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Date:      Wed, 03 Jan 2001 01:59:21 -0500
From:      Mike <mike@mikesweb.com>
To:        Kal Torak <kaltorak@quake.com.au>, Dan Shearer <dan@tellurian.com.au>
Cc:        freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: 2 cisco's and a fbsd box running bgp
Message-ID:  <4.3.2.7.2.20010103015916.02568418@mail.futuredesigns.net>
In-Reply-To: <3A52CB61.5657375@quake.com.au>
References:  <Pine.LNX.4.21.0101031635450.23776-100000@calulu.shearer.org>

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Who makes quad ethernet cards, and where can you find them?

At 05:49 PM 1/3/2001 +1100, Kal Torak wrote:
> > But I'm looking for a really good answer to give to people who snort "Oh
> > but nothing but a Cisco can reliably route packets at ethernet speeds in
> > a BPG/OSPF environment". After debate here and plenty of other places, and
> > from personal experience, it seems to me that the issues are:
> >
> >    - port density. Ciscos are much denser.
>
>True... But is it needed? Quad ethernet cards are around now...
>
> >    - fringe features. IOS implements some things that free routers
> >      don't.
>
>Yep, but again how often dose anyone use these?
>
> >    - top end performance. Ciscos win when the packets flow fast because
> >      of their custom packet processing cards. Equivalents can be bought
> >      for PCs but they are expensive.
>
>Maybe with the higher end ciscos, but Im not so sure about the lower
>end ones... Obviously a device dedicated to a small range of things
>can do it more efficiently than a system doing a wide range, but I dont
>think this is such a big issue with a fast cpu + ram...
>I would like to test it, but I dont have any spare ciscos sitting around
>I can mess with...
>
> >    - support. If you are a big Cisco customer you can usually expect
> >      quite good customer service, and may even get good service if you
> >      are a small customer.
>
>It will cost you a small fortune but you will get support :)
>And you can get free, but slower support for software via the
>mailing lists!
>
>It would be pretty hard to beat a 7xxx cisco, but personally I think
>a well setup FreeBSD system can replace the lower end ciscos and save
>you a lot of money unless it breaks :O
>
>
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