I have a few cheap noname NE2000 clones that I originally got in the mid 90s. I wouldn't have put them in a server but they were stable for me in DOS, 16 bit Windows, OS/2 and eventually Linux clients back in the day. Linux had some growing pains with the NE2000 drivers. I wouldn't have put them in a server but they always worked great for my home client machines. They still work great for me today in my retro machines. I use them with packet, ODI and NDIS drivers with no issue.

I also have a real NE1000 that I use in a Zenith Z-161 luggable, an XT class 8-bit isa machine. This is the machine I mostly use mTCP on.