Another Advanced Network Question

[JeremyCDay]

EG1064 - Instant Gigabit Network Adapter (?)

EG1032 - Instant Gigabit Network Adapter (?)

I Like to have the best hardware and software that my computer can have, can my computer run the 64 bit version of that network card, if it can whats the benifet of using 64 bit over 32 bit. and do gigabit networks still use cat5 cables?

Motherboard: ASUS A7V266-E

RAM: 512 PC2100 DDR

Processor: Athlon XP 1800+

Video Card: Geforce 3

Network Card: LNE100TX - EtherFast? 10/100 LAN Card

Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy EX

Hard Drives; 40 Gig, and 8 gig

CD Drives: Pioneer slot loading DVD, Phillips CDRW 1200 Series

Linksys Router: BEFSR81 EtherFast? Cable/DSL Router with 8-Port Switch

[Ren (Killshot)]

try asking in the correct forum

[JeremyCDay]

more people look, and reply in this forum, plus my last post in this forum for netowrk related recieved some really intelligent responses

[Grappa]

Unless your computer is directly connected to an major internet backbone (i.e. you work at a link station on the backbone) the only time you'll see a gigabit network is when you read PR releases from backbone providers talking about how they've upgraded their systems. Even most businesses don't use it because the hardware you need (gigabit routers and switches) is still rather expensive. Gigabit isn't for home use either.

G

[Chrissssssss]

I doubt your computer can use a 64-bit network card. 64-bit PCI slots are about twice the size of normal PCI slots

Piccy of a 64-bit SCSI card: http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/SCSI/3950U2B/3950U2B_lg.jpg

[Ren (Killshot)]

f00l your post was moved and answerd in the NETWORKING forum

[Vlad]

ROFL wtf good is having a gigabit ethernet cable going to do you? Are your computers part of an internet backbone? Are they servers in a large network? Do you think you're going to be able to move files at super-l337-warp-hyper-speed? Or are you just desperate to go to the command prompt and ping your other computer so you can see the <1ms ping time (which most 100mbs see anyways)?

[Malechai]

Thread moved to Network Troubleshooters

Originally posted by JeremyCDay

more people look, and reply in this forum, plus my last post in this forum for netowrk related recieved some really intelligent responses

Jeremy,

Regardless of which forums get the most traffic, we encourage members to post to the correct forum pertaining to their topic. This causes less clutter due to off-topic posts as well as less work for mods to do :)

[JustinLerner]

There is this reasonable desire and need for speedy and responsive applicatons. Everyone wants it, everyone would appreciate it, but not everyone can really use the hardware that you hope would achieve the results.

Like a powerful and fast car that can reach upwards of 190mph, where could you use this feature? I had to requote something I read earlier in another post by otherenutrient, "Using [some expensive special hardware or software] just [for the need for speed] is like cracking a walnut with a Dodge Durango."

Your motherboard is not capable of fully using 64bit cards, although the cards you list may actually plug into 32bit PCI slots (the 64 bit PCI card hangs over the edge of the 32bit PCI board connector), but you will actually get 32bit performance (no more than 133MB/s on the PCI bus - but not equivalent in data throughput.)

To get gigabit Ethernet to work, you need a gigabit capable switch in addition to the NIC's, and you can expect to pay no less than $1000 for one of these. Inheritant in all Ethernet is collisions and waiting times. All Ethernet (gigabit included) can SUSTAIN no more than about 40% throughput utilization, even on switches. So if you had a huge file (like 40GB) and tried to transfer this file from one PC to another with both PC's having 100Mb, full duplex NIC's and sharing a capable switch, you would not get 200Mb/s or even 100Mb/s performance. You would probably get sustained performance of less than 40% of the 100Mb/s performance ~ 40Mb/s.

If you were using gigabit Ethernet, the % wouldn't change, but all of your PC's would need compatible NIC's. Gigabit makes sense for a server connected to a 100/Gigabit switch where there are significant loads on the server.