Subject: 10/100 ethernet cards - followup
To: None <port-macppc@netbsd.org>
From: Donald Lee <donlee@icompute.com>
List: port-macppc
Date: 04/21/2000 00:08:58
I'm still trying to get a 10/100 PCI ethernet card that works.  Of the
ones that are listed as supported on the URL:

	http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/macppc/faq.html#peripherals

there appear to be three types: Tulip-compatible, 3Com, and
NE2000-compatible PCI cards (de, ep, and ne drivers)

There is more detail on what these cards actually are on this
URL:

	http://www.netbsd.org/Hardware/pci.html

I've tried to match as many of these as I can with actual current
products, and I've learned this:

My naive first attempt with an Asante card was silly.

I bought a Bay Networks Netgear FA310TX card  The docs imply that this
should work.  It comes up with a:

	Apr 20 19:45:31 charm /netbsd: Lite-On Communications 82C168/82C169 (PNIC) 10/100 Ethernet (ethernet network, revision 0x20) at pci0 dev 13 function 0 not configured

I also tried an SMC EZnet 10/100 PCI card, also arguably listed.  This
came up with:

	Apr 20 21:01:53 charm /netbsd: Accton Technology product 0x1211 (ethernet network, revision 0x10) at pci0 dev 13 function 0 not configured

I also tried the 3Com 3C905B-TX, which I  now know is not on the approved
list.

I'm now trying to figure out which of the cards on the list can be clearly
identified on a store shelf, and actually purchased.  So far, I've found two.
The SMC Etherpower II cards appear to be Tulip based, but it's hard
to tell.  SMC's docs make no mention of the chip used.  The above
URLs refer to Etherpower, but not to Etherpower II.

The other is the Znyx cards, that I can buy directly from Znyx.  At least
these are explicitly called out as Tulip based on the web site.

Both of these are a little pricey.

Does anyone have direct experience with the SMC Etherpower II cards, or the
Zynx cards?

Am I going about this all wrong?  It seems like this should not be quite
this hard.

Thanks in advance,
 
-dgl-