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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!lucy.swin.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!news.unimelb.EDU.AU!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!feed1.news.erols.com!news.nl.innet.net!INnl.net!hunter.premier.net!worldnet.att.net!news.mathworks.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!raven.eva.net!bighorn.accessnv.com!jca From: jca@bighorn.accessnv.com (J.C. Archambeau) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: low-cost ethernet recomendations? Date: 7 Jan 1997 22:20:56 GMT Organization: Access Nevada Inc. Lines: 36 Message-ID: <5aui89$hqj@raven.eva.net> References: <7renfxfn6i.fsf@sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov> NNTP-Posting-Host: bighorn.accessnv.com X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:33647 Tim Singletary (tsingle@sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov) wrote: : What's the best low-cost ethernet adapter for FreeBSD? : (That's a pretty wide open question :-) Quite wide. IMO, if I was going for a low cost adapter, I'd pick up a SMC Ultra (8216). : I want to set up a small network, primarily so two computers can share : one PPP connection. I might also use the network to test firewalls, etc., : but I don't foresee a need for `high performance'. I'll put at least : three computers on the network. : Will any of the low cost ($30 or so) ethernet cards work with FreeBSD? They should. Some NE2000 clones aren't though. I probably would opt for a used SMC/WD 80x3 or a SMC Ultra 8216. These two cards will allow for diskless operation. : How bad is their performance? : I assume 10Base-2 works out cheaper for a small enough network (is : this true?). Still, I'd rather go with twisted-pair -- any : recomendations for low-cost 10Base-T hubs? Anything I should hold my : nose and stay away from??? Anything by Netgear, Linksys, D-Link or Macromate will work. 10B is cheap these days and will get cheaper when the gigabit ethernet standard comes into play. If you go for 10BT, you might as well use cat 5 cabling so if and when you want to upgrade to 100BT, you can with out tossing your cabling. -- /* | Spam violation - e-mail dumped... ** Internet: jca@accessnv.com | Don't blame me, I didn't vote for Clinton. ** jca@anv.net | Intel is the word for 'errata.' */