GbE option for Sun Ultra 10?

MG

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Nov 19, 2011, 10:17:26 AM11/19/11

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Similar kind of inquiry, like my previous one with regard to USB.
Is it possible to add a gigabit ethernet (1000BASE-TX) NIC, with
a PCI card, to a Sun Ultra 10? (I run Solaris 9.) If so, which
part numbers should I start looking for?

About year or so ago, I bought a Sun gigabit ethernet NIC. It
was PCI-X, however. While that does fit and normally power (3.3
V, after all) the card, it didn't do much more. There doesn't
seem to be support, or I didn't have the driver (for under Sol9,
although I would find that hard to believe). I don't know the
part number of that card, but it's an older type (with the fancy
LEDs and "Sun Microsystems" logo next to it). I could look it
up, if it'd turn out to work.

- MG

John D Groenveld

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Nov 19, 2011, 1:25:49 PM11/19/11

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In article <4ec7c888$0$6876$e4fe...@news2.news.xs4all.nl>,

MG <marc...@SPAMxs4all.nl> wrote:
>Similar kind of inquiry, like my previous one with regard to USB.
>Is it possible to add a gigabit ethernet (1000BASE-TX) NIC, with
>a PCI card, to a Sun Ultra 10? (I run Solaris 9.) If so, which
>part numbers should I start looking for?

If you can upgrade to S10 and you can find an Intel GbE NIC in PCI,
it should work with e1000g(7D)
<URL:http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/adapters/pro1000gt/pro1000gt-overview.htm>
<URL:http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E23823_01/html/816-5177/e1000g-7d.html#scrolltoc>

John
groe...@acm.org

Doug McIntyre

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Nov 19, 2011, 4:46:09 PM11/19/11

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FWIW: PCI-X *should* fall back to regular PCI if you can fit it in the
slot (ie. correct voltage supports so the keys line up properly). It
has for every PCI-X card I've ever used in a regular PCI slot. (FC
HBA, iSCSI HBA, SCSI HBA, GigE NICs). You just lose the 64-bit bus
option, and depending on the slot, the speed increase PCI-X gets you.

OOTH, more likely is that you didn't have the driver for Solaris 9 for
that card. Solaris 10 would offer much more compatibility all around
for options (as well as your USB question..). Or finding the proper
driver to load in the kernel for your system if it exists.

While I only see x86 systems being tested for the (few) GigE cards in this
list, if they are written properly, they'd work on SPARC too..

http://homepage2.nifty.com/mrym3/taiyodo/eng/

Scott

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Nov 20, 2011, 11:39:45 AM11/20/11

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Syskonnect made GbE PCI cards and Solaris 8/9 drivers.
Looks like there are a few SK-9821 cards on EBay, and download the
drivers
from www.syskonnect.com (points to www.syskonnect.eu).
They were expensive when GbE was expensive, but well made.
I used one in an Ultra-60.

Regards, Scott

Stefan Krueger

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Nov 21, 2011, 5:09:03 AM11/21/11

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Is that old USII CPU even fast enough to handle GbE NICs?

MG

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Nov 21, 2011, 8:28:43 AM11/21/11

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On 19-11-2011 22:46, Doug McIntyre wrote:
> FWIW: PCI-X *should* fall back to regular PCI if you can fit it in the
> slot (ie. correct voltage supports so the keys line up properly). It
> has for every PCI-X card I've ever used in a regular PCI slot. (FC
> HBA, iSCSI HBA, SCSI HBA, GigE NICs). You just lose the 64-bit bus
> option, and depending on the slot, the speed increase PCI-X gets you.

That's my experience as well, I thought I was perhaps overlooking some-
thing here with my Ultra 10.

> OOTH, more likely is that you didn't have the driver for Solaris 9 for
> that card.

It does indeed seem that way.

> Solaris 10 would offer much more compatibility all around for options
> (as well as your USB question..). Or finding the proper driver to load
> in the kernel for your system if it exists.

