Kevin Karhan :verified:<p>Now some folks may say: <em>"Why don't you just get a regular-ass <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/AUI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AUI</span></a> like a <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/NormalPerson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NormalPerson</span></a>?"</em></p><p><code>1.</code> Simply because <em>noone but the most tech-masochistic folks</em> want to deal with like <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/coax" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>coax</span></a> cables, <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/VampireTaps" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>VampireTaps</span></a>, huge <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/MAUI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MAUI</span></a> boxes and rare vintage stuff + overhead to get a slow & underwhelming network experience. Pretty shure neither <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://social.restless.systems/@ncommander" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>ncommander</span></a></span> nor <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://dialup.space/@TechTangents" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>TechTangents</span></a></span> would either.</p><p><code>2.</code> The few late-era <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/10BaseT" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>10BaseT</span></a>-based AUIs do exist but they are long out of production and thus quite expensive. And if you are on <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/10Base2" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>10Base2</span></a> or even <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/10Base5" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>10Base5</span></a> good luck finding a still working <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/switch" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>switch</span></a> that isn't sold by a <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/scalper" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>scalper</span></a> like <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/ersazza" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ersazza</span></a> way above <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/MSRP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MSRP</span></a>+<a href="https://infosec.space/tags/inflation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>inflation</span></a>!</p><p><code>3</code> An AUI is just an Interface port / media converter similar to <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/SFP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SFP</span></a> & <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabit_interface_converter" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">GBIC</a> and <em>necessitates a NIC already inside the machine</em>.</p><p><code>4.</code> AUIs are not just long outdated but also way more inflexible, whereas basically anything from an <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Apple2" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Apple2</span></a> up to the latest <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Android" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Android</span></a>-<a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Tablet" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Tablet</span></a> can be adapted cheaply to do <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/RS232" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RS232</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/serial" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>serial</span></a> and send AT commands to a <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Modem" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Modem</span></a>.</p><p><code>5.</code> Twisted-Pair Ethernet is cheap, commonplace and still supported and pretty much forwards- and backwards compatible. 10BaseT will run on Cat.3 but also on Cat.5 and even Cat.8 cables (In case one wants to hookup a vintage computer on a 40GBase-T port for no reason but to see if the switch does negotiate proper 10Base-T.</p><p><code>6.</code> Because it's useful...</p><p><code>7.</code> as said before: AUI port would be <code>nice to have</code> but not necessary...</p><p><code>8.</code> it would allow Network access similar to <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/dialup" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dialup</span></a> abeit without the need for existing <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/PSTN" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PSTN</span></a> infrastructure like <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://chaos.social/@c3isdn" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>c3isdn</span></a></span> has...</p>