EtherLinkII

EtherLink II is a line of Ethernet network interface cards produced by 3Com Corporation during the early to mid-1990s. Designed for IBM PC compatible computers, EtherLink II cards provided 10 Mbps Ethernet connectivity for local area networks and were offered in multiple bus architectures to suit expanding PC hardware. The line supported the common Ethernet media of the time, including 10BASE-T twisted-pair networks, and on some models offered an AUI (Attachment Unit Interface) transceiver for use with older or alternative media such as 10BASE-2 coaxial networks. Many models were available in ISA and PCI formats, with options for RJ-45 connectors on 10BASE-T alongside an AUI port.

Software support varied by model, but 3Com supplied driver packages for DOS and Windows environments of the era, with updates through the mid- to late-1990s. Some EtherLink II cards used widely supported Ethernet controller chips of the period and were compatible with common network operating systems of the time, including Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, NetWare, and others, often via third-party or vendor-supplied drivers.

Impact and legacy: EtherLink II helped popularize 10 Mbps Ethernet in personal and office computers, bridging earlier thick- or thin-coax installations with modern twisted-pair networks. The line was gradually superseded by PCI-based Fast Ethernet and 100 Mbps adapters, as well as later USB-based NICs. EtherLink II remains noted in retro-computing and hardware histories as part of the transition to widely available Ethernet NICs in the 1990s.