Travel Technology - ZSL <->USB

Is that cryptic enough for you? :D

A few years ago I was using a Zero-Slot Lan (ZSL), which uses either the serial port ot parallel port to connect two computers together. I found it very useful for a number of tasks - was using Lantastic-Z.

The only problem, of course, was the speed - ~115KB on the serial port, maybe 400-500K on the parallel connection. Also, that particular product only worked on DOS/Win3.X, though I seem to remember getting Win95 to recognize the network.

It strikes me that USB (even 1.X, although 2.0 would really fly) would be an ideal cheap technology to make this stuff viable again. I know Win9X provides some of this connectivity, not sure how complete it is.

Is there anything out there I could use for this? Or does Win9X have it built in? Do I need a hub, etc.? Have I revealed myself as too stupid to understand the answer?

Like this?

http://www.homenethelp.com/web/review/pc-linq.asp

Um ... not exactly. If I want to do file transfers, I can always use a ZIP drive or USB flash drive thingie.

A "real" LAN using USB would be the ideal solution. As I said, it may already be built in to Win9X; I just haven't dug around the docmentation that thoroughly yet.

Um ... not exactly. If I want to do file transfers, I can always use a ZIP drive or USB flash drive thingie.

A "real" LAN using USB would be the ideal solution. As I said, it may already be built in to Win9X; I just haven't dug around the docmentation that thoroughly yet.

Most of the cheapie usb link cables DO appear as a real lan. I know what you mean by the old PC link through serial/parallel in 98 but I haven't seen that in 2000/XP.

Why not get a cross over network cable and toss a couple of $9 ethernet cards in the machines. Give them both IP addresses and share the drives, and 100 megs a second.