Author Topic: which gigabit nic? (Read 549 times)

eagl · « **on:** June 10, 2006, 10:20:39 PM »

I need a gigabit nic, so which one? Is there any real diff between the $7.00 generic one or the $50 intel one? What about the $23 linksys or dlink in the middle? Any specific chipset to look for or avoid?

It'll go into a pci slot...

Thx

Easyscor · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2006, 04:46:39 AM »

I don't know which is the best or even if there is a best gigabit card, but if I'd found a $7.00US card I would have bought two of them, mine cost more.

I bought two AirLink PCI 101 cards. My new gigabit Router is still in the box so I can't report on the transfer rates but even without the new router in place, I've imagined a slight increase in transfers speeds.

The custom drivers are the only problems I've found with these gigabit cards: When you do a clean install of XP and expect to use a networked computer to supply the installation files for your programs, you can't use your network or the internet until you install a driver for the gigabit card. To register WindowsXP in the middle of the installation, you must have a T-100 or slower card installed that XP will recognize. It isn't a deal breaker but it's dang incovenient.

Some of the reviews of gigabit card haven't been that rosie but I figure if large file transfer times are cut in half, it's worth the money. Most reviews talk about transfer rates that are better then that but in this generation of cards they don't see the speeds you'd expect. This is still pretty new stuff on the retail market so it can only get better with time.

eagl · « **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2006, 10:10:28 AM »

I've noticed transfer speed increases of about 4x between the two computers that do have gigabit ethernet nics compared to my one computer that doesn't have one, so it's definately worth the upgrade to me especially considering that the only computer without a giga nic is my HTPC... I regularly generate mpeg files well over 2 gig in size when recording tv shows while I'm at work, and it's nice to be able to move them around without having to wait forever for the transfer.

I'm eyeing the intel nics... They're a bit over $50 but since my HTPC isn't really all that great of a computer, maybe the better nic will help keep the system from choking too bad. The cheapo gigabit nics at newegg are between $6.99 and $12 (plus shipping) but although they seem to have linux drivers, they also have a higher failure rate so I'd probably have to buy 2 just to make sure I get one good one. Shipping for RMA would be more than the card is worth so I might as well just cut my losses and get a spare if I'm going to go for the cheapo card.

But I'm really wondering if getting the intel pro nic instead would be worth it, at the $53ish plus shipping price point.

Krusty · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2006, 10:16:18 AM »

Avoid Yukon Marvel gigabit cards. Causes nothing but lockups and freezes all the time because there are no good drivers (not even the ones that come with it). Took me 4 months to find out what was causing this problem. Disabled it and stuck a 100mbps NIC in a PCI slot and problem went away.

So avoid Yukon Marvel (or Marvell, or however it's spelled)

OOZ662 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 12, 2006, 12:58:16 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Krusty
Avoid Yukon Marvel gigabit cards. Causes nothing but lockups and freezes all the time because there are no good drivers (not even the ones that come with it). Took me 4 months to find out what was causing this problem. Disabled it and stuck a 100mbps NIC in a PCI slot and problem went away.

So avoid Yukon Marvel (or Marvell, or however it's spelled)

I've got a "Marvell Yukon 88E8001/8003/8010 Gigabit Ethernet Controller" ala the Device Manager. Driver version is 8.41.1.3 and came from Windows Update after I installed the ones that came with my Giga-byte GA-8IPE1000 Pro-G motherboard. The only lockup problems I've ever had were VOX related, and that was fixed by switching to using Wave In in AH.

Krusty · « **Reply #5 on:** June 12, 2006, 01:16:58 AM »

I'm sorry I can't list the part number on mine, it doesn't show up because I've disabled it in the BIOS. All I know is I have a type of Marvell Yukon gigabit integrated into my ASUS P5P800 motherboard, and it alone was the cause of much strife and constant locking up. No set of drivers, even those included with the motherboard, those found on windows update, or anywhere else, would solve this problem. However when I disabled it in the BIOS and installed a PCI NIC, the problem went away. I admit: I'm jaded with the brand so far.

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #6 on:** June 13, 2006, 08:26:28 AM »

ok whatsa "nic"?

OOZ662 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 13, 2006, 08:53:30 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
ok whatsa "nic"?

Network Interface Card. You hook an RJ45/networking cable into it. It's the hole on the back of your computer that looks like a wide phone jack.

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #8 on:** June 13, 2006, 03:10:43 PM »

You mean an ethernet card?
They one in the same?

Krusty · « **Reply #9 on:** June 13, 2006, 03:20:45 PM »

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #10 on:** June 13, 2006, 08:57:58 PM »

oh.

I have two brand new Belkins you can have if you can get the damn things to work right.

Ended up with a Linksys.

Never met a Belkin product I liked or could getto work right

eagl · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2006, 10:05:09 PM »

NIC doesn't technically mean just ethernet cards since there are other networking cards that use standards other than ethernet, but for the most part people usually mean an add-on ethernet card when talking about a "NIC".

Dred I'd take up your offer except that I'm looking for a GOOD nic, not one that people can't get to work

Unless skuzzy steps in and says no, I'll probably bite the bullet and get one of the intel pci cards. They're expensive but supposedly pretty good.

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #12 on:** June 14, 2006, 09:06:25 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by eagl

Dred I'd take up your offer except that I'm looking for a GOOD nic, not one that people can't get to work

Im not saying it wont work. Just that I cant get it to work right.
Just like anything else Belkin I've ever owned.

Some people swear by the brand.
I hate it

If anyone is interested they are brand new, in the box

Belkin

10/100BT Ethernet
32 bitPCI cards

Free to a good home.

Or not so good a home.

Otherwise Im just gonna trash em

OOZ662 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 14, 2006, 09:39:26 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Belkin

10/100BT Ethernet
32 bitPCI cards

Just FYI, a gigabit card would be 10/100/1000BT. Not saying that card isn't good (as an internet connection over DSL only uses about 1% of a gigabit card when haulin' arse on an off-peak hour) or anything, just edumacatin'.

FX1 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2006, 01:53:19 PM »

Anyone having problems with their Motherboard NIC going out. I have had 3 NIC go out in the past year. One on a gigabyte board then another on a DELL board at the office..