On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 12:10 PM, Arun Khan knura9@gmail.com wrote:

I need to add an additional ethernet interface in a router box and I have run out of PCI slots (board does not have any PCI-express).

However, there are a bunch of unused USB ports that I can use.

Please suggest USB NICs that are supported by Linux *and* available @ Lam Road.

Brand/Model and shop name would be highly appreciated.  Speed is less important, as long as I can get about 10Mbps on the iface - it will be used to connect to the ISP link.

TIA

-- Arun Khan

Instead of going in for a USB Network Interface you can use a Dual or Quad Port PCI NIC. The popular brands include DLink and Intel. Not too sure about their availability on Lamington Road.

-- Manish

Much thanks for all the responses, I sincerely appreciate your suggestions.

@Indranil's suggestion: Your MacBook Air's USB ethernet adapter looks like a winner for my scenario. Will inquire @ Lam Road. Please do share your experience with it in case you have acquired it already.

@Bhavesh Khare: Belkin USB 2.0 - will look into it and see if it has drivers in the Linux kernel. Since you have mentioned only Mac OS X I am a bit hesitant. Is it possible for you to find the chipset on it? I got burnt with a Rs. 400 USB NIC with the Davicom chipset that worked in Windows but not in Linux - it is not even paper weight material now :) I have a SMC USB NIC (Realtek chip), for my personal use, that has worked great for the last 7 years but I have not been able to source it @ Lam Rd. For the interim, I have installed it in the client's router box on a loaner basis.

@Manish Kathuria: Multi-port LAN cards are (a) way too expensive and also (b) hard to source @ Lam Road even from the vendors who specialize on servers. If you know of any vendor that does have multiport PCI ( for 5.5v PCI slot) cards DLink will do, please let me know. At the least, I i will price it

TIA -- Arun Khan