From owner-freebsd-questions Mon Oct 5 14:41:54 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id OAA07249 for freebsd-questions-outgoing; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 14:41:54 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from transbay.net (synergy.transbay.net [209.133.53.2]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id OAA07226 for ; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 14:41:48 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from bh@synergy.transbay.net) Received: from localhost (bh@localhost) by transbay.net (8.9.1/8.8.8) with SMTP id OAA15622 for ; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 14:44:34 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from bh@synergy.transbay.net) Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 14:44:34 -0700 (PDT) From: Brandon Huey To: questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Netgear Ethernet IC news Message-ID: X-Copyright: (C)1998 Brandon Huey; Forwarding prohibited MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG forwarded message below regarding Bay Networks' decision to stop using the Digital chipset on their Netgear line of nics: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- These customers are right - we have changed to a proprietary Ethernet controller IC. The DEC IC is now owned by Intel, and is rumored to be in the process of being phased out. This is also indicated by the DEC IC pricing curve flattening out - it is likely that no new versions and die shrinks are in process for this IC. So it is really now or later, and we chose now. FYI, there are PCI bus to 10/100 Ethernet adapter cards that competitors are selling for $19 - it is very hard for us to compete in our retail channels if we don't continue to do cost reductions. Our cost for the DEC solution was higher than that! The good news is that the new card (very unfortunately called the same model number as the DEC version - against my objections and will NOT happen again) has drivers for the Linux operating system that these guys are using. We have heard of other system integrator customers, who have written custom drivers for the DEC controller IC who are upset at us, but this is not the market we are intending to serve. These customers can continue to hunt out companies who make adapter cards based on the DEC controller, but the number of suppliers of these are dwindling fast. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message