---
name: "bce"
section: "4"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["freebsd", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bce"
---

# bce(4)

Broadcom BCM4401 10/100 Ethernet device

## NAME

**bce** – Broadcom BCM4401 10/100 Ethernet device

## SYNOPSIS

**bce\* at pci?** **bmtphy\* at mii?**

## DESCRIPTION

The **bce** provides support for the Broadcom BCM4401 10/100 Ethernet card.

The following media types and options (as given to [ifconfig(8)](/ifconfig/8.md)) are supported:

- **media** autoselect

  Enable autoselection of the media type and options (default).

- **media** 100baseTX **mediaopt** full-duplex

  Set 100Mbps (Fast Ethernet) operation and force full-duplex mode.

- **media** 100baseTX **mediaopt** half-duplex

  Set 100Mbps (Fast Ethernet) operation and force half-duplex mode.

- **media** 10baseT **mediaopt** full-duplex

  Set 10Mbps operation and force full-duplex.

- **media** 10baseT **mediaopt** half-duplex

  Set 10Mbps operation and force half-duplex.

If no media options are present, the **bce** driver places the card into autoselect mode.

## SEE ALSO

[arp(4)](/arp/4.md), [bmtphy(4)](/bmtphy/4.md), [ifmedia(4)](/ifmedia/4.md), [intro(4)](/intro/4.md), [mii(4)](/mii/4.md), [netintro(4)](/netintro/4.md), [pci(4)](/pci/4.md), [hostname.if(5)](/hostname.if/5.md), [ifconfig(8)](/ifconfig/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **bce** driver appeared in NetBSD 1.6.2. OpenBSD support was added in OpenBSD 3.5.

## AUTHORS

The **bce** driver was written by Cliff Wright ⟨*cliff@snipe444.org*⟩ and ported to OpenBSD by Nathan L. Binkert ⟨*binkertn@umich.edu*⟩.