Dell Inspiron 8100

Dell Inspiron info on Wikipedia. laptop

  • cpu: Intel(R) Pentium(R) III Mobile CPU 1200MHz
  • memory: max 512MB (chipset limit), 2 slots SDRAM SO-DIMM
  • disk: ad0: 114473MB at ata0-master UDMA100
  • optical drive: acd0: CDRW at ata0-slave UDMA33
  • LCD: 1600 x 1200 (UXGA), 15 inch
  • video: Intel 82815 (i815 GMCH)
  • sound: snd_maestro3 - ESS Technology - ES1980 Maestro-3 PCI Audio Accelerator
  • network - wired: xl0 - 3Com 3c556 Fast Etherlink XL - TDK 78Q2120 media interface - 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto
  • bios: version A15.
  • boot: no usb boot, but network boot is supported: mini-PCI NIC or Cardbus NIC. Boot methods: PXE (version 2.01), TCP/IP, NetWare, RPL
  • boot keys: F2 will get you into BIOS setup, F12 will show you a boot menu.

Hints: if fans won't stop running, hit Fn+Z to make BIOS re-read thermometer readings.

OS testing: DragonFlyBSD, FreeBSD, OpenSolaris on Inspiron 8100.

Links

dellfand: Dell laptop fan regulator for Linux/Solaris,

back to machines page.

History

2021-08-18: I re-created this page on my self-hosted web server.

2014-06-26: maybe it is accidental, but during some thunder and lightning this evening, the local interface (rl0 - ST Lab 10/100 PCCard, MAC addr: 00:0a:cd:16:b4:4f, serial number: 08320695017) stopped working. No lights in LEDS, no traffic through. I made a temporary replacement, a 3Com card which showed up as interface xl1. I just renamed it with ifconfig xl1 name rl0, configured it and restarted all services. Works good enough. I had to connect an external monitor to the machine the internal LCD turns off soon after power-on.

2013-05-11: firewall (machine 2) - today there is no light in the LCD at all. I tried shining a light on it, but it's not just the backlight missing, the panel looks dead. Perhaps it is time to replace this machine.

2011-11-02: The firewall (machine 1) has been noisy for a while; one of it's fans don't run anymore, and the other compensates. Today I swapped over the hard drive and the network card (mini PCI) to machine 2 and put that into service as a firewall. We will see how long that works.

2007-03-31: Machine 1: the original hard drive (Hitachi 20 GB) started to give up the ghost, so it was replaced.

2007-02-13: I bought two of these used for NOK 2000.- from an ad at hw.no.

Machine 1: PIII @ 1200 Mhz. the screen blacks out / looses connection. Fixed by opening up the machine and re-seating the connector on the back of the LCD panel.

Machine 2: PIII @ 1000 Mhz. the front left corner of the case is missing (a piece is broken away), and the machine is missing memory, a hard drive and a power supply. Also: the wired network card (mini PCI) is missing from this machine.