[NTLUG:Discuss] promiscuous mode...

[Bug Hunter]

  Promiscuous mode will cause the system to accept every data packet that
goes over the ethernet wire.  This will cause extra processing to throw
away packets not bound for you.  this will affect throughput on machines
that don't have enough horsepower (ie:486 cpu's, and some slower
pentiums).


On Mon, 10 Apr 2000 Kyle_Davenport at compusa.com wrote:

> 
> 
> hmmm.  I noticed my DEC tulip chip card was in promiscuous mode before, but I
> thought that was normal.  Reading doc's it seems like a question of packet
> filtering in hardware or software, so I really don't see why that would affect
> your throughput.
> I can change the promiscuous flag without a problem (ifconfig eth0 shows PROMISC
> gone)
> 
> in the ethernet-HOWTO, Donald Becker implied that some cards cannot do hardware
> filtering and will always be in promiscuous mode.
> 
>