Integrated ethernet card?

[Ampersand]

I'm curious about something, which shouldn't be too complicated to answer
I've seen a lot of motherboards lately that had an integrated ethernet
card/adapter. What I was wondering: is this as good as a "stand-alone"
ethernet card? I know integrated sound or video boards "do the job" without
being as sophisticated as regular audio or video cards (not as fast, less
features or effects, etc.), but an ethernet card? This usually has only one
use and, as long as it is a 10/100 card, speed shouldn't be any slower than
a regular card, right? I'll possibly need a network card so I'd like to
know if the integrated card will be OK before I buy anything like a separate
ethernet card. Thanks!

 

[fishkake]

As far as I know, if it says 10/100 then its the same as every other
10/100 card out there!

 

[Chris]

http://www.ckccomp.plus.com/site/page.HTM
(e-mail address removed)

I'm curious about something, which shouldn't be too complicated to answer

I've seen a lot of motherboards lately that had an integrated ethernet
card/adapter. What I was wondering: is this as good as a "stand-alone"
ethernet card? I know integrated sound or video boards "do the job"
without
being as sophisticated as regular audio or video cards (not as fast, less
features or effects, etc.), but an ethernet card? This usually has only
one
use and, as long as it is a 10/100 card, speed shouldn't be any slower
than
a regular card, right? I'll possibly need a network card so I'd like to
know if the integrated card will be OK before I buy anything like a
separate
ethernet card. Thanks!

You must have been out of the loop for a while, built in sound and Ethernet
cards are as good have come a long way, my ASUS P5AD2 Premium has 2 Ethernet
cards wireless LAN and 7.1 surround with optical in and out. the mixing
software that came with the board for the sound is good as well, but like
most things you get what you pay for and this board is not cheap.


--
Chris
Technical director CKCCOMPUSCRIPT
Apple Computers, Intel, Roland audio, ATI, Microsoft, Sun Solaris, Cisco and
Silicone Graphics.
Wholesale distributor and specialist audio visual computers and servers
FREE SUPPORT @,

 

[Jerry G.]

If you buy a very good mother board with a built in Ethernet card, you will
have a good Ethernet or NIC card. You get what you pay for with these
things.

The mother board of my computer has a built in Ethernet card, and it works
great!

--

Jerry G.
=====

I'm curious about something, which shouldn't be too complicated to answer
I've seen a lot of motherboards lately that had an integrated ethernet
card/adapter. What I was wondering: is this as good as a "stand-alone"
ethernet card? I know integrated sound or video boards "do the job" without
being as sophisticated as regular audio or video cards (not as fast, less
features or effects, etc.), but an ethernet card? This usually has only one
use and, as long as it is a 10/100 card, speed shouldn't be any slower than
a regular card, right? I'll possibly need a network card so I'd like to
know if the integrated card will be OK before I buy anything like a separate
ethernet card. Thanks!

 

[kony]

I'm curious about something, which shouldn't be too complicated to answer
I've seen a lot of motherboards lately that had an integrated ethernet
card/adapter. What I was wondering: is this as good as a "stand-alone"
ethernet card? I know integrated sound or video boards "do the job" without
being as sophisticated as regular audio or video cards (not as fast, less
features or effects, etc.), but an ethernet card? This usually has only one
use and, as long as it is a 10/100 card, speed shouldn't be any slower than
a regular card, right? I'll possibly need a network card so I'd like to
know if the integrated card will be OK before I buy anything like a separate
ethernet card. Thanks!

Integrated 10/100 is quite useable. It may use a little
more CPU time than a good (3com or Intel) PCI NIC, but it's
a fair tradeoff and same performance as if you had same
chipset-based PCI NIC installed. If highest throughput is
the goal, just get a GbE NIC instead, though those are of
course integrated on newer boards too. More difference
there, the Intel integrated type with CSA link to the
northbridge will outperform those with a separate chip on
PCI bus or even be a little better than southbridge
controller based types.

Overall though, integrated video in particular, and
integrated sound to a lesser extent, have much greater
limitations when integrated. Most users will never notice a
difference with integrated ethernet.

 

[General Schvantzkoph]

I'm curious about something, which shouldn't be too complicated to answer
I've seen a lot of motherboards lately that had an integrated ethernet
card/adapter. What I was wondering: is this as good as a "stand-alone"
ethernet card? I know integrated sound or video boards "do the job" without
being as sophisticated as regular audio or video cards (not as fast, less
features or effects, etc.), but an ethernet card? This usually has only one
use and, as long as it is a 10/100 card, speed shouldn't be any slower than
a regular card, right? I'll possibly need a network card so I'd like to
know if the integrated card will be OK before I buy anything like a separate
ethernet card. Thanks!

They are just as good or better. The built in gigabit MAC in the
Nvidia Nforce 3-250 performs as well as the best PCI-X card based
solutions. On desktop systems the 32 bit PCI bus is a serious bottleneck
which chipset based solutions avoid. Servers have PCI-X buses so it's
possible to plug in a gigabit ethernet controller that runs at wire
speeds, in desktop systems it isn't unless the controller is built into
the bridge chip as it is in the Nforce 3-250.

 

[Trent©]

I'm curious about something, which shouldn't be too complicated to answer
I've seen a lot of motherboards lately that had an integrated ethernet
card/adapter. What I was wondering: is this as good as a "stand-alone"
ethernet card?

It depends.

I know integrated sound or video boards "do the job" without
being as sophisticated as regular audio or video cards (not as fast, less
features or effects, etc.),

That's not always true.

but an ethernet card? This usually has only one
use and, as long as it is a 10/100 card, speed shouldn't be any slower than
a regular card, right?

Wrong.

But it has little to do with the fact that it is...or
isn't...integrated. Its like any OTHER device of ANY kind. Some
products are better than others...its just that simple.

If yer racing cars, will any camshaft do? A camshaft is a
camshaft...right? Same thing for injectors?

An integrated of one particular board may be better than the
integrated on another particular board. But a stand alone may be
better than either of the integrated boards. Its really a matter of
engineering.

For instance, is PCI Express integrated better than stand alone PCI?
Is a Promise controller better than an integrated controller?

The answer to this...and to your question...is many times simply
subjective...and a matter of choice.

I'll possibly need a network card so I'd like to
know if the integrated card will be OK before I buy anything like a separate
ethernet card. Thanks!

Will it be okay?...sure. But only throughput tests between the two
media will tell you for sure which is better.

For most applications...on an internal LAN...gigabit media will be
more than sufficient for you...no matter if you go integrated or
add-on. If you want to be certain which may be better/faster for your
particular needs, get the specs from the 2 different sources and
compare them.

Even then...the proof will be in the puddin'!

Good luck.


Have a nice one...

Trent©

Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!

 

[MCheu]

I'm curious about something, which shouldn't be too complicated to answer
I've seen a lot of motherboards lately that had an integrated ethernet
card/adapter. What I was wondering: is this as good as a "stand-alone"
ethernet card? I know integrated sound or video boards "do the job" without
being as sophisticated as regular audio or video cards (not as fast, less
features or effects, etc.), but an ethernet card? This usually has only one
use and, as long as it is a 10/100 card, speed shouldn't be any slower than
a regular card, right? I'll possibly need a network card so I'd like to
know if the integrated card will be OK before I buy anything like a separate
ethernet card. Thanks!

It will work fine. For all intents, the integrated Ethernet is
equivalent to a generic 10/100 cards based on the Realtek chipset --
even uses the same driver, since it's the same chipset with the same
functionality. If you have a preference for something name brand, you
could always disable it in the BIOS and pop in a card.