I've assembled the Ethernet Mini kit and Brush Electronics has added a bootloader image for it to their Ethernet PIC package. There are still a couple of hardware related issues I need to solve. The board has 2x5 IDC headers for RS232 (non-standard pinout) and ICSP (differs from my EPIC and MEL USB programmer pinouts) - I'll need to design adaptors while waiting for Fred's drivers. I'm going to suggest to Fred that he include a schematic of an MEL adapter for the ICSP connector.

For anyone who wants to follow this route I recommend buying the kit with the PIC already mounted - I had to fix a couple of solder bridges on the SOIC-8W RS232 driver so am glad I didn't try mounting the TQFP-64 PIC. The other components are not too difficult, especially if you've done any previous SMD assembly. The most difficult part was in getting single 805 size components out of the itty-bitty (2-3mm wide) snips of tape. My left hand is partially paralyzed from a spinal cord injury and my eyes are in their late 60s so I usually feel that if I can manage this type of assembly, nearly anyone can.

I hope to use Fred's basic design as the foundation for a larger project. The MagJack he uses is difficult to source but PulseJack gave me a cross reference to their functionally equivalent (Pulse JP011821U) which is stocked by Mouser.