From owner-freebsd-hardware Sun Feb 25 11:41:55 1996 Return-Path: owner-hardware Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id LAA13770 for hardware-outgoing; Sun, 25 Feb 1996 11:41:55 -0800 (PST) Received: from saguaro.flyingfox.com (saguaro.flyingfox.com [204.188.109.253]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with SMTP id LAA13765 for ; Sun, 25 Feb 1996 11:41:54 -0800 (PST) Received: (from jas@localhost) by saguaro.flyingfox.com (8.6.12/8.6.10) id LAA04980; Sun, 25 Feb 1996 11:39:39 -0800 Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 11:39:39 -0800 From: Jim Shankland Message-Id: <199602251939.LAA04980@saguaro.flyingfox.com> To: msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au, narvi@haldjas.folklore.ee Subject: Re: 3COM 509 NICs Cc: hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Sender: owner-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk > Narvi stands accused of saying: > > A friend of mine wants to set up a FreeBSD box as a router > > between 4 ethernets and planns to use 3COM 509 NICs. As I'm the > > only one who has used FreeBSD round here, he asked me. So, can > > anyone point out any troubles I will immedeately fall into? Will > > the 3COM cards give any performance gains over NE2000 compatibles > > (there is that unresolved reference to buggyness)? > > I'd be inclined to suggest NE2000's. PIO to/from the card notwithstanding, > the ed driver is very efficient, and NE2000 clones are very cheap. > > Whilst I'm sure there are plenty of '509's out there working just fine, > there have been enough unhappy stories about them that I'd be discouraged. Another data point: I have precisely this configuration (4 3C509's in a FreeBSD box functioning as a router), and it has worked flawlessly. We keep those 4 Ethernets pretty busy, too. Jim Shankland Flying Fox Computer Systems, Inc.