From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Sun Jan 20 15:31:11 2008
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 213BB16A41B
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:31:11 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from roberthuff@rcn.com)
Received: from smtp02.lnh.mail.rcn.net (smtp02.lnh.mail.rcn.net
	[207.172.157.102])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D302A13C4D1
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:31:10 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from roberthuff@rcn.com)
Received: from mr02.lnh.mail.rcn.net ([207.172.157.22])
	by smtp02.lnh.mail.rcn.net with ESMTP; 20 Jan 2008 10:31:07 -0500
Received: from smtp01.lnh.mail.rcn.net (smtp01.lnh.mail.rcn.net [207.172.4.11])
	by mr02.lnh.mail.rcn.net (MOS 3.8.6-GA) with ESMTP id OHP80030;
	Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:31:06 -0500 (EST)
Received: from 209-6-22-188.c3-0.smr-ubr1.sbo-smr.ma.cable.rcn.com (HELO
	jerusalem.litteratus.org.litteratus.org) ([209.6.22.188])
	by smtp01.lnh.mail.rcn.net with ESMTP; 20 Jan 2008 10:30:05 -0500
From: Robert Huff <roberthuff@rcn.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Message-ID: <18323.26937.976238.901116@jerusalem.litteratus.org>
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:31:05 -0500
To: "Alphons \"Fonz\" van Werven" <a.j.werven@student.utwente.nl>
In-Reply-To: <47934EC5.4010509@student.utwente.nl>
References: <47928642.2090707@gmail.com>
	<20080120160405.E14916@delplex.bde.org>
	<47934EC5.4010509@student.utwente.nl>
X-Mailer: VM 7.17 under 21.5  (beta28) "fuki" XEmacs Lucid
X-Junkmail-Whitelist: YES (by domain whitelist at mr02.lnh.mail.rcn.net)
Cc: FreeBSD Questions <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>,
	Bruce Evans <brde@optusnet.com.au>
Subject: Re: Realtek 8111B LAN Chipset
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:31:11 -0000

"Alphons \"Fonz\" van Werven" writes:

>  > I also want a cheap PCI/e NIC that works well with drivers 
>  > back toFreeBSD-4 like my plain PCI bge and em NICs do.  I 
>  > doubt that any popular motherboard will have anything better
>  > than a cheap PCI/e NIC. 
>  
>  Finding a modern main board of which the builtin NIC works with
>  4.X seems like a tall order to me, perhaps it would be easier to
>  install a seperate NIC.
>  
>  With some luck you might be able to pick up a decent used NIC
>  from a discarded Pentium(2) or something. I've been using a 3Com
>  3c509 combo card for years. In 3.X the driver was still buggy,
>  but it worked great with 4.X, particularly the later ones, say,
>  4.5 onwards.

	Not responding to the above directly, but:
	1) RealTek has a reputation for making cheap-ass cards - not
just "point-and-laugh", but "point-and-spit".
	2) If you're going with a separate card, allow me to recommend
the Intel Pro/1000 series.  Major manufacturer, driver written by
Intel (and the maintainer responds promptly to issues), and
available for ~$25 on eBay.


				Robert Huff