[SunRescue] Sparc 2, Linux and ethernet

[GregoryLeblancGLeblanc at cu-portland.edu]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nick at snowman.net [mailto:nick at snowman.net]
> Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2000 10:19 AM
> To: 'rescue at sunhelp.org'
> Subject: RE: [SunRescue] Sparc 2, Linux and ethernet 
> 
> I'll have to disagree with that (somewhat).  You're right 
> about the PCI
> bus, but it's only burst.  (spec is PCI will burst to 133MB/s, just a
> hair over gigabit)  However all 4port cards I've dealt with 
> (mostly the
> newer adaptec starfire) use 64bit pci, and sometimes even 66mhz, which
> kicks you up to ~500MB/s. 

So, if you need 64/66 PCI, what's the point in not getting a real switch?
It's gonna be bloody expensive to get a machine with 64/66 PCI, probably
enough so that it's cheaper to buy a 10/100 switch.  

> This is enought for Lots (tm) of 100Mbits
> ports.  I have gotten in the mid to low 90Mbits/second going between a
> pair of PII's using 3C905's, so I don't doubt if you mucked 
> with things
> and elimitated tcp ip and other overheads you could get VERY close to
> 100Mbits.  As a side note, most cisco routers and switches 

I was talking about getting more than 100 megabytes/sec out of the PCI bus,
not about getting 100 megabits/sec out of the ethernet cards.  Close to that
is certainly possible with a decent proc.

> (C3524 as an
> example, a 24port 10/100, 2port 1000 switch) have pci.  It's 
> not obvious,
> and you can't stick in pci cards, but the bus is still pci.

Doesn't look that way on my switches, but I'm using all 3com equipment.
>From the looks of ripping a SuperStack Switch II 3000/3300 and a couple of
Core Builders, they look bloody proprietary to me.  I haven't taken a real
good look at the mainboards, since those things are WAY too expensive to
have laying around.
	Greg