From: becker@super.org (Donald J. Becker)
Subject: Re: Looking for good ethernet cards/suggestions?
Organization: IDA Supercomputing Research Center
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1993 00:47:16 GMT

In article <1993Jan28.155449.8722@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> ngoh@rintintin.Colorado.EDU (NGO HIEN D) writes:
>I am looking for a source for ethernet boards in the US.  Just
>wondering if anyone has a line on a reputable dealers with good
>prices.  I plan to set up a mini-network to start and add cards as
>needed.  Any suggestions as to pros/cons of particular
>boards/designs/manufacturers are graciously welcomed.  I will post a
>summary of responses.
>

The distributed Linux only supports the WD8003 and WD8013 (a.k.a. SMC
Elite) ethercards.

I've written drivers for many other ethercards; those drivers are
available on usra.edu and super.org.  The slightly-crufty stable
versions are in pub/linux/ethercards/*, and the cleaned-up but
not-fully-tested versions are in pub/linux/newether.

This section should probably be put into a FAQ.

The least expensive 8 bit ethercards start at $70 and are usually
NE1000 clones.  It's definitely worth it to pay an extra $10 and go
for a 16 bit bus interface NE2000 clone.  For another $10-$15 you can
get a shared memory 8013 clone, which will give you somewhat higher
system performance.

You should expect to pay more than the price I listed above unless you
do careful shopping from the back of Computer Shopper and (even
better) LAN magazine.  I've gotten network things from both MCW
Distributors in Gaitherburg MD (good prices, sort of local, advertises
in Comp.Shop.) and Network Express (a little more expensive).

You'll also have to decide the kind of interface you need.  "Thinnet"
is RG58A 50ohm cable with BNC connectors. 10BaseT is twisted pair
("TP") to a central "hub".  There is also traditional thick 50ohm
cable, but it has no advantage in most installations.  An "AUI" port
is a 15 pin D-shell connector that can be hooked to an external
transceiver (ca.  $50 for 10BaseT or thinnet), usually for thicknet
(in which case it's $100+).  Cards typically have an AUI connector and
either a thinnet or twisted pair transceiver.  You'll pay about $20
more and give up the AUI to get both thinnet and 10BaseT.

Some ethercards advertise status LED.  These are most useful for
10BaseT connections, which are easy to mix up.

IMO, thinnet with on-card transceivers results in a _much_ cheaper
system.  You only need to buy T connectors($3ea.), cables ($6/12ft at
RS), and two terminators ($2ea.), leading to a per-node cost of under
$100.  At these price levels it's definitely cheap enough to put on a
home system!  With twisted pair you'll need a hub which can easily
double your per-node code.  TP is only cost-effective if the wiring is
already there and its expensive to run more.


These drivers support all common 8390-based ethernet boards.  Currently
"common" is defined as:

	3Com Products:
*	3Com 3c503	Board loaned by Chance Reschke, USRA.edu (thanks!)
	3Com 3c503/16	and excellent documentation provided by 3Com.

	Clones-n-things
	NE1000		Novell and Eagle are useless for documentation,
*	NE2000		but copied the designs directly from NatSemi;->.
*	Alta Combo(NE2000 clone)
	Aritsoft LANtastic AE-2 (NE2000 clone w/ extra memory)
	D-Link Ethernet II

    	Cabletron products:
	E1010		No ID PROM and sketchy info from Ctron means you'll
	E1010-x 	have to compile-in information about your board.
	E2010
	E2010-x
	  Until Cabletron responds with the documentation of their other
	  ethercards I can't do anything.  Doesn't anyone at ctron.com know how
	  their own cards work?
	
	WD/SMC products
	WD8003
*	WD8013		Board loaned by Russ Nelson, Crynwr Software.  Thanks!

	HP LAN adaptors
**	HP27245
**	HP27247A	'A' model only -- the 'B' is known to _not_ work!
**	HP27250

Thanks are due to hundred or so alpha testers.  Special thanks to
Chance Reschke <@usra.edu> and Russ Nelson <@crynwr.com> for loaning
me ethercards, and USRA.edu for providing anonyous FTP space.



-- 
Donald Becker				       becker@super.org
Supercomputing Research Center
17100 Science Drive, Bowie MD 21114		   301-805-7482
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux