Multiple interface NIC's?

JeGr · May 18, 2006, 7:26 AM

What is cheap for you? As already mentioned:

http://soekris.com/lan16x1.htm

would be a possibility.

hoba · May 18, 2006, 9:13 AM

http://shopping.hacom.net/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=38_43&products_id=75 should work too and you get 2 mini PCIs on top. Ideal to be used for boxes with only one PCI slot but be prepared that you might need a better PSU in case you use this with an embedded system. Contact Hacom for verification if needed. Hacom is one of our recommended vendors.

pcatiprodotnet · May 18, 2006, 3:51 PM

I just bought some; I was hoping for cheaper, but those are good recommendations.
Thank you, -Pete

Criggie · May 18, 2006, 9:18 PM

@pcatiprodotnet:

Could someone recommend a "cheap" 4-port Ethernet PCI card compatible with pfSense?

I have a crap 4 port dlink that works fine with the dc driver. Cost me $50 on www.trademe.co.nz. The model is a DFE-570-TX

Juve · May 28, 2006, 1:28 PM

From my personnal experience,
Intel Pro 1000 MT dual port -> ok
Intel Pro 1000 GT quad port -> ok
IBM dual port based on broadcom chips -> bad bad bad bad very bad

I'm about to try Dlink dual and quad port cards, they are cheaper ;-)

Numbski · Jun 20, 2006, 11:41 PM

Planning to go googling, but since the PCI bus has been brought up as a limiting factor, anyone seen any PCI Express (NOT PCI-X) 8x or 16x multiple interface cards? Should be able to get multi-gigabit that way, right?

Just five mins of googling turned this up, but I have no idea about compatibility:

http://www.alacritech.com/html/SEN2100_Accelerator.shtml

I will tell you that I think that company is a bit too rich for my blood. Take a look at CDW's pricing on single interface cards:

http://www.cdw.com/shop/search/Results.aspx?key=alacritech&platform=pc&x=13&y=13

:o

That garners a great big. WTF????

I know they want you to use that with iSCSI stuff, but still….if it's worth that kinda cash, use fiber. :P

Numbski · Jun 21, 2006, 1:20 PM

Speaking of cheap, this seller has listed about 10 of these on ebay. Have no idea if they would work with FreeBSD i386 or not. Also, looking at it, don't think the card would fit into my Hacom firewalls…64-bit PCI? Maybe? He says it's a "sun" branded one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-PCI-QUAD-FAST-ETHERNET-CARD_W0QQitemZ9743050552QQihZ008QQcategoryZ51195QQcmdZViewItem

Or heck, the search term that should be obvious that wasn't to me for some reason:

http://search.ebay.com/quad-ethernet_W0QQbsZSearchQQfposZ63021QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsacatZQ2d1QQsadisZ200QQsargnZQ2d1QQsaslcZ2QQsofocusZbs

Numbski · Jun 23, 2006, 7:32 PM

Please be aware of the following bug. Been haunting me on the Hacom units for the last week:

http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=i386/88610

When we're talking multi-interface systems, this becomes an issue. I was trying to build an 11 interface box (to handle all of the carp interfaces since you can't alias) and if it weren't for this bug I'd have no problems…