Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Tue, 10 Apr 2018 15:50:08 -0700
From:      Dieter BSD <dieterbsd@gmail.com>
To:        freebsd-net@freebsd.org, freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org,  freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Subject:   Realtek re(4) driver
Message-ID:  <CAA3ZYrCdBWi%2BXSge%2BYfDH73a5QpaK0oOVTABb2k16NA5xUx%2BdA@mail.gmail.com>

next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Multiple people have found that FreeBSD's re(4) driver for Realtek
Ethernet chips has problems.  Something like a rcp(1) with another
FreeBSD box merely runs slower due to the stalls, but if the other end
has buggy network code and/or if the transfer is forced to use UDP
(Unreliable Data Protocol) data is lost.  :-(

Rumor has it that Realtek has a driver that works properly with FreeBSD.

FreeBSD's developers are apparently unable to:
a) Fix the existing FreeBSD re(4) device driver so that it works correctly.
b) Replace the existing FreeBSD re(4) device driver with Realtek's driver.
c) Make Realtek's driver into a port/pkg.
d) At least add a warning to the re(4) man page, with the URL for
   Realtek's driver.

Therefore every user with Realtek Ethernet chips are forced to somehow
discover that Realtek has a working driver, then somehow obtain a copy
of this mythical driver, get it to compile and build a custom kernel.
They then need to write a test suite and verify that Realtek's driver
does in fact work properly for their applications.

I am currently suffering data loss due to this.  Therefore I am
attempting to obtain a copy of the mythical Realtek device driver.
I managed to find

> http://www.realtek.com.tw/Downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=4&PNid=13&PFid=5&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

But it does not work for me.  It has a listing for

> Description         Version Update Time File Size Download Site 1
> FreeBSD 7.x and 8.0 1.94    2017/9/15   93k       Global

The machine with the re ports is running 10.3, hopefully the 7&8 code
will compile and work on 10.  But the real problem is that clicking on
"Global" does not work.  Some browsers do nothing.  Firefox creates
a new window with http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/
which is going backwards.  I was expecting something like a tar file
containing the source code.

I also tried google, and emailing a FreeBSD user that runs the Realtek
driver, but both pointed me to the above non-working URL.  I'm
told that seamonkey works, but...

So my question is: could someone please tell me the URL that points
*directly* to the mythical Realtek device driver?  (without
the broken javascheist garbage)



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?CAA3ZYrCdBWi%2BXSge%2BYfDH73a5QpaK0oOVTABb2k16NA5xUx%2BdA>