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>Linux BRIDGE-STP-HOWTO: About The Linux Modular Bridge And STP</TH
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><A
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>Prev</A
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><H1
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><A
NAME="FAQ"
>C. FAQ</A
></H1
><P
>Here you will find some of the frequently asked questions connected
to bridging.
</P
><DIV
CLASS="QANDASET"
><H2
CLASS="TITLE"
>FAQ</H2
><DL
><DT
>1. <A
HREF="faq.html#AEN910"
>Hardware</A
></DT
><DD
><DL
><DT
> <A
HREF="faq.html#AEN913"
>What hardware do I need to run a bridge with
2-<TT
CLASS="USERINPUT"
><B
>n</B
></TT
> NICs.
</A
></DT
><DT
> <A
HREF="faq.html#AEN920"
>Can you please recommend some tools to measure a 2-port
linux bridge throughput.
</A
></DT
></DL
></DD
><DT
>2. <A
HREF="faq.html#AEN926"
>Software</A
></DT
><DD
><DL
><DT
> <A
HREF="faq.html#AEN929"
>I'm running with kernel x.x.x.
Is a patch out there, to give me chance to use this stuff?
</A
></DT
></DL
></DD
></DL
><DIV
CLASS="QANDADIV"
><H3
><A
NAME="AEN910"
></A
>1. Hardware</H3
><DIV
CLASS="QANDAENTRY"
><DIV
CLASS="QUESTION"
><P
><A
NAME="AEN913"
></A
><B
> </B
>What hardware do I need to run a bridge with
2-<TT
CLASS="USERINPUT"
><B
>n</B
></TT
> NICs.
</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="ANSWER"
><P
><B
> </B
>I think a fat 486 or a modest Pentium should be able to keep
up with 2x100Mbit pretty well, but I have never tested this.
I don't think RAM will matter much (8 or 16MB and all should
be fine).
CPU will not matter a whole lot either (486/Pentium and all
should be fine).
I think the primary contributor is the type of bus (ISA, PCI)
and the type of network cards (some network cards require less
<SPAN
CLASS="QUOTE"
>"work"</SPAN
> than others).
Big switches usually have immensely fat internal buses (3 or 4
gigabits is not uncommon).
Standard PCI, for example, can't keep up with a gigabit ethernet
cards.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="QANDAENTRY"
><DIV
CLASS="QUESTION"
><P
><A
NAME="AEN920"
></A
><B
> </B
>Can you please recommend some tools to measure a 2-port
linux bridge throughput.
</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="ANSWER"
><P
><B
> </B
>Well, first question is: does it have 100mbit interfaces?
If it hasn't (10mbit only), it shouldn't have problems with
keeping up, almost regardless of the processor speed.
If it does have 100mbit interfaces and you're not sure it will
keep up, you can run a flood ping with big packets across it
(<B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>ping -f -s 1450 <TT
CLASS="USERINPUT"
><B
>ipaddress</B
></TT
></B
>)
and see whether it keeps up.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="QANDADIV"
><H3
><A
NAME="AEN926"
></A
>2. Software</H3
><DIV
CLASS="QANDAENTRY"
><DIV
CLASS="QUESTION"
><P
><A
NAME="AEN929"
></A
><B
> </B
>I'm running with kernel x.x.x.
Is a patch out there, to give me chance to use this stuff?
</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="ANSWER"
><P
><B
> </B
>There are patches for and 2.2.14, 2.2.15.
Since 2.3.47 it's in the mainstream kernel, so you don't need to
patch.
If you're talking about others, you will have to upgrade, if you
need to bridge.
<DIV
CLASS="NOTE"
><BLOCKQUOTE
CLASS="NOTE"
><P
><B
>Note: </B
>I've heared unconfirmed roumors about the 2.2.15 patches
working without any change also with the 2.2.16 kernel.
Anyone mind telling me about it?
</P
></BLOCKQUOTE
></DIV
>
</P
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