Roy J. Tellason wrote in a message to all:
 RJT> I'm currently working on this machine here,  with a second
 RJT> machine in progress (stalled due to lack of funds at the
 RJT> moment :-).  When I get that one up,  I plan to connect the
 RJT> two together with at the very least a pair of serial ports
 RJT> and preferably some kind of networking...
Go right to Ethernet.  It is far more flexible and can be very cheap.  You 
can get NE-2000 clone cards for US$20-30.  Go for "combo" cards which can use 
either coax or 10Base-T cable.  You can save the cost of a concentrator by 
using coax for a small home network.
 RJT> Right now I'm running dos/DV on this box,  but will likely
 RJT> be switching over to OS2 before too long.  Hopefully I'll
 RJT> end up with Warp Connect, which I understand has some
 RJT> networking capabilities built in?
It has very good networking capabilities.  OS/2 Warp Connect comes with 
IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, and SMB/NetBIOS networking in the box.  OS/2 Peer Services 
is also included with OS/2 Warp Connect, and it allows operating as a peer 
server which is interoperable with other SMB/NetBIOS/NetBEUI networks 
including Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, and Windows NT.
 RJT> The picture starts to complicate by my intention to bring
 RJT> up,  at some point later on,  another machine which will be
 RJT> running Linux.  I would like to be able to network that with
 RJT> the other two.
Linux can use the Samba package for SMB networking, although the current 
version only supports SMB/NetBIOS over TCP/IP, commonly known as TCPBEUI.  
OS/2 Warp Connect supports this mode directly, but many incarnations of 
Windows will not.
 RJT> Further complicating things is the fact that I'm currently
 RJT> calling out for internet services,  but as things change
 RJT> (hopefully!) to the point where it becomes affordable to get
 RJT> connected full-time,  I *may* end up wanting to do that.
 RJT> What I'm looking for at this point are any suggestions
 RJT> regarding hardware (lan cards?),  software,  cabling, 
 RJT> protocols,  and any of the other stuff that's likely to go
 RJT> into the mix and make this all work.
Assuming expense is a concern, I recommend that you get NE-2000 clone 
Ethernet cards.  These are cheap and widely supported, although not very 
fast.  You should get "combo" cards so you can support either coax or 
10Base-T cabling, and you should start by using coax until you have more than 
three or four nodes.  You should look at TCP/IP if Internet connectivity is 
your paramount concern, or at SMB/NetBIOS if DOS/Windows compatibility is 
more important.
 
-- Mike
--- 
---------------