Cheap Network Cards Known to work with Linux (Red Hat BTW)

Allan Peda

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Apr 1, 1997, 3:00:00 AM4/1/97

to

I read a note in one of my references that there are several cards
known not to work with Linux. What CHEAP cards have people used?

I am hooking up my NT Machine to My Linux box - performance is not my
top priority (at all).

I'm off to YAHOO to see the hardware compatibilty list (perhaps redhat
has something).

Russ Gritzo

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Apr 1, 1997, 3:00:00 AM4/1/97

to Allan Peda

Allan Peda wrote:
>
> I read a note in one of my references that there are several cards
> known not to work with Linux. What CHEAP cards have people used?
>

I have used/tried a number of cards with Slackware. Sorry, no red-hat
experience,
but hope this helps.

D-Link: Used the DE-220 card, ~30.00$. It is a jumperless card, so you
must boot
your system using a DOS floppy to configure the card, but once you do it
should stay
configured. May have problems with some autoprobing functions, so you
may need to
install support as a module.

Addtron: Used the AN-16CT, ~25.00$. Same jumperless deal as above. I
prefer the D-link
card, since setup program is better and the company more responsive to
quesitons.

DEC: Used a number of old DE-100 boards. Not available new (that I
know of), but
have seen them being dumped in surplus / salvage places. Switch
settings for config,
very reliable, bullet proof.

I honestly cannot tell the difference between the cheapies on my net at
home, and the
high dollar PCI adapter on my machine at work, in terms of overall
performance and reliability.

I have found that most NE-2000 compat boards work fine, subject to the
cautions above.

R.

david parsons

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Apr 1, 1997, 3:00:00 AM4/1/97

to

In article <3340b635...@news.interport.net>,

Allan Peda <al...@interport.net> wrote:
>I read a note in one of my references that there are several cards
>known not to work with Linux. What CHEAP cards have people used?

I've gotten the following cards from board bins and the like at
various computer stores (Action Computers, Sunnyvale, CA; Halted
Electronics, Sunnyvale, CA; Weird Stuff, Sunnyvale, CA; Merlin's
Computers, Portland, OR) and have gotten them to successfully work
(people will spend multiple thousands of dollars on network security
gear, then be stingy when it comes time to pay for the hardware.)
with the Linux kernel in McAfee's WebShield [1][4].

NE1000 ($2.95), NE2000 ($20), 8003 ($1.00), 8013 ($5.00),
NE1500 ($2.95), Ansel 2100 ($20), 3c503 ($5), 3c501 ($5) [2]

[1. This is NOT a recommendation, and I'm NOT speaking for McAfee here. ]
[2. Don't use this [3]. It works, but it strolls instead of running. ]
[3. This, however, is a recommendation. ]
[4. I have modified all the network device drivers to autoprobe when
loaded as modules. This has some really spiffy [5] side-effects
if you load the modules in the wrong order. ]
[5. Insofar as having your machine lock up like a drum and need to be
hard-reset can be considered spiffy, that is. ]

____
david parsons \bi/ o...@pell.chi.il.us
\/

Paul Wade

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Apr 2, 1997, 3:00:00 AM4/2/97

to Allan Peda

On Tue, 1 Apr 1997, Allan Peda wrote:

> I read a note in one of my references that there are several cards
> known not to work with Linux. What CHEAP cards have people used?
>

> I am hooking up my NT Machine to My Linux box - performance is not my
> top priority (at all).
>
> I'm off to YAHOO to see the hardware compatibilty list (perhaps redhat
> has something).

I have some CE brand (so generic they give no address) that work fine.
They are NE2000 or PNP. You can set them up with the included DOS program
to bypass plug-n-pray. I paid $18 each for them about 6 months ago.

Paul Wade - Greenbush Technologies Corporation
http://www.greenbush.com/cds.html
Linux CD's sent worldwide

R. D. Thomas

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Apr 4, 1997, 3:00:00 AM4/4/97

to Paul Wade

I bought 2 of these for a friend the other day for $15
each. Worked great between his two linux systems he said.

