laptop install problem - usb cd drive

[William O'Higgins]

The Challenge:

An old laptop, with no OS that can only boot from a floppy.  I want to
install FreeBSD.

I have a USB CDROM, but I cannot make it bootable at the BIOS level.

I have a network card (PCMCIA) but no knowledge of how to get drivers
for it on a FreeBSD install floppy.

I'm pretty sure I'll have to either install entirely from floppies (not
worth the time) or from the CDROM or network, but I don't know how to
make those devices work from a blank hd and a floppy.

Any pointers?  Thanks.
-- 

yours,

William