View Full Version : Wired USB Ethernet capable?
Just pre-ordered two 770s (one for me and my husband) but I've got a question.
At work we do have 802.11, however, we're using some type of proprietary Cisco thing. Unfortunately, this means that only specialized cisco cards with the key already on them work with our wireless network. I've asked why but I'm just given an answer of "security". *sigh*
So, while at home I wouldn't have a problem connecting to the net, does anyone know if the unit is capable of using a USB Ethernet device? Is the capability even in the kernel? This way, though I can't really carry it around, I can at least plug it into work and use it sort of like a "third screen" and have it pop up my news, etc. without taking up valuable normal screen realestate.
Mel "of the billion application windows"
(who's very glad she has 4 gigs of ram on her work desktop)
thenabbster
2005-11-15, 22:51
i have an idea. this might come as a shock to you but, use a computer, use an actual notebook. if youre going to tether yourself to an ethernet cable at work or at home, there is no point in getting a portable internet device that costs as much as a low end computer, wow
Had to add my 2 cents, I bought this device to use on my campus where I am an administrator, This is a valid question and you should have manners! you can do usbhost
http://maemo.org/maemowiki/HOWTO_Set_up_USB_networking_FC4
yeah nobody would ever want one of these to hard wire in a network rack area, send ICMP, trace route or SSH or remote ever!!!
ohh my bad I forgot I have Wifi everywhere I go???? :rolleyes:
i have an idea. this might come as a shock to you but, use a computer, use an actual notebook. if youre going to tether yourself to an ethernet cable at work or at home, there is no point in getting a portable internet device that costs as much as a low end computer, wow
Actually, if I wanted a low-end notebook, I'd use a low-end notebook. Or maybe one of the half dozen higher-end notebooks I have lying around here at home. What I'm looking for is portability at a relatively low price-point.
My currently most used notebook is a little over 8 pounds making it a fairly heavy notebook but it has all kinds of whiz bang features. But it's _heavy_. Considering that I bicycle commute to work, since it's only 1.5 miles away (why waste gas?), the last thing I want to do is lug around an 8 pound notebook... or even a 3 pound ultralite. I've done it. Pain in your shoulders and back suck.
At 8 ounces this unit works well from a portability standpoint. It runs Linux which would also allow me to use such nifty tools as "ssh", "xterm" or *gasp* even "telnet" for emulating HTTP transactions by hand. This all comes in (again) at *8 freaking ounces*.
I sure as hell don't need a full-sized (and thus full-powered) notebook for this. If I wanted that I'd use my notebook or desktop box. In fact, for most locations, I'd have access to a wireless AP that I can associate with. I wouldn't need something cabled. But at work that isn't an option though I guess I could violate corporate policy (and thus risking my 6 figure engineering salary) and place a rogue AP on the network but the thought "That would be very stupid" comes to mind. Even better would be explaining why I was fired from my previous position to a new employer. "Yeah, I was stupid" isn't an acceptable answer.
Not everyone will use this device in the same way. I know that for some, they'll think "toy". Hell, I even think "toy" when it comes to the 770, but I also think "useful" in addition to "toy". If I can use this device as a dumb xterm, hell, I'm going to. Plus, it'll help keep my main screen less cluttered. I already have coworkers wondering how I navigate the 30+ firefox windows (all with multiple tabs) and the 40+ ssh windows. And those are just two of the various apps I use on a constant basis.
Mel who's shocked she didn't think of using a regular notebook.
[...]you can do usbhost
http://maemo.org/maemowiki/HOWTO_Set_up_USB_networking_FC4
yeah nobody would ever want one of these to hard wire in a network rack area, send ICMP, trace route or SSH or remote ever!!!
ohh my bad I forgot I have Wifi everywhere I go???? :rolleyes:
Chuck, thank you. I must have missed that wiki. I went looking at maemo.org for information but didn't see it.
The article you posted specifically talks about setting up a USB network (usbnet). I was wondering if anyone had experience adding a USB network host adapter so I can attach via a standard ethernet cable.
Thanks again though. :)
Mel
Remote User
2005-11-16, 00:33
If I can use this device as a dumb xterm, hell, I'm going to.
An X terminal is anything but dumb. It's as smart as the network that it's connected to. The graphic capabilities of your 770 are 225 dpi. That's five times the resolution per inch as a 17" LCD at 1280x1024 resolution. It has integral wireless network discovery, bluetooth, and an integral touchscreen. Dumb terminal is the LAST way you would describe the 770.
