So, you want some NICs, eh?
Jun 06 '00
Network Interface Cards (NIC) are a topic not so near or dear to my heart that I will enthuse about them. The basic concept is that a NIC is that card which allows you to network computers together via cable, usually ethernet cable. In the Good Old Days, when 10 Megabits/sec (Mbs) was the standard for ethernet you could choose between a couple of basic types of cable: RJ-45 (which looks like phone cable with extended snap in ends) or Coaxial (thinnet which came in a couple of sizes really thin and cable that looked like cable TV cable and both had twist-on ends).
Coaxial cable allowed easy peer-to-peer networking without the need of a hub, which was great for small offices with only a few computers attached to them. Larger installations went with Category 5 RJ-45 and hubs so that large workgroups could be set up on a network. And you could get NICs that had both connectors on them for convenience of an expanding workplace. In those days I bought my cards from SMC and was done with it.
At work we moved up to 100 Mbs ethernet and my agency ran fiber optic cable all over the place. So for office computers I had to find NICs that were 10/100 Mbs autosensing (that is they would determine which rate to use) and took fiber optic connectors (ST type for my office). Jolly good fun that was, as I had to narrow down my choices one-by-one. At home the question of using 100 Mbs cards was a moot point since my little Coaxial based network with SMC cards was doing the trick.
Enter ADSL and cable modems and junk like that. Suddenly high bandwidth was coming into my home and I realized the day of Coax was drawing to a close. So it was out to find a reputable supplier of 10/100 NICs, finding a switched hub and buying scads of RJ-45 Cat 5 cable. I finally settled on LinkSys as they had a NETWORK IN A BOX setup with a 5-port switched 10/100 autosensing hub, 2 10/100 NICs and a couple of pieces of Cat 5 patch cable. I ordered a few more 10/100 LinkSys EtherFast NICs so that I would have them available to all of my systems save the one with built-in 10/100 networking capability.
A few months down the road and my systems are all using the LinkSys NICs and I'm able to do gaming on a couple of machines and netsurfing on another all at the same time.
What tricks are embodied in all of this?
#1 Buy all your networking equipment (NICs and hub in this case) from the same manufacturer. Thus if you have ANY problems you need to visit only 1 supplier's page for support.
#2 Buy all the same brand and model of NIC. Not only do you get them all from the same supplier, but you get the EXACT SAME MODEL of NIC for all systems. If you're running a mixed Mac/PC environment you'll have a tough time doing this and I wish you luck! Theoretically different models from different manufacturers should all play nicely together, but that doesn't always happen.
#3 Buy many varying lengths of Category 5 patch cable. Measure the distance from your computer position to your hub and multiply by 2. Get patch cable of that length for that computer to hub connection. Why multiply by 2? Well, that poor piece of cable will probably have to snake around systems, under/over/around furniture, under the carpet/across the ceiling...
Cost of networking 5 home machines: under $225 including cost of cable (I have one long 100' run and that cable cost a bit).
Now that you know all of this I'll let you know that the cost of 10/100/1000 Mbs equipment is coming down drastically, and within a couple of years I expect to upgrade my home network yet again when it does.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
kurt_h
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: Sterling, VA
Reviews written: 967
Trusted by: 167 members
About Me:
A reader of SF and fantasy, and an enjoyer of liquid refreshment now and again.
|
|
|
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.