On Tue, Oct 08, 2002 at 02:44:17PM +0200, Johan Ihren wrote:
> I need 8 separate ethernets in one box for a mobile lab setup. 

I do this sort of thing with my laptop all the time.

> It is not possible to overload different logical segments on the
> same cable, since all of them will have their own dhcp infrastructure.

Yes it is.

I use the vlan driver. One ethernet port on the laptop trunks 802.1q
packets to an external N-port switch, each port on the switch (other
than the trunking port) is natively configured into an individual
vlan.

Works really really well, though best to make sure your ethernet
driver is one of those that supports oversize frames, as listed in
vlan(4).

I don't carry a switch with me, but have used several different
types on customer sites.  I don't know what the smallest vlan-capable
switch is, but even something like a cat2950 is not huge, and can
have even 48 ports. You'll no doubt find something smaller with a
bit of looking. Let me know if you find something *really* portable,
please. :)

> Performance is not an issue.
> 
> If at all possible I'd like to find some sort of "octopus" ethernet

Well, if you really want this tangle and really don't want performance,
what about a bunch of usb ethernets?

I have 3 physical ethernets in my laptop bag (on board mini-pci,
pcmcia ether+modem, and a usb) as well as a wireless pcmcia. I've
used just about every permutation and combination at one time or
another, for all sorts of demented and desperate purposes.

--
Dan.