From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 21 18:52:34 2010 Return-Path: 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 58B581065679 for ; Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:52:34 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dkelly@Grumpy.DynDNS.org) Received: from smtp.knology.net (smtp.knology.net [24.214.63.101]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8FC888FC0A for ; Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:52:32 +0000 (UTC) Received: (qmail 29542 invoked by uid 0); 21 Jan 2010 18:52:27 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO Grumpy.DynDNS.org) (24.42.224.110) by smtp7.knology.net with SMTP; 21 Jan 2010 18:52:27 -0000 Received: by Grumpy.DynDNS.org (Postfix, from userid 928) id 1054928435; Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:52:27 -0600 (CST) Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:52:27 -0600 From: David Kelly To: John Message-ID: <20100121185227.GA37534@Grumpy.DynDNS.org> References: <20100121112757.A11858@starfire.mn.org> <9F075D36-72FF-4B40-B9AD-918808369D3D@mac.com> <20100121122034.A13042@starfire.mn.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20100121122034.A13042@starfire.mn.org> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Recommendations for NICs? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:52:34 -0000 On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 12:20:34PM -0600, John wrote: > On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 10:12:29AM -0800, Chuck Swiger wrote: > > > > Intel (fxp, em) and Broadcom (bce, bge) make fine NICs, and the > > older DEC/Intel 21x4x Tulip series (dc/de) was quite good as well. > > The Marvel Yukon (msk) and nVidia MCP (nfe/nve) seem to be OK > > (although older nVidia hardware had bugs); the Realtek (re/rl) and > > VIA (vr/vge) are at the bottom of the heap, especially the older > > pre-gigabit hardware. > > Thanks! That's perfect. I have a chance to buy a few Intel Pro > 10/100 (fxp) cards. I guess I'll take it! Snag 'em! My favorite "no worry NIC." In recent years one could pick them up surplus for $2 to $5. Then "they just work." And if one is forced to use Windows the Intel driver (not the one Windows ships) adds a lot of useful stuff which is missing, such as the ability to *see* (without leaving the application) what IP address the card is using. Oh, and not only that but the Intel cards work (without need to install drivers) on MacOS X PCI machines. > Just curious, though - you don't mention 3Com cards one way or the > other, yet there's a lot of them out there. Any comment on those? 3com's downfall has been due to their mixed bag of sometimes great, sometimes disappointing. -- David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net ======================================================================== Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.