*BSD News Article 77478


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From: brian@awfulhak.demon.co.uk (Brian Somers)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: 3c590 requires low NFS r/wsize ?
Date: 3 Sep 1996 14:05:16 +0100
Organization: Coverform Ltd.
Lines: 37
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References: <nxG2Nqx@quack.kfu.com> <nxMmGhg@quack.kfu.com> <322a55f5.41961056@news.interaccess.com>
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Rick (rduff@winkcomm.com) wrote:
: nsayer@quack.kfu.com (Nick Sayer) wrote:

: >nsayer@quack.kfu.com (Nick Sayer) writes:
: >
: >>I have found I've had to add -r=1024,-w=1024 to the options for
: >>NFS mounts through my brand new 3C590 (triton chipset P120,
: >>2.1.5R). It seems a bit odd... Is it just me?
: >
: >Well, now I've managed to lock up the interface in a repeatable
: >fashion by running xv to a remote display on an NFS'd file, so
: >it's pretty clear that this card isn't doing very well with
: >large traffic. I would have gotten a DEC chipset card, but didn't
: >see any at Fry's. I'll try elsewhere, I guess. The problem also
: >occurs under win95. Is the 3C590 just crap or something?
: >
: >P.s. 2.1.5R's vx driver does _not_ give me the early adapter warning,
: >but I didn't check the code to see if 2.1.5R actually checks.
: >
: >-- 

I've heard conflicting reports about this card.  Last time I suggested
that people don't buy 3com for FreeBSD, I got some mail saying "why?
I've never had any problems".  My only experience is with a 3c589c....
It seems that when your out buffer fills up, the kernel stops writing
to it - waiting for the card to do a "I've transmitted" interrupt.
However, between the "try to send (and fail)" bit and the "re-enable
interrupts and wait for one" bit, the transmit finishes and sends the
interrupt....  one that's missed by the driver....  That's my
understanding of the problem anyway :(

The last NIC I got was an SMC (21041).  One of my better buys !  Not a
single problem !  3c586 had me wandering around in kernel land !

--
Brian <brian@awfulhak.demon.co.uk>
Don't _EVER_ lose your sense of humour....