[netdrivers] writing device driver

[manisha s]

Hello ,
I am new to this group . I don't know whether the queries i m asking are worth in this mailing list. If this is case then please forgive me and give me clue where i can get these answers.
 
1. suppose i have 6 cards of same configuration ,then will one driver can support all these cards and what is the max no of such devices supported by driver? 
who decide this max limit? is there any performnce degradation because of large no of cards?
 
2. If there are multiple network devices in the system each with diff IP address. So how does socket layer (application layer) decide on which interface the packet has to go? who takes this decision ? If suppose we have not specified IP address while socket calls ie, .(set value to INADDR_ANY) then to which interface this IP get assigned? 
 
3. How the routing table is created from scratch? i.e suppose one new machine come on the network for the first time, what procedure it follows to build arp cache or routing table? who handles such functionality? 
 
4. Is there any way to determine in linux how many network devices are currently present in the system?
 
5. How much networking knowledge one should have to write network device driver?
 
 
 
thanks in advance
manisha
 

		
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