Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sat, 21 Mar 1998 21:39:10 -0500 (EST) | From | "Richard B. Johnson" <> | Subject | Re: NETBEUI support? |
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On Sat, 21 Mar 1998, David Woodhouse wrote:
> What's the status of the NETBEUI support in the kernel? The four files under > linux/net/netbeui have been there a long while but they have no Makefile and > don't compile when I attempt to do so manually. > > As usual, I have a vacation job installing Linux in a previously > Windows-dominated environment. It'd have been nice to be able to use SMB > networking without having to install an IP stack on _all_ the Windows boxes. > > Was the support abandoned because of the fundamental brokenness of the > protocol design? > > Please don't use NETBEUI. It encapsulates NETBIOS packets into BROADCAST packets. This means that every machine on your LAN will receive all data meant to be sent to a single work-station. It has to read that Micro$garbage and dump it on the floor. Set up your Micro$tuff to run tcp/ip or everybody, including the Micro$stuff will suffer. The machines will all run slow because of the interrupt load and the low-level network load, even if they are not doing any networking at the time.
I have a simple DOS program that, when run, calibrates itself to read 100% by adjusting a loop-count that uses the BIOS timer to start and stop it. After the calibration, it asks for the network wire to be connected.
When the Window$ machines were running NETBEUI, the reading went to 4. This means that 96 percent of the CPU time was wasted dumping NETBEUI packets. Your mileage may vary, if you have a very fast CPU, and the network card and driver is exceptional, you may only lose 50% of your CPU horsepower.
I have been trying to get all of Analogic to not use NETBEUI. When a network backup is occurring between two Micro$garbage machines, I have to disconnect my network when using Linux on my 166 MHz Pentium. Otherwise, the machine is severly overloaded and takes several hundred milliseconds to even echo a character (very visible).
Futher, a kernel compile that normally takes 18-20 minutes takes well over an hour.
No. No not use that crap.
Cheers, Dick Johnson ***** FILE SYSTEM MODIFIED ***** Penguin : Linux version 2.1.90 on an i586 machine (66.15 BogoMips). Warning : It's hard to remain at the trailing edge of technology.
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