Network with IDE cable from one to another mobo

mycroes

I know it sounds stupid, but I think it can work... I wanna fit two mobo's in one case and need to connect them in some way... If I could connect them with an IDE cable it would not only be very fast but it would also mean I don't need any network card or cable in it, which would save space (as there are no cards in it at all in that case)... I think no such thing exists to use them when they're connected, but I just want to know if it would be possible to write a network wrapper for a direct IDE connection...
Greetings,

Michael

P.s. If it's not possible you might have another good idea to connect them to eachother? :wink:

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adaptr · Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2004 10:29 pm Post subject:

No, not possible - unless you enjoy breaking mainboards, a lot.
The IDE interfaces are typically not buffered or otherwise protected against mishaps - the drive's interface just needs to take care, and there's never anything else on an IDE cable.

I think connecting up two mainboards this way is a very expensive fireworks experiment - you get to keep all the bits.

EDIT: and that's not even counting the practical problems - you simply can't.
When your PC boots up, everything is in the hands of the BIOS - which checks the IDE interfaces for connected devices.
Because both systems will try the same routine they will both b0rk - hard, since there're no actual drives on it.

Why not use 100mbit, or even gigabit ethernet?
Or firewire, or USB 2.0, or...
Plenty of secure, cheaper alternatives.
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>>> emerge (3 of 7) mcse/70-293 to /
Essential tools: gentoolkit eix profuse screen

thompsonmike · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 4:37 am Post subject:

Thats so funny. It would, like the above says be quite exciting when you turned on the system, until it went fiz and you started to get blue smoke.

:lol:

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Thanks

Michael..

Trejkaz · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 5:50 am Post subject:

USB sounds like a particularly good idea. Firewire too... Most motherboards now come with a header you can use to connect things like the front panel of some cases... you could use the same thing to wire the two boards together. I wonder if you would need some kind of device in the middle though. :-)

mycroes · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:22 am Post subject: Connection

It are two P1 boards, without USB or firewire on them... So in that case I'd need to buy 2 USB cards + the cable, which would be a bit more expensive... I have a few network cards lying around though... Don't know if I have two 100 mbit cards, but that won't be much of a problem... It would just be a lot nicer to connect them in a simpler way...
Greetings,

Michael
_________________
In a world without walls or fences we don't need windows or gates

adaptr · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 8:36 am Post subject:

There is no simpler way than via Ethernet - trust me ;-)

_________________
>>> emerge (3 of 7) mcse/70-293 to /
Essential tools: gentoolkit eix profuse screen

adaptr · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 8:38 am Post subject:

mycroes · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 2:42 pm Post subject: ^o)

Well I have two mobo's on one psu, in one case, so I really need something simple to connect them... Best would be intern connection... There's some more info about the mobo's here: http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/tc430Hx/index.htm. I don't mind doing some soldering if that's needed.
Greetings,

Michael
_________________
In a world without walls or fences we don't need windows or gates

adaptr · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 3:03 pm Post subject:

Unless you have experience in soldering microelectronics I wouldn't recommend it - there are plenty of components on the board that will fry as soon as you heat them a hair above their limits.
This is usually done by robots with millisecond precision.

There is nothing you can connect them with - why do you persist in wanting it ?
Two 100mbit NICs cost about 5 each, add in another 5 for a short crosscable and that's it.
_________________
>>> emerge (3 of 7) mcse/70-293 to /
Essential tools: gentoolkit eix profuse screen

mycroes · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 4:45 pm Post subject: Space

It's not all about money, it's about space too... anyway, I think I'll go for the ethernet option as it indeed is easiest to set up...
Greetings,

Michael
_________________
In a world without walls or fences we don't need windows or gates

Crg · Guru Joined: 29 May 2002 Posts: 345 Location: London

Sir_Chancealot · n00b Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 63

I have found that we geeks (yeah, I know... speak for myself!

) are sometimes too literal minded. With that in mind, I would ask....

****WHY**** do you want to connect them? In other words, what is the desired result of connecting them? To share a single (or multiple) hard drives? Frankensteined SMP server, what?

BTW, Netgear 10/100 PCI cards are less than $20 brand new, and they are of a pretty good quality.

Crg · Guru Joined: 29 May 2002 Posts: 345 Location: London

mycroes · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 3:34 pm Post subject: Re: My first question would be...