The DFRduino Ethernet Shield V2.1 is now released. This version of Ethernet Shield is not only compatible with Mega 1280 and 2560, but also provides a Micro SD card slot for reading/writing.

DFRduino Ethernet Shield V2.1 is fully compatible with Ardunio Ethernet Shield. With the offical ethernet library, you can do exactly the same thing as the original one, but at a more affordable price.

This Ethernet Shield provides an Arduino controller board with internet access. It is based on the Wiznet W5100 ethernet chip. The Wiznet W5100 provides a network (IP) stack capable of both TCP and UDP. It supports up to four simultaneous socket connections. You can use the Ethernet library to write sketches which connect to the internet using the shield.

You can connect the Ethernet Shield to an Arduino board using long wire-wrap headers which extend through the shield. This keeps the pin layout intact and allows another shield to be stacked on top.

Arduino uses digital pins 10, 11, 12, and 13 (SPI) to communicate with the W5100 on the ethernet shield. These pins cannot be used for general i/o.

The shield provides a standard RJ45 ethernet jack.

The reset button on the shield resets both the W5100 and the Arduino board.