An X terminal is anything but dumb. It's as smart as the network that it's connected to. The graphic capabilities of your 770 are 225 dpi. That's five times the resolution per inch as a 17" LCD at 1280x1024 resolution. It has integral wireless network discovery, bluetooth, and an integral touchscreen. Dumb terminal is the LAST way you would describe the 770.
I think what I was emphasizing in my post is the fact that the 770 isn't really a dumb toy. :) From a technological standpoint, it's an excellent device. Most of the post you're quoting is my reaction to someone saying 'use a low-end notebook'. :)
Mel
thenabbster
2005-11-16, 02:37
Alright, whatever floats your boat, melody, the n770 is a cool device. i plan on using it to get get live streaming tv channels from my tv card on my home desktop and watch TV where ever i have a wifi/hot spot connection. The possibilities are endless. If anyone wants to do this, go to www.orb.com, and check it out.
I don't know about usb ethernet adapter, but I did succeed setting up a network connection between the 770 and my pc at work using a USB wifi adapter. In the wifi settings, I used Ad hoc mode instead of infrastructure. I also had to assign static ip addresses on both devices.
After installing an http proxy (NTLM Authorization Proxy Server) on the pc I can browse the web from the 770. I didn't try internet connect sharing, but I'm sure it should work too.
Hi,
Why don't you use bluetooth to get a connection from a PC ?
I suppose it wouldn't violate your company's rules and it would give you cableless connectivity ...
Fred
r00t 4orce
2005-11-16, 13:44
I'm very interesteed in this thread - as I, like Melody and ChuckP, can think of several times a day at my job where being able to thow the 770 on a wired network (at the rack etc) would be excellent.
This is actually one of the last factors I am waiting to see the outcome of before I place an order.
Currently I use my Zaurus SL5500 to do this which has excellent abilites via the CF slot for wired ethernet. The lack of a CF slot on this device exactly for the wired eth purpose has been a show stopper for me. But if it is determined that the USB port can be used with a USB to Eth adaptor then I would be all set.
--r00t
dsmudger
2005-11-16, 13:55
Hi,
Why don't you use bluetooth to get a connection from a PC ?
I suppose it wouldn't violate your company's rules and it would give you cableless connectivity ...
Fred
I've been trying to do that - there are a few guides around, but they require Linux on the desktop side - obviously fairly unlikely in a work environment (ok, so we have loads of Linux boxes here, but they're all in the basement in an air-conditioned room - well out of bluetooth range :) ).
I'm pretty sure you also need to be root on the 770, which I haven't managed to do using the Mac flasher utility (it doesn't see the USB connection from the command line).
So ignoring my problems getting root (sure I'll work it out eventually :) ), does anyone have any guides for bluetooth networking in Windows?
By far the best solution IMO (since it would require no fiddling around with the 770) would be to be able to emulate a dial-up server - in other words to get your bluetooth-enabled PC to talk to the 770 as if it were a cellphone connected to the internet by GPRS...
Any ideas anyone?
(I gave up and brought in my usb wlan adapter the other day - sure I'll get a clip-round-the-ear-'ole from IT support if they find out - I did at least lock it down with 128bit WEP so it's unlikely to cause any problems and they're unlikely to find out, unless my workmate who lurks on these boards dobs me in ;) )
Fredoll, I've thought about it but as dsmudger mentioned, most of the current solutions require Linux (or some other flavour of Unix) to be running on the host box. I could do this but I see having wired capabilities to be more useable ultimately.
I guess what I'll have to do is wait for my 770 to come in and hack on it a bit. I haven't looked at the Maemo distribution yet and if it's possible to use kernel loadable dynamic modules. If so, I could build a device driver and give the 770 support. I'll probably have to use a wired hub of some sort since, according to other documentation I've seen, the 770 doesn't supply the +5v on the USB power line.
Mel
if you still want to try windows there's a soft called mocha32 PPP that should be able to provide a way of connecting via bluetooth easily ...
Fred
dsmudger
2005-11-17, 15:50
if you still want to try windows there's a soft called mocha32 PPP that should be able to provide a way of connecting via bluetooth easily ...
Fred
Nope - doesn't work (just tried the newer Softick PPP software too) - the Nokia refuses to play ball unless it really believes that the thing on the other end is a phone. Whatever I do, it says that the device doesn't support dial-up networking. If I enable only the serial port service (as described in a few guides), it refuses to pair entirely saying there are no services that I can use on the device and "please select another phone"!
What's needed is some way to make the bluetooth USB stick really look like a phone, rather than these various serial port connections :(
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