[vortex] two NICs in a riser card?

[Donald Becker]

On Fri, 13 Jul 2001, Martin Siegert wrote:

> this may be a stupid question:
> 
> is it possible to have two NICs in a riser card?

Only if the riser card plugs into a slot specifically designed to be
"magic" for that riser card, and the riser has active components.

> I have two 3c905cx-txm cards plugged into a riser card, which in turn
> plugs into a single PCI slot on the motherboard.

A generic motherboard?  No, it won't work.

> When the box boots only one of the two cards is recogniced.

I would expect that behavior.  If you solve the PCI config space issue,
you are still sharing bus master lines.

> Can this be done or do I have to purchase a dual port NIC?

A dual-port NIC will have the proper design: only one chip connected to
the PCI bus.  That chip will be PCI bus bridge.

Donald Becker				becker@scyld.com
Scyld Computing Corporation		http://www.scyld.com
410 Severn Ave. Suite 210		Second Generation Beowulf Clusters
Annapolis MD 21403			410-990-9993