[Cialug] best supported/performing Ethernet adapter?

[David Champion]

Realtek chips aren't as bad as they used to be... but I would get 
something better for a server.

I haven't seen anything recently, but the Netgear Gigabit-over-copper 
cards were supposed to be about the fastest available, and only cost 
about $30.

The only "name brand" cards I really don't like are 3com... mostly 
because of the crappy and over priced later generation 3c905 cards. The 
3c595 cards were rock-solid, after that they went down hill.

-dc

Nathan C. Smith wrote:
> Realtek does OK until you pound on it with something like video+file
> transfers.
>  
> Does Intel write/contribute their own Linux driver?
>  
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John.Lengeling at radisys.com [mailto:John.Lengeling at radisys.com] 
> Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 10:17 AM
> To: Central Iowa Linux Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Cialug] best supported/performing Ethernet adapter?
> 
> 
> 
> cialug-bounces at cialug.org wrote on 06/11/2005 10:11:46 PM:
> 
> 
>>
>>I think it is a true statement that not all Ethernet cards and their
> 
> drivers
> 
>>are equal.  My sense is that the inexpensive realtek and VINE chips/cards
>>depend more on well-written drivers than intelligence built into the
>>chips/cards.  Can anyone recommend a well-performing 100 megabit card with
>>good Linux support?  Are 3Com and Intel cards good choices?
> 
> 
> Intel seems to be the best for: 
> 
> - performance 
> - multiple OS support 
> - leading edge features like jumbo packet, VLAN, QOS 
> 
> We use a lot of their 1000G dual fiber and dual copper server cards with
> Linux.  They also seem to regularly update their driver several times per
> year for bug fixes and improvements. 
> 
> You get what you pay for...all will pass ethernet packets around, but you
> pay more money to get higher performance, better drivers, leading edge
> features.  I use Realteks at home since I need some to just pass packets.