[clug] a NIC to avoid

[Paul Wayper]

Robert Edwards wrote:
> Turns out that this PCI ID isn't actually a RealTek 8139D at all,
> but a fake that has been labelled this. The fakes are mainly sold
> in Brazil and India, according to research I have done on the web.
> They are supplied with a driver disk that makes the card work on
> Windows etc. but the driver so loaded will not work with real
> RTL8139D-based cards (nor is the card recognised, apparently, by
> WinXP, even though real RTL8139Ds are).
Ouch!

On a slightly related thread, and more as a heads-up, note that there
have been problems with cheap Taiwanese capacitors blowing up and frying
motherboards.  The problem's due to the 'defection' of a scientist from
a Japanese firm that made capacitors to its Taiwanese competitor - he
took the formula for their electrolyte but didn't get all of it.  So the
electrolyte in the capacitors leaks out and/or corrodes the can.  The
two main signs are the top caps bulging outward, or electrolyte leaking
out of the capacitor.  Many motherboard manufacturers, even reputable
ones like Asus, have been affected, and most will admit there is a
problem but aren't actually issuing recalls or anything.

On a more related note, and also looking at the phoronics.com site that
Rainer mentioned, I was thinking that what would be really nice would be
a site that you just dump your 'lspci -v' and other diagnostic outputs
into and it catalogues what's in your system and then asks you how the
hardware is going for you.  It's too much hassle to try to take large
outputs apart to catalogue them, and possibly inaccurate as well.

Just another thing to add to my large list of 'things to put some time
to in the future...'.

Have fun,

Paul