3Com Vs. Intel?

[Mortis]

Greetings. I am putting together a new secondary gaming Rig Build and have a NICard Dispute going on... hehe. Here is what I have available to use:

3Com FastEtherLink XL PCI version 3c905
3Com FastEtherLink XL PCI version 3c905b
Intel Pro/100

I am not going to use any extra features- I just want to use the Fastest NIC. This rig will Run Win2kPro and be used mostly for Gaming- My home LAN games, on the road LAN's and some internet Gaming. Which is best for Speed and ease of Use, compatibility? They are all 32bit and I think there really wont be much differences between them, but dont know squat when it comes to Network Cards, so figured I would ask for some advice.

Thanks,
Mortis

[Mntsnow]

I personally love my Intel nic's great thru-put and have been very stable for me. I do have 905b's that are in a couple of machines and they too have been good with no complaints. One thing I can say though is the 3com seems to be more compatable with "network bootup disks" than my Intels (meaning the 3coms are natatively supported where as with the Intel's I had to do some manual configuration of the disk to get the correct support)

[Mortis]

Thanks. With this rig I am not concerned with Network Booting or Installations. So, as long as any performance differences is negliable, I will use the Pro/100 in this rig and hold onto the 3Com b for that purpose in mind for any future build where NIC bootup or installation is required. I cant imagine me ever needing to do that- but hey, never know... I may just feel an experimental need to play with that option... LOL. Now, as talked about before- Where are those dang sticky notes so I can write myself a note and put the card away for future use/tinkering... LOL.

As for the two 3Com cards, I presume the b series/model is just a later revision of the 3c905's.

Thanks for the Info and Input!

Mortis

[n7vxj]

:stress: Guys I'm running a pcchips m599lmr motherboard.It has a built ethernet card which appears to be a piece of crap!!So bad in fact, that I had to run my dsl modem on one of my usb ports.Anyway, I'm looking at putting in a different ethernet card.I found an Intel 10bt/100btx Pro/100+PCI card. Does anyone know if this is a good card?Give me some input here guys!! I would like to get my dsl modem off my usb port, but I want it to run right, and fast!!!

[Mntsnow]

Thats a great card! If your running Win2K or XP the drivers are built in but you can always download the newest one's from Intel's website too