Abstract

SMC commissioned Tolly to benchmark the Novell Open Data-link Interface performance of its TokenCard Elite Master 32 EISA adapter, with the main focus on comparing multi-vendor Token Ring adapter price/performance in both server and end-station roles. The project measured NetWare client/server throughput across multiple frame sizes and related the results to adapter cost, producing a normalized price/performance ranking rather than relying on raw speed alone.  

The July 1994 report explains that Tolly compared the SMC TokenCard Elite Master 32 against four other leading EISA Token Ring adapters: IBM’s 16/4 Bus Master EISA, Madge Networks’ Smart 16/4 Ringnode, Olicom USA’s 32-bit server adapter, and 3Com’s TokenLink III 16/4. The benchmark used Novell NetWare 4.01 with ODI drivers and tested the adapters as both server and end-station products. SMC’s adapter used the SMC chip set, supported 4 and 16Mbit/s Token Ring over STP and UTP media, and supported both ODI and NDIS driver specifications. The tested ODI driver was SMC8332.LAN/SMC8333.COM version 1.01A.  

Tolly’s key finding was that the TokenCard Elite Master 32 delivered the best price/performance rating in the group. On page 1, the report highlights “Best Price/Performance” and “Near wire speed at 4,096 byte frame sizes.” The price/performance chart and table on page 2 show SMC with a maximum throughput of 15.35Mbit/s, a performance factor of 1.04, a listed price of $399, and a hypothetical price per 16Mbit/s of $414.96, the lowest in the group. Olicom followed at $483.79, Madge at $686.30, 3Com at $758.28, and IBM at $957.00. Tolly notes that SMC’s street price was not yet established, so the ranking used list price; despite that, SMC still finished first.  

In raw throughput, the SMC card was highly competitive. The aggregate ODI throughput chart on page 2 shows SMC reaching 15.35Mbit/s at 4,096-byte frames, just behind Madge at 15.86Mbit/s and Olicom at 15.86Mbit/s, but ahead of 3Com at 11.20Mbit/s and IBM at 9.18Mbit/s. Tolly states on page 1 that SMC’s performance consistently surpassed both 3Com and IBM at 1,024-byte frames and above, reaching as much as 37% higher than 3Com and 67% higher than IBM. The chart also shows near-wire-speed results at larger frame sizes.  

The methodology used Novell’s Perform3 application with frame sizes of 64, 128, 1,024, 2,048, and 4,096 bytes. Three end stations were used to measure server throughput, while a single end station measured workstation throughput. Testing ran on a 16Mbit/s Token Ring network built with a 3Com LinkBuilder MAU and 10 feet of UTP cabling. A Network General Expert Sniffer verified frame size, and a Hewlett-Packard J2300 analyzer measured throughput. Overall, the report presents the SMC TokenCard Elite Master 32 as a strong-performing EISA Token Ring adapter whose low cost gave it the best overall price/performance in this competitive benchmark.  

Solutions discussed:

• SMC TokenCard Elite Master 32 — SMC’s EISA Token Ring adapter evaluated for multi-vendor price/performance.  
• IBM 16/4 Bus Master EISA — IBM EISA Token Ring adapter included in the comparison.  
• Madge Smart 16/4 Ringnode — Madge EISA Token Ring adapter tested in the benchmark.  
• Olicom USA 32-bit Server Adapter (OC-3135) — Olicom EISA Token Ring adapter included in the comparison.  
• 3Com TokenLink III 16/4 — 3Com EISA Token Ring adapter evaluated in the benchmark.