Q: Comparison of Fast Ethernet Devices?

[Alex Satrapa]

Does anyone know where I could find a comparison of the performance of 
fast ethernet devices?

I know it's probably being nit-picky, but I want to see some 
measurements of the performance of various consumer 100Mbps NICs, 
indicating such things as wire-to-memory latency, maximum sustained 
throughput,  processor loading and perhaps heat dissipation.

This exercise in useless numbers is mainly because I have a P166 router 
for my ADSL connection, and I want to see what I can possibly do to 
reduce the latency across that router, and heat generated by its 
components.  Sure, using an Intel Etherexpress Pro/100 versus a Realtek 
8129 might only reduce the latency from 10ms to 8ms (numbers pulled out 
of thin air) - but I'd like to reduce processor load too - mainly 
because I don't want any fans inside the case.  This box is going to be 
in my bedroom due to proximity of power and phone sockets, in a rental 
property.  I don't want my internet connection making me deaf in my 
sleep.  I also want to replicate this setup for a friend who has their 
dial-up box in the linen cupboard, near their bedrooms.

Of course, taking financial aspects into consideration (ie: I'm stone 
broke), I'll probably end up just getting a couple of DFE-530TX cards 
from Page Data Systems in Fyshwick - The DFE-530TX is based on the VIA 
Rhine chipset, I've read:

> OK, first off , is it a DFE-530TX or a DFE530TX+? These are _not_ the
> same cards. If the + one is based on the Realtek 8139 chipset, the 530TX
> is based on the Via Rhine chip (and just to confuse things even more,
> newer 530TX boards have a Via Rhine 2 chips on them).
   -- http://lists.debian.org/debian-alpha/2001/debian-
alpha-200110/msg00113.html

I read it on the Internet, it must be true ;)   More stories to support 
the DFE-530TX(+) claim:
  - http://hints.linuxfromscratch.org/hints/old/D-Link-DFE-530TX+.txt
  - 
http://etherboot.sourceforge.net/db/nics.php?show=tech_data&vendor=D-Link

Any pointers to worth that's already been done on performance 
comparisons?

Thanks
Alex
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