Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 09:05:41 +0200 (MET DST) From: Luigi Rizzo <luigi@labinfo.iet.unipi.it> To: dennis@et.htp.com (dennis) Cc: hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: NE2000 Plus performance Message-ID: <199504030705.JAA09011@labinfo.iet.unipi.it> In-Reply-To: <199504021554.LAA01057@mail.htp.com> from "dennis" at Apr 2, 95 11:54:08 am
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
> >Poking around with the configuration program of our ethernet cards > >(NE2000 clones manufactured by Trust), I found out that they have a mode > >(called NE2000 plus) in which they apparently use shared memory (at > >least, the setup menu asks you to select a memory address. > > > >Is this mode supported by the current if_ed driver, and is it documented > >anywhere ? (I am asking because I remember discussion on the relative > >performance of WD80x3 -- better, using shared memory -- and NE2000 > > This NE2000+ is a pretty interesting character...its almost a contradiction. > The only good reason (and it IS a good reason) to use an NE2000 is that you > don't have to worry about conflicts with other adapters. But an NE2000 with > shared memory really is just a non-compatible WD8013, since they both use > the same processor. If they're as inexpensive as NE2000 clones though...now > this would be good. We have an NE2000 driver for our VLB NE2000 that we > could easily modify to support the NE2000+. Please give me some info on > pricing and who sells them. If they cost the same or close to an SMC card, > forget it. I'd rather use SMC. They are sold by TRUST and are priced around 70.000 Itl incl. VAT (this was a couple of months ago, the lira has gone way down since...), which means probably less than US$ 45. The SMC cards cost three times as much (not to mention the fact that the 8013 has practically disappeared). I think it would be a good thing if the ed driver could support the NE200plus mode. And, from what you say, most of the code should already be in the ed driver (assuming, of course, that you know how to recognize a 2000plus and to handle it). Luigi ==================================================================== Luigi Rizzo Dip. di Ingegneria dell'Informazione email: luigi@iet.unipi.it Universita' di Pisa tel: +39-50-568533 via Diotisalvi 2, 56126 PISA (Italy) fax: +39-50-568522 ====================================================================
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199504030705.JAA09011>