romeo@lindy.Stanford.EDU (Patrick Goebel) (01/12/90)
I'm on the verge of needing to purchase approximately 50 PC ethernet cards + NFS software. The cards should have a standard thinnet (baseband coaxial) interface. I'd greatly appreciate hearing from anyone who knows current prices from various vendors. Alternatively, has there been a review of these things in a recent PC rag? Thanks for your effort! patrick goebel -- romeo@lindy.stanford.edu CASBS
pipkins@qmsseq.imagen.com (Jeff Pipkins) (01/13/90)
I recommend Western Digital's WD8003E Ethernet card. It is small, simple inexpensive, reliable, and fast. It is based on the National Semiconductor chipset and there's not a lot else on it (hence the reliable part). I have seen speed comparisons with the 3-com board and one other popular board whose name I can't remember. The 3-com board was the slowest, with this result supported by informal polls at places where they know about stuff like this (can't say where). The WD was fastest. We use the WD8003E in our PrintLink box for our Ethernet stuff and it seems to work really well. Standard disclaimers and stuff like that...
pipkins@qmsseq.imagen.com (Jeff Pipkins) (01/13/90)
Also, some advice on thinwire Ethernet ("cheapernet"):
Do NOT use the screw-on or screw-on/solder connectors! DON'T DO IT! This is
the single most popular cause of Ethernet problems!
Either buy the cables with the connectors professionally attached or cough up
the bucks for the special crimping tools designed explicitly for this purpose.
Do not underestimate the impact of this warning. "I ain't tellin' you what
I heared, now, I'm tellin' you what I *KNOW*"