🚀 go-pugleaf

Matt Magnasco (matt@teriyaki.gt.ed.net) wrote:
: There are two drivers.  One is a souped-up version of the 3c59x driver
: (oddly enough, called 3c59x.c) and the other is a native driver for the
: 3c900 series called boomerang.c.  Boomerang.c is still in early alpha
: development, and it's crashed/locked up my ethernet card three different
: times.  The 3c59x.c is okay, but I get LOTS of errors in ifconfig.
: Performance-wise, the 3c900 screams with the boomerang.c driver, but
: it's only mediocre-to-good with the 3c59x driver.  The 3c59x
: acknowledges that it's being run on a 3c900, but it subsequently
: emulates a 3c59x.
: Ping requests die at request #178 with either driver.
: Boomerang requires a 2.x kernel; there are 3c59x versions for 2.x and
: 1.3.  The 3c900 only came out in August or September, so I doubt that
: LDP (Linux Documentation Project) has had time to update their FAQs.

From Ethernet-HOWTO:

5.1.14.  3c900 / 3c905

  Status -- Supported

  These cards (aka `Boomerang', aka EtherLink III XL) have been recently
  released to take over the place of the 3c590/3c595 cards.  Cameron
  Spitzer of 3Com writes that the ``3C900 has a scatter gather bus
  master controlled by a descriptor ring in main memory.  Aside from
  that, it's a lot like 3C590.''

  You may still be able to get a couple of these cards at a reduced
  price through one of 3Com's evaluation deals, if you are quick.

  To use this card with v2.0 kernels, you must obtain the updated
  3c59x.c driver from Donald's site at:

  Vortex-Page <http://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/linux/drivers/vortex.html>

  This updated 3c59x driver allows you to use the 3c900 in a 3c59x
  compatible mode, and has been reported to be quite stable. Note that
  this updated driver may be snuck into the v2.0 source tree at a later
  date.)

  On the same WWW page, you will also find the experimental boomerang.c
  driver which uses some of the enhancements of the 3c900 over that
  which is available on the 3c59x cards. Since this is a
  new/experimental driver, you may be better off in using the updated
  3c59x.c if system stability is a primary concern.

jason kau
jason.kau@btc.gatech.edu
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gt4155a