2011-09-20 00:00 <erikkugel> yup. apperently (and maybe you are right and I'm making no sense) one can run anything over CAT5. I know I have an APC BackUPS uninterrupted power-supply which connects to the UPS with an Ethernet jack and to the workstation with a USB jack for monitoring. I'm looking for that page right now.
2011-09-20 00:01 <erikkugel> And here's the link for USB over CAT5: http://www.instructables.com/id/Usb-Dongles-for-USB-over-CAT5-connection/
2011-09-20 00:01 <wpwrak> oh, you can run anything over CAT5. but you still have to connect like to like. USB to USB or Ether to Ether :)
2011-09-20 00:02 <wpwrak> yes, that's still USB to USB. just with a CAT5 cable in the middle. is that what you're looking for ?
2011-09-20 00:03 <wpwrak> before, you wrote about a USB port to an Ethernet port. that requires a relatively complex conversion circuit (i.e., a USB Ethernet dongle) and driver support
2011-09-20 00:03 <erikkugel> I naively assumed that the adapters for Ethernet to USB ( http://www.nextag.com/usb-to-rj45-adapter/stores-html ) were "dumb" and I could just make one by wiring the cables myself. I think you are saying that this wont work?
2011-09-20 00:03 <wpwrak> well, that's USB host -> Ether. Ether -> USB device is even harder.
2011-09-20 00:04 <wpwrak> they're not dumb ;-)
2011-09-20 00:05 <erikkugel> Are you saying that they have some chip inside doing the conversion, or you just want to avoid insulting them?
2011-09-20 00:05 <erikkugel> thanks for the explanation, by the way. I have 0 background, as you can tell :)
2011-09-20 00:05 <wpwrak> well, the one for $6 seems to be dumb. but that's again USB-VAT5-USB, no Ether in there
2011-09-20 00:05 <wpwrak> hehe, you'll learn :)
2011-09-20 00:06 <erikkugel> There are also cables which seem to do the same: http://www.nextag.com/Startech-6-ft-Smart-794928856/prices-html
2011-09-20 00:06 <erikkugel> You are right about a USB host being on the USB end.
2011-09-20 00:06 <erikkugel> in all cases.
2011-09-20 00:07 <erikkugel> so in theory, if one had to do this, they would have to write new drivers for their Ethernet card to get it to talk to a USB slave, bacuse, it takes USB host drivers to talk to a USB slave which Ethernet does not have?
2011-09-20 00:07 <wpwrak> some of them may have drivers for the USB signals. but that's probably all at the physical layer, basically signal amplifiers.
2011-09-20 00:09 <wpwrak> no, you need a device that talks Ethernet on one end and USB host on the other. plus a driver for driving the ethernet end.
2011-09-20 00:09 <wpwrak> something like this: http://www.proxicast.com/shopping/index.php?target=products&product_id=29891
2011-09-20 00:10 <wpwrak> these are rare birds. hence the price.
2011-09-20 00:11 <wpwrak> better to free up some USB port. or add a hub.
2011-09-20 00:15 <erikkugel> I see. this makes more sense now... So, I can make such a cable myself to connect my ADSL modem from its Etheren jack to a PC's USB port, but I cannot do much with the nanonote because USB required a USB host which I will not have with a nanonote+ethernet combo.
2011-09-20 00:18 <wpwrak> you can't connect USB host (PC) to Ether (ADSL modem) directly either. you need an USB-to-Ethernet dongle for it. but yes, they're relatively simple (probably just one major chip), so you could in theory make one yourself.
2011-09-20 00:19 <wpwrak> but then, USB-to-Ether dongles are inexpensive, so why bother :)
2011-09-20 00:19 <wpwrak> (i don't know what the driver situation is like, though. maybe that needs some attention.)
2011-09-20 00:20 <erikkugel> I see, I can make one but I will need to buy a little board which has a chip in it and input for both ethernet and usb cabling/jacks. One last question, and I know I went beyond the Nanonote here :) - will it work on Linux, or is this what you mean by "driver situation" - it might require some proprietary software to talk to that chip?
2011-09-20 00:23 <wpwrak> there are USB-to-ether dongles that work on linux. i don't know how likely it is for a dongle you pick up at the next computer shop to "just work", though
2011-09-20 00:24 <erikkugel> I see, well, I'm going to hit google for the rest of it, but I really can't thank you enough for your patience and clear explanation!
2011-09-20 00:26 <wpwrak> e.g., these ought to work: http://www.linux-usb.org/usbnet/#t-enet
2011-09-20 00:26 <wpwrak> seems that they all use the same chip. so maybe others do, too. there's a bright side to monopolies ;-)
2011-09-20 00:28 <wpwrak> you're welcome :)
2011-09-20 13:26 <lekernel> http://lekernel.net/blog/2011/09/prywatna-wytwornia-lamp-where-diy-meets-vacuum-electron-devices/
2011-09-20 13:30 <viric> great link!
2011-09-20 13:34 <wolfspraul> lekernel: excellent writeup! congratulations!
2011-09-20 13:35 <wolfspraul> that's the hardest part after such visits to give oneself a kick to upload and gallerify all pics, write a text, etc.
2011-09-20 13:45 <kyak> what a great guy..
2011-09-20 15:38 <kristianpaul> very nice post indeed
2011-09-20 20:27 <viric> kyak: http://replicant.us/about/ :)
2011-09-20 20:27 <viric> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/org/LOR/~3/-XdeKAn7Xtc/6767649
2011-09-20 23:59 <whitequark> wpwrak: remember I've been talking about digikey, billing/shipping/passport address and so on. They've delivered it last night nevertheless. Looks like the scan of passport was convincing enough.