--
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Allan Peda

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Apr 6, 1997, 4:00:00 AM4/6/97

to

Holy Cow! After posting, and getting several very useful replies,
and reading the FAQ, I purchased a CE card (although I didn't know it
at the time). Thanks to everyone for the feedback. The card is _not_
installed yet, as I am tar-ing and zipping the old system, and making
numerous backups at a snail's pace.

FYI: here is the data on the "CE" brand card I bought:

Installation notes for 'cheap' Ethernet(tm) card under Linux

What I used, and where I bought it:

AXEL SN2000CT
"100% NE2000 compatible" Ethernet(tm) card for $16.99 (SN2000CT)
(It has no jumpers)

Datacom Mall
4715 East Shelby Dr. Memphis, TN 38118
Tel (800) 954-3282
Fax (310) 225-4090

Catalog lists it as an _Axel ISA Combo Ethernet Card_
Box doesn't mention Axel, but lists it as a "CE" SN2000CT,
which supports 10Base2 annd 10BaseT wire.
Datacom Mall catalog number: P NET 81585
Description: 16-BIT ETHERNET CARD COMBO 10BASE-T BNC AXEL 16.99 each

Card is silscreened with "CE", the SMT chip (four sides of leads)
has a decal reading: 004005-459900, under the decal the chip reads
DL2518 9647 ED

A dual SMT chip is there also, it reads Winbond W24129AS-35
644ABB 263050 301XD (14 x 2 sides = 28 leads)

There is a boot ROM socket as well.

On Fri, 04 Apr 1997 10:09:16 -0800, "R. D. Thomas" <rd...@home.com>
wrote:

KaOtIk FunK

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Apr 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM4/11/97

to

o...@pell.chi.il.us (david parsons) wrote:

>In article <3340b635...@news.interport.net>,

>Allan Peda <al...@interport.net> wrote:
>>I read a note in one of my references that there are several cards
>>known not to work with Linux. What CHEAP cards have people used?
>

> I've gotten the following cards from board bins and the like at
> various computer stores (Action Computers, Sunnyvale, CA; Halted
> Electronics, Sunnyvale, CA; Weird Stuff, Sunnyvale, CA; Merlin's
> Computers, Portland, OR) and have gotten them to successfully work
> (people will spend multiple thousands of dollars on network security
> gear, then be stingy when it comes time to pay for the hardware.)
> with the Linux kernel in McAfee's WebShield [1][4].
>
> NE1000 ($2.95), NE2000 ($20), 8003 ($1.00), 8013 ($5.00),
> NE1500 ($2.95), Ansel 2100 ($20), 3c503 ($5), 3c501 ($5) [2]
>
>
> [1. This is NOT a recommendation, and I'm NOT speaking for McAfee here. ]
> [2. Don't use this [3]. It works, but it strolls instead of running. ]
> [3. This, however, is a recommendation. ]
> [4. I have modified all the network device drivers to autoprobe when
> loaded as modules. This has some really spiffy [5] side-effects
> if you load the modules in the wrong order. ]
> [5. Insofar as having your machine lock up like a drum and need to be
> hard-reset can be considered spiffy, that is. ]
>
> ____
> david parsons \bi/ o...@pell.chi.il.us
> \/

I have had success with NE2000 clones based on the UMC 9003 chipset,
both jumpered and jumperless versions. These are available very
cheap.

Mark Sutton

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Apr 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM4/11/97

to

kaoti...@hotmail.com (KaOtIk FunK) wrote:

We've got a bunch of old "NetWorth" brand NE2000 clones. Some have jumpers,
some are jumperless, all work great under Linux. The jumpered ones have
a chip on them branded "AT/Lantic" with the number DP83902V. The jumperless
ones have an "AT/Lantic" chip labeled DP83905AVQB.

We have several running in Linux machines and they are solid as a rock.

You can make a bootable DOS floppy with the configuration program for the
jumperless ones to use to set them up.

One caveat: These boards use an I/O channel for all data transfer (no DMA)
and put a noticeable load on the processor The upside is that they are
available used for almost free.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mark Sutton | mailto:mark....@laitram.com |
| The Laitram Corporation | http://www.gnofn.org/~marksu/ |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | |
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