Network cards now and 1996

[Raptor]

What would the differences be between a network interfacee card such as Compaq/Intel NC3121 from 1996 and any random network interface card from 2005?

What technologies have been added?

I have a NC3121 which is not in use, and I am thinking of using it in my game system. However, I am worried that I will be using a far too outdated card compared to the Network card onboard. Which is most likely post-2001.

[merlin_2]

Why......whats is your point.....

[sovietspark]

No new technologies really. Your older one is probably a 10/100, and the newer one might be a 10/100/1000, but when are you ever going to get internet that fast?

[Raptor]

Why......whats is your point.....

However, I am worried that I will be using a far too outdated card compared to the Network card onboard. Which is most likely post-2001.  

No new technologies really. Your older one is probably a 10/100, and the newer one might be a 10/100/1000, but when are you ever going to get internet that fast?

A man can dream.  

So, there absolutely no new technologies introduced since 1996 that are important to gamers or high speed Internet?

[sovietspark]

I'm sure there's new acronyms and whatnot and new whatevers, but they don't really matter. I haven't noticed any difference between 10/100 and 10/100/1000 while playing games (I have 6mbps cable).

[Computer_Commando]

I'm sure there's new acronyms and whatnot and new whatevers, but they don't really matter. I haven't noticed any difference between 10/100 and 10/100/1000 while playing games (I have 6mbps cable).

Makes sense to me. The 10 in 10/100 is 10mbps well above the 6mbps cable.

The History of Ethernet

IEEE 802.3 CSMA/CD (ETHERNET)

[Raptor]

The conclusion would be that a network from 1996 is as effective as a network card from 2005?

Have absolutely no new technologies been added? You would think that with the massive amount of cable users, there would be certain improvements made?

[sovietspark]

If you're on ethernet, a 10/100/1000 is better. You have to have a cable to support it as well, a standard CAT5 patch isn't capable of supporting up to 1000, you need a CAT5e or a CAT6.

10/100/1000 is mostly important for data intensive LAN - i.e. gaming (LAN parties) and business networking.

[Raptor]

That is not quite what I use the computer for. I use it to play games via the Internet. I guess I could even do with an old 10Mbps card if I had to.

So, is it adviceable to switch from Onboard network card to Compaq NC3121 from 1996? I read that onboard cards take up more system resources than expansion cards

[sovietspark]

I don't know whether they do or not. I'd just as soon use an onboard card than deal with an extra decvice.

[Raptor]

I think I have to find a reasonable compensation. If an onboard card requires more resources to be ran than an expansion card, I would definitely switch. But if the network card from 1996 is severly outdated and will not deliver as good a performance as the onboard, I wouldn't switch for anything in the world...