Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 09:19:27 -0400 From: kwc@world.std.com (Kenneth W Cochran) To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Managed vs unmanaged NICs Message-ID: <199908101319.AA10469@world.std.com>
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>From root@implode.root.com Tue Aug 10 02:30:24 1999 >To: Jay Kuri <jay@oneway.com> >Cc: Kenneth W Cochran <kwc@world.std.com>, freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG >Subject: Re: Managed vs unmanaged NICs >In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 09 Aug 1999 22:25:42 EDT." > <Pine.BSF.4.05.9908092222510.25857-100000@daedal.oneway.com> >From: David Greenman <dg@root.com> >Reply-To: dg@root.com >Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 23:25:56 -0700 > >>> I've heard that managed cards are wastes of money under >>> Unix-type OSes, but I don't remember why... Could someone fill >>> me in? :) >>> For examples, the Intel 100+ and the 3Com 905B are both >>> available as either "managed" or "unmanaged" cards. >> >> Well, I can't say much about managed vs. unmanaged in general, I can >>say that there are some problems I can only describe as 'wierd' with the >>intel managed cards. They only show up rarely, but on some hardware, the >>cards just lock up and don't send data anymore. Intel is aware of the >>problem and trying to figure it out... Most hardware works fine... but we >>have computers at my work that will work with the older unmanaged cards >>that won't work with the new ones. *shrug* beats me. > > This is almost certainly the bug reported in a recent PR. Intel has changed >the SEEPROM layout, causing the fxp driver to get the MAC address wrong - it's >always the same 6 bytes, so if you have more than one of these on your network, >look out! > I've been in contact with Intel and have asked for an update on the SEEPROM >layout changes. I'm still waiting for a response. > >-DG > >David Greenman >Co-founder/Principal Architect, The FreeBSD Project - http://www.freebsd.org I s'pose I can assume that there are "problems" with the managed cards. :-) But... A somewhat more "general" Q: Why might/would I want a managed NIC anyway? Also, Intel (for example -- I'm sure the other NIC manufacturers, too) has lines of "desktop" & "server" NICs, both managed & unmanaged, except the server NICs are all "managed." This might make a nice FAQ: How do I select a NIC for FreeBSD? Ie. What features are useful (& not-so-useful)? -kc To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hardware" in the body of the message
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