2843, 27844 and 2838

I've been living dangerously without a console, but I really have to address this. Simple jiggling hasn't worked, but I really need to get the box out of its little area and get some better access to the cables and connections. Before I do that, though, I want to prepare for any major surgery I might do.

One thing I may do is insert attach a second Ethernet card and go to the LAN Console. Currently my configuration indicates as near as I can tell that I have a 2842 adapter and a 2838 PCI IOP. This gives me a single Ethernet line. I have in my posession an additional 2838 as well as a 2843 adapter. My quandary is that I have no idea what is compatible with what. Can you have both a 2842 and a 2843? If so, how does each 2838 know who it belongs to?

I'm so confused.

And while I'm obviously leery of doing any messing about at all with the Ethernet while the console is on the fritz, at the same time if I get the console working I'd like to install the new Ethernet while I have the machine up on blocks, so to speak.

So, is there a place that will tell a complete hardware idiot which cards are compatible with one another, and with the box?

The box is a little bitty (2GB/80GB) 9406-270 without a lot of cards. It's got a 284D and a 2842 and I don't use the 284D for much of anything; QTILINE and QESLINE are always varied off. It's running V5R4 with cumes from February of 2008.

Joe