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From: Paul Richards <paul@isl.cf.ac.uk>
Message-Id: <199501110104.BAA03994@isl.cf.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: FreeBSD as an IP Router
To: julian@tfs.com (Julian Elischer)
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 01:04:28 +0000 (GMT)
Cc: wraith@csd.uwm.edu, questions@FreeBSD.org, hackers@FreeBSD.org
In-Reply-To: <m0rRpI0-0003w4C@TFS.COM> from "Julian Elischer" at Jan 10, 95 02:43:44 pm
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In reply to Julian Elischer who said
> 
> > 
> > I'm looking to use a PC running FreeBSD as a router/gateway on a small
> > network.  Question is, what kinda CPU horsepower do I really need to
> > forward packets between half a dozen 'puters?  Do I need a 486dx50? or
> > is that overkill; can I get away with a 386-40 or a 486-33?
> > 
> > I'm going to be using 16-bit bus-mastering ethernet cards, if that helps.
> 
> correct my ignorance, but do we have DRIVERS for any such cards?
> all the drivers I know copy the data out of on-board memory..
> 
> (?)
> julian (no, really, I am intersted in the answer to this question..)
> 
> 

The is and lnc drivers both use bus-mastering DMA. I reckon these are the
cards of choice myself and apparently people are picking them up for
ridiculous prices in the US.

You want to look for PCnet or Lance based cards to use the lnc
driver. The is driver is going to be dropped probably after the
next release since it's now superceded by the lnc driver. Someone
in the NetBSD lists said they picked up a 32 bit PCI PCnet card
for $79! Apparently it needs PCI config support to be written into
the driver before it will work since the driver doesn't know the
irq pin etc.

If someone wants to send me one I'll happily get it to work. I've got the
docs next to me here :-)

-- 
  Paul Richards, FreeBSD core team member. 
  Phone: +44 1222 874000 x5958 (work), +44 1222 457651 (home)
  Dept. Mechanical Engineering, University of Wales, College Cardiff.
  Internet: paul@FreeBSD.org,  JANET(UK): RICHARDSDP@CARDIFF.AC.UK