I'm using NetBSD-1.3.2 (soon to be 1.3.3) with a cable modem very
effectivly (up for about 2 months without a single crash).  Mind you, the
volume is reasonably low (personal net usage for 7 people), but the
hardware is minimal.  It'a  386/16 Mhz with 16 Mb ram.  I have an NE2100
clone (le0) connected to the cable modem (Racal NI6510 if my memory serves
me).  I also have a 3COM Etherlink III connected to the internal net.

I doubt this helps much, but thought you'd like to know that it works fine
for me (with $15 network cards - <grin>).

Rick

On 30 Dec 1998, Matthias Scheler wrote:

> Date: 30 Dec 1998 21:18:48 GMT
> From: Matthias Scheler <tron@lyssa.owl.de>
> To: tech-net@netbsd.org
> Newsgroups: netbsd.tech.net
> Subject: NetBSD and cable modems
> 
> 	Hello,
> 
> is anyone successfully using a NetBSD system connected to a cable modem via
> ethernet? My scenario looks like this:
> 
>     +----Ethernet---
>     |
> NetBSD Box
>     |
>     +----Ethernet---+
>                     |
> SSDL cable modem as bridge (768KBit/sec)
>                     ^
>                     |
>                leased line
>                     |
>                     v
> SSDL cable modem as bridge
>                     |
>     +----Ethernet---+-----------+
>     |                           |
> Linux Box                     Router
> 
> When I connected the NetBSD box with an SMC 8434 (dual DEC 21040 board,
> de driver) it complained about transmit underflows quite oftern and
> freezed after a while (NetBSD 1.3.2: 14 days, NetBSD 1.3.3: 12 hours,
> NetBSD 1.3I: 3 days).
> 
> Today I replaced the SMC 8434 with a D-Link DFE500TX and a 3Com 3c905
> and connected the cable modem to the 905. Now the machine doesn't
> freeze but after a while the ethernet with the cable modem is dead
> and I have to do a "ifconfig ex0 down" and "ifconfig ex0 up" to
> revive it.
> 
> Is it possible that NetBSD's ethernet engine has severe problems with
> transmitting large amounts of data to slow partners? Or are both the
> "de" and the "ex" driver broken?
> 
> -- 
> Matthias Scheler                                http://home.owl.de/~tron/
> 

=========================================================================
Rick Byers                       University of Waterloo, Computer Science
rickb@iaw.on.ca                               http://www.iaw.on.ca/rickb/