Cheapest PCI Network Adaptor?

[ripsaw82]

Anybody know any cheap PCI Network adaptors with PXE Support. PXE Support is essential. We do not really want to spend loads of money buying the Intel Pro network cards.

[nichomach]

D-Link do the DFE-550TX managed PCI adapter, dabs list it for £19 ex VAT. Out of the box, this doesn't support PXE, but for another £7 they list a boot ROM for it which does (ordered on request), the DFE-554C, so £26 ex VAT in total, which is a tenner cheaper than the cheapest Intel . The DFE-530TX also has a boot ROM but I don't think that does PXE, just remote boot for NetWare and NT Server 4.

The SMC1255-TX also has an optional boot ROM that supports PXE (SMC1255B-ROM); the 1255TX-PF also come with desktop firewall software, which could be useful in an enterprise. I don't know how many machines you have to support, but Dabs are doing the vanilla TXs in 50 packs for £389.17 ex VAT (about £7.80 per card). The PFs are £7.05 ex VAT each, but not in stock. They don't seem to have the boot ROMs for that card, though, and they look like being a bit of a sod to get hold of - maybe phone and ask? Shouldn't be more than a tenner for the ROM.

Any help?

[directhex]

buy some nice fruity 3com 905c's on ebay for about three quid each?

[nichomach]

Fair point, although I personally wouldn't buy them off Fleabay, I'd rather buy new (£25 a copy, sure, but still cheaper than the Intel alternative) for the 905C-TX-M.

[Apex]

Get the intels , don't scimp it's not worth it in the long run.

[ripsaw82]

I have just ordered 80 custom PC's with Intel's in. Now i got the other 120 PC's to that need PXE . Just spent £98,000. Wanna stop the spending now !

[directhex]

i'd pick a 905 before an eepro, personally, Apex. we use the two on our home network (exclusively), and the 905s tend to be slightly better at not flooding the PCI bus

[Apex]

Never had that tbh m8. found the 3coms to be crap under linux too where has the intel work bang on.

[nichomach]

I wouldn't buy second user on this, I'd look at whether you can get the Boot ROMs for the SMC cards. I've used SMC cards before and have found them to be reliable with reasonable driver support. On the 3COM front, while they're good enough cards, I had a nasty shock when a quite pricey 3C996 fritzed out on me recently in our main fileserver - Gigabit to nothing in 0 seconds flat .