Can I use this card?

[Guest]

Hello,

I wanted to know if I can use a Gigabit card to connect to the internet as
the main nic connection to the server? I am using a normal 10/100 now.

Thanks
Joe

 

[Richard G. Harper]

In theory, yes. In reality it depends on your hardware - the card should
work with existing 10/100 hubs and switches but in reality sometimes things
aren't that neat.

 

[Herb Martin]

In theory, yes. In reality it depends on your hardware - the card should
work with existing 10/100 hubs and switches but in reality sometimes things
aren't that neat.

What Richard said, plus (a bit of elaboration):

It really doesn't matter what your card is when you
connect to "the Internet" -- as long as your network
supports that card and your routers are able to route
traffic to and from it.

You aren't going to have a GB connection physically
to the Internet, that is going to be something like a dial,
DSL, Cable, T1 or similar WAN connection in almost
all cases.

So you have a router, that routes from your internal NIC
to that network used by your ISP to let you access the
Internet.

So the real question, as Richard has indicated, is:

Will it work with your existing hardware? Can you
connect to your ROUTER (that routes to the Internet)?

It is unlikely that your Router to the Internet is going
to support GB speeds directly unless you are using a
computer (Windows, UNIX etc) and have specifically
installed a GB card in that machine as well.

You COULD be using a high end router (e.g., Cisco)
with such NIC but that is unlikely if you are asking this
question.

You likely have one of these very common (and cheap)
Ethernet-DSL (or cable etc) routers that offer 100 Mbps
connections or even contain their own "hub".

Most of the GB cards will downshift speeds to 100 Mbps,
but you may have to provide a setting (on the NIC) to
force that.

If you had a Gig/100/10 Hub (similar to the almost
ubiquitous 100/10 hubs) then you could always just
plug it in and the hub would take care of bridging
it over to the 100 Mbps network.

In other words, you will likely need to run the GB
card as a 100 Mbps NIC to get it to work (with the
things you likely already have in your network.)

 

[Guest]

in side the serverHerb thanks for your excellent input.

However, I do not have a router my server is directly connected to the
internet. so the router part would not come into effect. I do however have a
second nic and RRAS installed too along with AD DC. The second nic inside the
server out is the 10/100 as you said I was just looknig to see if the
10/100/1000 card would provide anymore performance to the website access from
the public internet.Client side.

Thank you very much
Joe

 

[Herb Martin]

in side the serverHerb thanks for your excellent input.

However, I do not have a router my server is directly connected to the
internet. so the router part would not come into effect.

What is your Internet connection?

Do you have clients on the other NIC?
If so the Server is going to need to be a router
(NAT RRAS) so that the other clients can use
the Internet.

It is a VERY bad idea to have a DC on the Internet
like that -- instead of putting it behind a firewall.

I do however have a
second nic and RRAS installed too along with AD DC. The second nic inside the
server out is the 10/100 as you said I was just looknig to see if the
10/100/1000 card would provide anymore performance to the website access from
the public internet.Client side.

No, not unless you were (you're not) connected to the
Internet with a matching interface, i.e., the ISP gave you
a GB Ethernet.

 

[Guest]

Hello Herb,

My config is this:

1 server 2003 enterprise box
2 nics, one to the internet directly (no router)
second nic to 2 client PC's XP pro XP2
AD DC DNS with NAT and RRAS all nics are 10/100 at this time.
all of my network works fine at this time including my VPN.

I was not sure of my ability to use a 10/100/1000 card for the servers
internet connection to help the transfer of the websites loading times.

Thank you Herb
Joe

 

[Herb Martin]

Hello Herb,

My config is this:

1 server 2003 enterprise box
2 nics, one to the internet directly (no router)

I will bet there is a router unless it is a cable
modem. (Then the only other router is at the ISP)

What kind of line do you have to the ISP?

You don't have an Ethernet (even 10 Mbps) I bet.

It it is a cable modem, you likely have a 10 Mbps
connection to that device.

second nic to 2 client PC's XP pro XP2
AD DC DNS with NAT and RRAS all nics are 10/100 at this time.
all of my network works fine at this time including my VPN.

I was not sure of my ability to use a 10/100/1000 card for the servers
internet connection to help the transfer of the websites loading times.

Depends on your ability to make it work at 10 Mbps and
connect to WHATEVER (it's likely a router) connects you
to the Internet.

It is NOT going to make your Internet faster.

Use it inside, and when you have the money add GB cards
to the other internal machines.

One GB card is sort of like having the only walkie-talkie
in the neighorhood. Looks cool, sounds cool, but doesn't
help much.

(Since they are also able to work slower, it isn't bad though,
since you can use it as a 100 Mbps.)

 

[Guest]

Hello Herb,

I have a commercial service with my ISP they offer this fortunatley, and I
have a line of 896 (this is sometimes more around 1.0 ) up and 10.0 down and
yes my router is the ISP If you would like to see this you can go here.

http://www.advancedcable.com/int_commercial_0.html

See for yourself cuz I get the idea you don't want to believe me.
anyhow this is the situation and I am learning if I wanted to go GB I would
need to change all my NICs correct?


