Network cards

[i]

It's Christmas time.

I need more blinky lights. Preferably some that do more than just encourage Xmas beer ... err ... cheer.

There must be a PCI network card available that includes a couple of connectors on the PCB that allow you to plug in a case-mounted LED or two. That way you could watch the pretty blinkenlights for network activity without resorting to cleverly arranged mirrors.

Such a card must exist. Right?

 

[Handruin]

If you want to break out the soldering gun, you could try this on one of your own cards.

 

[i]

Thanks Handy. I had considered that, but as all the network cards I see these days use tiny surface-mount stuff, I wanted to avoid any manual additions.

And besides, I'm surprised that in this age of back-lit, neon-lit, strobe-lit cases that network card manufacturers aren't using an external LED connector as a selling point on their various network cards.

Even that article mentions that there are some cards out there with this feature. Anyone know of one specifically?

 

[sechs]

Most motherboards come with built-in NICs; the folks who sell stand-alone NICs aren't really trying to appeal to the flashing lights crowd....

 

[Handruin]

Again, not exactly what you asked for, but it adds to my list of neat things to know:
http://www.virtual-hideout.net/guides/nic_leds_mod/index.shtml

 

[ddrueding]

Also not what you were after, but I know my 3Ware cards have activity lights for each channel, that could be very festive on a RAID-5 array...

 

[Jan Kivar]

Also not what you were after, but I know my 3Ware cards have activity lights for each channel, that could be very festive on a RAID-5 array...

... or even more hardcore solution would be to mod/hack pin 39. But it ruins the cable...

Cheers,

Jan

 

[Dïscfärm]

All you need are fiber optic connections to the 4 (or 2) LEDs on the NIC in order to bend the light emissions around from the back side of the chassis to the front.