multicast.txt

Behaviour of Cards Under Multicast
==================================

This is how they currently behave, not what the hardware can do--for example,
the Lance driver doesn't use its filter, even though the code for loading
it is in the DEC Lance-based driver.

The following are requirements for multicasting 
-----------------------------------------------
AppleTalk	Multicast	hardware filtering not important but
				 avoid cards only doing promisc
IP-Multicast	Multicast	hardware filters really help
IP-MRoute	AllMulti	hardware filters are of no help


Board		Multicast	AllMulti	Promisc		Filter
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3c501		YES		YES		YES		Software
3c503		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
3c505		YES		NO		YES		Hardware
3c507		NO		NO		NO		N/A
3c509		YES		YES		YES		Software
3c59x		YES		YES		YES		Software
ac3200		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
apricot		YES		PROMISC		YES		Hardware
arcnet		NO		NO		NO		N/A
at1700		PROMISC		PROMISC		YES		Software
atp		PROMISC		PROMISC		YES		Software
cs89x0		YES		YES		YES		Software
de4x5		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
de600		NO		NO		NO		N/A
de620		PROMISC		PROMISC		YES		Software
depca		YES		PROMISC		YES		Hardware
dmfe		YES		YES		YES		Software(*)
e2100		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
eepro		YES		PROMISC		YES		Hardware
eexpress	NO		NO		NO		N/A
ewrk3		YES		PROMISC		YES		Hardware
hp-plus		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
hp		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
hp100		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
ibmtr		NO		NO		NO		N/A
ioc3-eth	YES		YES		YES		Hardware
lance		YES		YES		YES		Software(#)
ne		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
ni52		<------------------ Buggy ------------------>
ni65		YES		YES		YES		Software(#)
seeq		NO		NO		NO		N/A
sgiseek		<------------------ Buggy ------------------>
sk_g16		NO		NO		YES		N/A
smc-ultra	YES		YES		YES		Hardware
sunlance	YES		YES		YES		Hardware
tulip		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
wavelan		YES		PROMISC		YES		Hardware
wd		YES		YES		YES		Hardware
xirc2ps_cs	YES		YES		YES		Hardware
znet		YES		YES		YES		Software


PROMISC = This multicast mode is in fact promiscuous mode. Avoid using
cards who go PROMISC on any multicast in a multicast kernel.

(#) = Hardware multicast support is not used yet.
(*) = Hardware support for Davicom 9132 chipset only.