Thanks for your help Herb
Joe

 

[Herb Martin]

Hello Herb,

I have a commercial service with my ISP they offer this fortunatley, and I
have a line of 896 (this is sometimes more around 1.0 ) up and 10.0 down and
yes my router is the ISP If you would like to see this you can go here.

http://www.advancedcable.com/int_commercial_0.html

See for yourself cuz I get the idea you don't want to believe me.

No, I believe you but I have been trying to get your to list
this line all along.


Having a 1000 Mbps link instead of a 100 Mbps link
cannot possible make any appreciable difference if you
are limited by a line of LESS THAN 1 Mbps.

 

[Guest]

So ... until this line is above the 1Mbps mark it has no affect-correct?

I see so the GB card would not do anygood here accept maybe internally?
That is if i were to switch over. hmmmm... Interesting!

FYI I have been told many times to get behind a router. I think it is time
to do so.

I have a Nic to a cable modem straight to the internet now.

Thanks Herb =)
Joe

 

[Herb Martin]

So ... until this line is above the 1Mbps mark it has no affect-correct?

Maybe a LITTLE above would help.

I see so the GB card would not do anygood here accept maybe internally?

Even there it isn't much help as long as there are no others
(and a separate wiring system or speed changing hub) with
which it can communicate.

That is if i were to switch over. hmmmm... Interesting!

Right. Add more 1000 Mbps cards, new hubs, and (probably)
new drop cables etc.

FYI I have been told many times to get behind a router. I think it is time
to do so.

Preferably a NAT/firewall/router.

I have a Nic to a cable modem straight to the internet now.

Some of those cable modems are really combo devices
with a router/NAT inside of them. This is, however, more
common for a DSL device.

Who does your NAT?

If the ISP does it, then you cannot expose a server on the
Internet easily.

 

[Guest]

I do my own NAT and the basic NAT firewall is on with address pools and all
the static routes. internal DNS lookup zones and the works = ) 8 Port switch
to add more PC's and two more PC's that remote in VPN from about five miles
away.

I was lucky/fortunate enough to be a part of these newsgroups which helped
me set up my NAT and RRAS I have a nice tight little set up here (accept for
the router part) with enough power and I run my own mail server too. All
secure, all up to date with anti virus on the mail server itself, PTR's and
SPF records also. I do not spam and have an awesome ecommerce site (well in
my opinion )

Maybe my ISP will do more upgrades soon and I can get past the 1Mbps mark
upstream.

Thanks very much Herb!!
Joe

 

[Ken B]

Even if you were to go with the Advanced Commercial Gold and get up to
10Mbps down and 896 up, a 10/100 card running at 100 is still 10 times
faster than they are transferring information to you on the down. Also, the
896 is more like .896Mbps, so a 10/100 card is still more than 10 times
faster than what you are transferring up to the isp.

A gigabit card would only serve you well on the inside of your network... if
you have other gigabit enabled computers (and switches). You would only see
a difference in transfer speeds of moving files around your network, but for
your network of 3 computers, I wouldn't bother.

:link plink::

Ken

 

[Guest]

Hey Ken,

Thank you! This is nice to hear.The one thing I liked about the Gold Plan
was they are underated on the upstream I have had many tests at 957 and better

 

[Herb Martin]

Even if you were to go with the Advanced Commercial Gold and get up to
10Mbps down and 896 up, a 10/100 card running at 100 is still 10 times
faster than they are transferring information to you on the down. Also, the
896 is more like .896Mbps, so a 10/100 card is still more than 10 times
faster than what you are transferring up to the isp.

Correct (sort of).

Be careful about direct speed comparisons with different
types of lines though.

The usuable throughput of an Ethernet is sometimes much
less than the speed of the line and normally the usuable
throughput of a serial line is roughly equal to the line
speed (i.e., a much greater percentage.)

So it may actually be useful to have a 100 Mbps card
(both sides, including router/cable modem etc) IF you
get to speeds higher than 3-5 Mbps on the WAN line.

With many clients on an Ethernet, you can only expect
about 35% of an Ethernet.

With lab* situations you MIGHT get up to 90%. Where
one server sends solely to one client, so there are few
if any collisions and waiting.

A pair of machines, e.g., one server/one cable-modem,
it somewhere between the two situations -- since either
side may be sending data without respect to the other
side. (Both can initiate / both can recieve.)

A gigabit card would only serve you well on the inside of your network... if
you have other gigabit enabled computers (and switches). You would only see
a difference in transfer speeds of moving files around your network, but for
your network of 3 computers, I wouldn't bother.

Right.

 

[Guest]

This is some really good information here thanks!!

I am very glad I posted this question here we all seem to have benefitted.

a round-up question here:

So if I dediced to go to a GB network do it inside only? this is where I
will see the performance?

Thank you
Joe

 

[Herb Martin]

This is some really good information here thanks!!

I am very glad I posted this question here we all seem to have benefitted.

a round-up question here:

So if I decided to go to a GB network do it inside only? this is where I
will see the performance?

Yes.

But before you spend the money consider the expense,
ask if you really do internal transfers of enough items,
of enough size, often enough to justify the expense.

Or just wait a few years until most machine get updated
through the natural update of the computer motherboards,
machines, repairs etc.