Any Bootable Wireless NICs ?

ReidMaynard asks: "Recently I've been playing with the idea of a wireless netboot system...however, I would like not to use a floppy to boot from. I understand that if a NIC card has a EPROM socket, I can flash an EPROM and stick it in the NIC to do a netboot ... but I cannot seem to locate any wireless cards (or more exactly) any pcmcia-to-PCI adaptors which have a EPROM socket ... does anyone know of such an animal ... or a PCMCIA card which has a built-in programmable area (unlikely) ...?" This is one of those things that sounds really obvious once it's been spoken, but I'd never thought about this before. Sure would have been nice in certain office environments I've been in.

Comments

it's been done before

[matrix0040]

here's what i found on the net here

1) "Eagle": has RG45, BNC plug and D-15 socket on it.
Main chip: advanced micro devices AM79C960KG (1992)
Card part number: 60-E2100C-2 Date: 94/08 Distrib : IPEX
EPROM is a National Semiconductor NM27C256Q (already on-board)

2) "Novell, Inc 1990"
Has a D-15 and BNC plug on it.
Main Chip: Advanced Micro Devices AM7990JC/80 (1985)
Card part Number : BD #738-000209-001 RevC Assy. #810-000209-001 RevF
Required EPROM is a 27256. I have a 27C512 off an old 486 motherboard.

Some boot rom capable cards

[apmathur]

here are some of the cards that've boot rom capability

Kingston 10/100

Kti 10/100

Re:My Opinion on Why This Probably Doesn't Exist

[Anonymous Coward]

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I bought a small wireless network from my boss (I worked in a very small hardware/software support company) about a year ago. When we were discussing the different components, one of the things that came up was the PCI-to-PCMCIA adapter. I remember him pointing out that the adapter was designed to work with any PCMCIA card and not just the wireless card. My thinking is that the people designing these things decided not to include an EPROM socket simply because it was meant to be interchangeable in that manner. I'm just speculating here, and I can't speak for any other brand (mine's an Aviator Webgear), but odds are that you will have to a) build one yourself or b) pay someone to custom build this for you.