TCP/IP software overhead ?

From: Anton Erasmus (nobody_at_spam.prevent.net)
Date: 01/30/05 

Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 08:51:37 +0200

Hi,

I am trying to get a feel for how much resources one needs for the
TCP/IP in an embedded system for the following typical scenario:
The embeded system is connected to a busy fileserver type LAN.
(10Mb/s or 100Mb/s). The embedded system only communicates
on an add hock bases. i.e. a few hundred bytes every couple of
seconds. (Telnet type interface), unless code is being uploaded, or
captured data is dumped to a file over ethernet. What type of
non-related traffic -- to the embedded -- system will eat up
resources by forcing the embedded system to handle things in the
TCP/IP stack. What % CPU time can one expect on something
like a 30MHz ARM7 core type MCU with typical opensource TCP/IP
implimentations.

Any comments and insights would be welcome.

Regards
   Anton Erasmus