Sep 15, 2002)

Thanks, I forgot about SCSI.


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## ArtificiaLard (Feb 8, 2005)

For wireless I've known the Belkin and Macsense devices to have OS 9 drivers. They're for joining 802.11b wireless networks tho, and not hard Ethernet.


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

There's three comm slot ethernet adapters on eBay starting at US$.99 + shipping.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80061&item=5768592299&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW










IMHO, I think you should lose the fax/modem card and use this ethernet card instead. If you need a fax/modem, then get a GeoPort Telecom adapter for this function.


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## Kami (Jul 29, 2002)

Good suggestion gmark

I guess you'll have to make decision based on cost
1) "new" external modem that connects to a serial port or USB port
2) comm slot ethernet card
3) SCSI--> ethernet adapter


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

Kami said:


> Good suggestion gmark


Thanks. But cost is not the overarching factor here. It's the compatibility issues surrounding a OS 9.1 machine and the hardware supported. I think that the firewire/USB card won't be plug-n-play. Thus if you can get as much Apple OEM into the machine, the less likely you'll run into problems with unsupported hardware - which is REALLY unsupported for vintage Macs like these.


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