Growing up in an era when a 200MHz PC was extremely fast, it still amazes me that a 1GHz machine with 512MB of RAM is available for $5—that is, the Raspberry Pi Zero. Oh, and its small enough that you can fit several of them in your pocket. One thing it doesn’t have, however, is an RJ45 jack for Ethernet connectivity or full-sized USB-A ports.
If you want these options, Marcel has a nifty Ethernet/USB shield that does the trick nicely. While you’ll be giving up the built-in Micro USB connector, this is replaced by two full-sized USB-A ports, which can be powered by an external power supply if needed. Also, the GPIO connections can still be used, giving you lots of options for your next connected project.
As reported in its generally glowing reviews, it can also be used with the Raspberry Pi Zero W. This means you could turn it into a wireless access point, or use it for any other number of tricks that require WiFi connectivity along with Ethernet and/or wired USB connections.
