[rescue] SBUS Efficient Networks Inc fiber network adapter on a Sparcstation 4

[Ville Laustela]

Hi,

if you can come up with the drivers and an actual setup for the card, I’d be happy to let the exhibit to have it :) Not sure what else I could house in the SBUS slot but perhaps something more useful to me than the ATM card!

Regarding the selection os Solaris 2.6, this was all thru old forum postings, I got the impression that 2.6 would be a good choise. The little I have tried, I thought it run pretty nicely (on my 85Mhz + 96MB of RAM) but perhaps I need to give SunOS4 a try now!

—
Ville



>  Doug already indicated that this is an ATM interface, not Ethernet, 
> but I wanted to point out that running Solaris (meaning Solaris 2.x) 
> will be awful on that hardware.
> 
>   Everyone seems to gravitate toward it, but us folks who actually used 
> these machines in production environments never understand why. ;)  Run 
> SunOS4 on them and they're actually fast and functional.  Leave Solaris2 
> for UltraSPARC-1 and above, where it really shines.
> 
>               -Dave


> 
>   If the drivers are available, we may be able to use the card at LSSM. 
>  We are (slowly) putting together a networking technologies exhibit, 
> and ATM will figure into it.  So if it will otherwise go unused, we can 
> give it a home.
> 
>   Fore Networks was a major player in ATM IP networking, and they were 
> based in Pittsburgh. (as is LSSM)
> 
>               -Dave


> Doug McIntyre <merlyn at geeks.org> kirjoitti 24.2.2024 kello 16.48:
> 
> 
> If its 155Mbps, thats an ATM card.
> So you'd need to have an ATM switch, ATM optics, the proper ATM drivers, etc.
> It won't interop with Ethernet.
> 
> Back from a time when people (mostly the telcos) believed ATM to the
> desktop was a viable alternative to Ethernet.
> 
> 
> 
> On Sat, Feb 24, 2024 at 04:02:01PM +0200, Ville Laustela via rescue wrote:
>> Hi.
>> 
>> Some years ago I bought a Sparcstation 4 that came with a Efficient Networks Inc ENI-155s-MF SBUS fiber network card. I wonder how this machine was used, probably as a server to justify the cost of a fiber adapter...
>> 
>> I have not tried to use the adapter - not that it would be practical in any sense, but it would be neat to at least attempt it… I have an old HP switch with the fiber transceiver with the fitting cable but before I start digging up all the equipment I’d like to know more; can anyone shed light on whether this card should work under Solaris 2.6, and how - does it need drivers? (Also; why is it 155 Mbps, and would this play nicely with a 100 Mbps switch?).
>> 
>> I found these in archive.org <http://archive.org/>:
>> https://web.archive.org/web/19971018225910/http://www.efficient.com/newww/sbus.html
>> https://web.archive.org/web/19971019004902/http://www.efficient.com/newww/drivers.html -> all links with drivers or manuals go to a long-dead ftp.efficient.com <http://ftp.efficient.com/> -server :(
>> 
>> Also; anyone know if the card would be usable under NeXTStep? (NS is more of my alley, and I’ve done just a test install of Solaris on a second hard drive to play with it a little).
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Ville Laustela
>> 
>> 
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