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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!solace!nntp.uio.no!news.maxwell.syr.edu!ais.net!uunet!in1.uu.net!204.147.226.2!quack!quack.kfu.com!nsayer From: nsayer@quack.kfu.com (Nick Sayer) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: 3c90x or DEC 21x40? Date: 12 Apr 1997 17:38:28 GMT Organization: The Duck Pond public unix - http://www.kfu.com/ Lines: 34 Message-ID: <5iohak$bki$1@phoenix.kfu.com> References: <5imkmt$c8d@newnews.onramp.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: quack.kfu.com X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.1 (NOV) Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:38982 bofh@onramp.net (Samuel S. Thomas) writes: >I currently have a 3com 3c900XL 10BT ethernet card that is working >with the "vx" driver on FreeBSD. I haven't noticed any difficulties, >but I haven't given it too much of a workout, either. I am planning >to upgrade to a 100BT card, and I was wondering which driver is more >stable, the "vx" driver for the 3c90x cards, or the "de" driver for >the 21x40 based cards? I have noticed that almost all of the 10/100 >cards *NOT* made by 3com use the DEC chipset. I have, however, heard Based on the description of the internals of each chip involved, I would say to get the 21x4x _EVERY TIME_. The Tulip is a great chip. The 3COM is just a warmed over 3C509. Lots of people use the DEC chipset. Nobody but 3COM uses the 3C chipset. 'nuff said. Two friends of mine have written drivers for embedded systems, one using the 3C900 and 590, the other using the Tulip. They have compared notes often and the one who used the 3C wishes he hadn't. I have heard that the Intel Etherexpress Pro is similar to the Tulip. Once again, nobody but Intel (so far as I know) uses that chip, though. The Intel uses the fxp driver under FreeBSD. I had one at my last job. I had no complaints, though I did not use it at 100. -- Nick Sayer <nsayer@quack.kfu.com> | "A man works hard for his filth N6QQQ @ N0ARY.#NORCAL.CA.USA.NOAM | just to have vagrants come and +1 408 249 9630, log in as 'guest' | steal it. It's a crying shame." URL: http://www.kfu.com/~nsayer/ | -- man