Re: Debian compatible fiber optic network cards

On Fri, 29 Apr 2011, C.J. Adams-Collier KF7BMP wrote:
> I'm sure there's something more recent that works just fine.  I'd look
> in to intel hardware.  I've only been able to push about 300Mbit/s
> through the devices.  I have a feeling this has something to do with
> linux's lack of support for jumbo frames on the 82542:
> 
> http://www.erchi.com/hp_sides/oars/DISK1_CURRENT/ADVISORIES/SERVICE/EU020111_SW01.HTML

Hmm, that thing is old and lacks a lot of the good stuff.  It might well not
be able to do linerate without jumbo packets unless your CPU is really fast
(and multicore does not help much with these old MSI-X-challenged NIC
chipsets).

Intel gigabit NICs based on the 82576 just plain rock, and work well in
Linux.  You can easily find 1000BASE-SX and 1000BASE-LX NICs with those.  It
will do full-duplex line-rate without jumbo frames if your CPUs can manage
to keep it busy.

-- 
  "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring
  them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond
  where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot
  Henrique Holschuh