Re: Phigs, Networking, and Becomming an Internet Provider

[turnbull@example.com (Stephen J. Turnbull)]

>>>>> "Yuri" == Yuri Anissimov <youri@example.com> writes:

    Yuri> The cheapest solution is to built 10base - BNC network, but
    Yuri> try to buy cards from 3Com or Intel, or SMC only - at least
    Yuri> you will save yourself from headache with drivers and driver
    Yuri> updates. Cheaper cards tend to become obsolete in an year in
    Yuri> average.

Huh?  Cheap is cheap; once you get them working they won't become
"obsolete".  Not in a home LAN!  If he can afford the resources of a
major lab to be working on state of the art applications which require
more bandwidth than even the worst of the clones from a decade ago can
supply (I still have a 1990-vintage Novell Exos-J nantoka-kantoka
"gomi-ready"-when-bought card in use) on 10Base-T, he doesn't need to
go cheap.  If he wants cheap ... on an unloaded network (3--4 boxes,
right?) I don't see the need for true multi-casts and all the high-end
stuff that the new "smart" cards can do.

Of course, if that's what he wants to play with, he'd better get cards 
to that spec.

Your advice about drivers is spot-on, of course.  Incompatibilities
are the main risk to "cheap," IMO.  But the main thing is to check and
make sure there is a Linux driver with a nice fat Changelog with lots
of recent entries in it---but no major changes, and a currently valid
maintainer's address, before you buy a card ;-)

Steve

-- 
                           Stephen John Turnbull
University of Tsukuba                                        Yaseppochi-Gumi
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences  http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305 JAPAN                 turnbull@example.com
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