Hi,
I'm planning to build a linux box to route between multiple remote offices
connected by wireless links, and I wonder if is there any maximum number of
ethernet cards supported by linux.
Thanks in advance,

--
chabral

"chabral" <chabral@hotmail.com> writes:

> Hi, I'm planning to build a linux box to route between multiple
> remote offices connected by wireless links, and I wonder if is there
> any maximum number of ethernet cards supported by linux.

If there's a limit, it's higher than anything you'll be able to fit in
one case.

--
Måns Rullgård
mru@inprovide.com

chabral wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm planning to build a linux box to route between multiple remote offices
> connected by wireless links, and I wonder if is there any maximum number of
> ethernet cards supported by linux.
> Thanks in advance,
>
Wouldn't it be easier just to buy a router? (FWIW, most of them use
"embedded Linux" anyway).

"A Nengineer" <awful@tragedy.com> escribió en el mensaje
news:jyyEd.3417$pZ4.1068@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
> chabral wrote:
> > Hi,
> > I'm planning to build a linux box to route between multiple remote
offices
> > connected by wireless links, and I wonder if is there any maximum number
of
> > ethernet cards supported by linux.
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> Wouldn't it be easier just to buy a router? (FWIW, most of them use
> "embedded Linux" anyway).
Easier.... "maybe"
Cheaper..... definitely not.

--
chabral

A Nengineer wrote:
> chabral wrote:
>
>>Hi,
>> I'm planning to build a linux box to route between multiple remote offices
>>connected by wireless links, and I wonder if is there any maximum number of
>>ethernet cards supported by linux.
>>Thanks in advance,
>>
>
> Wouldn't it be easier just to buy a router? (FWIW, most of them use
> "embedded Linux" anyway).

Easier, maybe. More cost effective, not likely.

The low-end Linksys/D-Link/etc. routers that are widely (and cheaply)
available for routing broadband Internet connections to LANs are
typically only capable of routing between two (or maybe three) networks.
(These are the sort that often run embedded Linux.) But from the OP's
question, it sounds like he's got more than two nets to deal with
(possibly a lot more). The high-end routers (e.g., Cisco) that can
handle many networks are a *lot* more expensive than a Linux box with
lots of NICs. (They do offer many reliability and availability features
for the extra money. They also run prorietary software, not embedded
Linux.)

Buying a cheap router is fine for the low-end users. Buying a
top-of-the-line router is fine for the high-end users. In between those
two extremes, a Linux box with multiple NICs looks like a good
alternative, IMHO.

"John-Paul Stewart" <jpstewart@binaryfoundry.ca> escribió en el mensaje
news:segurc.ke7.ln@mail.binaryfoundry.ca...
> A Nengineer wrote:
> > chabral wrote:
> >
> >>Hi,
> >> I'm planning to build a linux box to route between multiple remote
offices
> >>connected by wireless links, and I wonder if is there any maximum number
of
> >>ethernet cards supported by linux.
> >>Thanks in advance,
> >>
> >
> > Wouldn't it be easier just to buy a router? (FWIW, most of them use
> > "embedded Linux" anyway).
>
> Easier, maybe. More cost effective, not likely.
>
> The low-end Linksys/D-Link/etc. routers that are widely (and cheaply)
> available for routing broadband Internet connections to LANs are
> typically only capable of routing between two (or maybe three) networks.
> (These are the sort that often run embedded Linux.) But from the OP's
> question, it sounds like he's got more than two nets to deal with
> (possibly a lot more). The high-end routers (e.g., Cisco) that can
> handle many networks are a *lot* more expensive than a Linux box with
> lots of NICs. (They do offer many reliability and availability features
> for the extra money. They also run prorietary software, not embedded
> Linux.)
>
> Buying a cheap router is fine for the low-end users. Buying a
> top-of-the-line router is fine for the high-end users. In between those
> two extremes, a Linux box with multiple NICs looks like a good
> alternative, IMHO.

Agree. I'm in the middle
I need about 8 nics, so I'm looking at dual nics now
Thank you all for your comments,

--
chabral

chabral wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm planning to build a linux box to route between multiple remote offices
> connected by wireless links, and I wonder if is there any maximum number of
> ethernet cards supported by linux.

Probably, but I think it's something like 64. In any case you can tune
it in the source if you are doing something really odd. I don't recomend
it, but there it is.

Intel makes some nice two and four port cards (per slot) which make
things easier. I am running on the two port, and have seen the four in
use. Not cheap, but cheaper than a 12-slot mobo!

--
bill davidsen (davidsen@darkstar.prodigy.com)
SBC/Prodigy Yorktown Heights NY data center
Project Leader, USENET news
http://newsgroups.news.prodigy.com

chabral wrote:

> Agree. I'm in the middle
> I need about 8 nics, so I'm looking at dual nics now


.... why not go with a four-port NICs ?
--
<< http://michaeljtobler.homelinux.com/ >>
Loud burping while walking around the airport is prohibited in Halstead, Kansas.

> Agree. I'm in the middle
> I need about 8 nics, so I'm looking at dual nics now

You may find it more cost-effective to go with a quad-nic. Over the years
I've found this site and noticed that on *some* of their machines they offer
4-port NICs for $120. Not bad considering all the rest I've seen are well
over $500. I'm not sure about the performance of this $120 quad port, and
I'm not sure they will sell it separate from the system. But it certainly
won't hurt to ask. Here's one of the systems that you can buy the quad on,
see PCI slot 1:

http://eracks.com/products/P4%20Syst...nfig?sku=P4BOX