more packets than interrupts

[Francesco Oppedisano]

Hi,
using tcpdump to capture ethernet packets i noticed i obtain more
packets than interrupts (taken from /proc/interrupts).
I found this with all NICs available to me (8139, e1000pro, one using
sk98lin, 3com 59x, via rhine etc..).
Where the NIC supports any type of mitigation or similar (see NAPI),
this function are disabled: so this happens with no mitigation
mechanisms.
How can this happen?
Can every driver manage many packets per call?

Thank you very much
Francesco
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