Maybe I should strongly consider upgrading then.

> While I only see x86 systems being tested for the (few) GigE cards in
> this list, if they are written properly, they'd work on SPARC too..
>
> http://homepage2.nifty.com/mrym3/taiyodo/eng/

Thanks, I'll take a look at that!

- MG

MG

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Nov 21, 2011, 8:30:05 AM11/21/11

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On 20-11-2011 17:39, Scott wrote:
> Syskonnect made GbE PCI cards and Solaris 8/9 drivers.
> Looks like there are a few SK-9821 cards on EBay, and download the
> drivers
> from www.syskonnect.com (points to www.syskonnect.eu).
> They were expensive when GbE was expensive, but well made.
> I used one in an Ultra-60.

Thanks, that's good to know. However, for now I think I want to
focus on the Sun (or Sun-branded) GbE card. If that's hopeless,
I might just consider this. So, that's definitely good to know.

- MG

MG

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Nov 21, 2011, 8:30:32 AM11/21/11

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On 21-11-2011 11:09, Stefan Krueger wrote:
> Is that old USII CPU even fast enough to handle GbE NICs?

That's actually a good question...

- MG

hume.sp...@bofh.ca

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Nov 21, 2011, 6:45:19 PM11/21/11

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MG <marc...@spamxs4all.nl> wrote:
> Maybe I should strongly consider upgrading then.

It might be worthwhile to grab a Sol10 DVD and boot off it and bust out to
a shell. It wouldn't be complete but stuff like NIC drivers should be
present. An ifconfig -a plumb might give you some hope.

--
Brandon Hume - hume -> BOFH.Ca, http://WWW.BOFH.Ca/

Norman Allen

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Nov 22, 2011, 3:46:09 AM11/22/11

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If you're looking to stick with Sun branded cards, the Ultra 10 hardware
list in the old system handbooks on sunshack list 501-5902 "Sun
GigaSwift Ethernet UTP (Copper)" as a viable card. Although from the
details page:

"Do Not install GigaSwift Ethernet with Ultra 5/10 PCI graphics options."

I'm showing them available for a "buy it now" price of $10USD on ebay,
so it could be worth giving it a try.

--
Norm

Jim Leonard

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Nov 22, 2011, 11:41:29 AM11/22/11

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IMO, that's reason enough to not bother pursuing this. An Ultra 10
doesn't have nearly enough horsepower or memory bandwidth to saturate
GbE.

Cydrome Leader

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Nov 23, 2011, 12:16:13 AM11/23/11

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Jim Leonard <moby...@gmail.com> wrote:

you don't need to saturate your network connection to make good use of it.

Michael Laajanen

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Nov 23, 2011, 9:03:43 AM11/23/11

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Hi,

You will never saturate a GbE with a u10, but 2-300Mb/s maybe.

Upgrade to latest S10 and get a Netgear GA311 which is supported under
S10, very cheap PC NIC for $20-30 maybe.

/michael

MG

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Jan 15, 2012, 10:25:57 AM1/15/12

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On 22-11-2011 9:46, Norman Allen wrote:
> If you're looking to stick with Sun branded cards, the Ultra 10 hardware
> list in the old system handbooks on sunshack list 501-5902 "Sun
> GigaSwift Ethernet UTP (Copper)" as a viable card. Although from the
> details page:
>
> "Do Not install GigaSwift Ethernet with Ultra 5/10 PCI graphics options."
>
> I'm showing them available for a "buy it now" price of $10USD on ebay,
> so it could be worth giving it a try.

Actually, I have one of those but it doesn't work! (Sorry for the
belated reply.)

I recently also ran into some nerve-wrecking SCSI problems (can not
get a DDS-4/DAT40 tapestreamer to be recognized) and I already had
to replace a NVRAM IC in the meantime as well.

I think I'll just get over running Solaris 9 and move on to 10. I
will see if my spare DVD drives work in the Ultra 10. I remember
I ran into some difficulty in the past, whilst trying that.

- MG