Upgrade my machine to up to date standard

Hi,
I am quite sorry to bother you but I really do not know where/ how to start to find the answers I need.

I had once (>10 year ago) build my self a cnc mill and I was using it running linuxcnc. Last year there was a fire and everything burned. Finally I decided to rebuild it and modernise it on the same occasion.
And I have realised I know nothing about what is the "standard" today.

So I will really appreciate if you can help me find some entry level answers.
1) how do I connect PC to a CNC nowadays?
Last time it was LPT port. I heard that also Ethernet is on option now. Is it? Which is better?
If Ethernet is considered what hardware do I need on the CNC side?

What would you suggest?
I have (will rebuild) 4 axis CNC on stepper motors, but this time I am planing to use this "easy servo" solutions not the open loop.
on LPT I was little short on pin number, so I would very much like to have more available this time.

Cris.

Thanks, it is very helpful

So I have nothing at this point, except of steel structure of my old machine (even aluminium parts melted during the fire). So I am absolutely free to make any decision.

Just from your short answer I see that I will definitely tend to do go with ethernet.

Cris

First thing I would do is check that steel structure has not warped, twisted or otherwise compromised before proceeding.
It would be a shame to put in the work only to find the frame was a mess.
If the ally parts melted you are looking at temps over 650C or there about. One would assume the fire would have been put out by water thereby cooling things rather quickly.
Having worked with playground equipment I have seen steel posts compromised after a fire has melted or otherwise consumed the ally decks.

Yes of course.
This is being done.

In general I do no have any problems on mechanical side of the build ( I do design and supply various custom made mechanical equipment).

I do however have big difficulty in getting started with electronic side.

What computer should I look for?
Is it random with latency among brands, processor types etc. or is there any basic rule of thumb what will perform best.

Cris

Tommylight usually has good recommendations. I’ve seen good latency with circa 2006/7/8 Athlon systems with AMD graphics card.
Some are having success with RPi 4, even the all in one RPi 400 can give good results.
I’d stay away from bleeding edge systems.
I was using a Asrock J3355 board that was fine for Ethernet. Due to rebuilding the control cabinet I opted for an Odroid H2 Plus.
I’ve also had a play with an Orange Pi using MX Masters use of the on board MCU, but this might be a bit light weight.
I have. HP T610 thin client that I have good latency with, but not had a chance to hook up to any actual hardware. I dare say it would be an option if you were to run the Axis interface.