[CS-FSLUG] Why I've NEVER LIKED nor will use Asus!!

[Nigel Ridley]

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 12:25:59 +0800
Leon Brooks <xtiansrc at leon.brooks.fdns.net> wrote:

> On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:28, N. Thompson wrote:
> > If I remember btw the box I got the rtl8139 compatible nic in even
> > said it was Linux compatible.
> 
> The RTL cards suck. Up until (I think) the 8139D, they had a design 
> hardware problem (data alignment) which *required* the Linux kernel to
> 
> copy every single IP packet in and out. The -D revision fixed that,
> but those cards in general have always been uninspiring for
> reliability and performance.
> 
> A long time ago, I preferred the DEC (digital) Tulip cards, then some
> of the cloners started using a buggy chipset which would switch the
> card to the BNC connector if the UTP was unplugged. The cards didn't 
> actually feature a BNC connector, and they were wired to think the BNC
> 
> was always connected, so it wasn't possible to get them to switch back
> 
> to UTP again.
> 
> Some of the NatSemi- and ViaRhine-based cards do OK, 3COM seem fine
> but check that the exact model number is supported before buying. The
> only BroadCom chips I've used have been onboard (hp) gigabit and have
> worked fine.
> 
> Intel's older cards sucked. They did everything using proprietary
> Intel MS-DOS programs (and by MS-DOS I mean they generally crashed if
> you tried to run them under MS-Windows or DR-DOS, so we're talking
> fairly hostile here), no plug-and-pray, and didn't give out no
> documentation to nobody, which made drivers a bit hit-and-miss.
> 
> Since the advent of the EtherExpress Pro 100, they've been excellent, 
> albeit 2 or 3 times the price of everything else.
> 
> Cheers; Leon
> 
> -- 
> Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
>   -- 1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> http://cs.uninetsolutions.com
> 
> 

The rtl8139 is all I ever use and in 5 years only had one failure. At
the moment we have 5 of them in different boxen with two of them in the
'always on' firewall/router (running Coyote Linux) and another in my
main box which is three and half years old and has been running 'always
on' for 99.99% of that time.
I don't know about the extra work that the kernel has to do but they
have been reliable workhorses.
BTW although they all have the rtl8139 chipset, they all have different
manufacturers -- some even [did] have that horrible *designed for Win
'98* sticker on the board.

YMMV

Blessings,

Nigel

-- 
It's not a problem -- it's a learning opportunity.
--

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