Network Hardware advice please...

[Karenna]

For the past few years, I've been using Linksys products, specifically the standard Linksys BEFSR41 100Mbps Router/Switch
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=33-124-001&DEPA=5
(which I remember costing hella more than $46 when I first got it! :P )

But I'm looking to upgrade my wired network to Gigabit, and I'm having trouble finding a replacement to the above switch from Linksys.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a Giga router/switch, or similar LAN box? I'm also curious if anyone has used any Giga NICs, as I need 2 more for my 3 machines (on board in my recently upgraded mobo)...I had bad experiences with NetGear shit in the past, and I'd like to avoid a similar problem :P

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys... :wink:

[Karenna]

I was looking at these NICs:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=33-106-105&depa=5

thoughts?

[KJFett]

http://www.heyrick.co.uk/images/mynet/hardware/isa_nic.jpeg

I prefer the PC NIC - ISA

This is a simple ISA card providing 10-baseT and 10-base2. It is not configured by links. Instead you must run a special software package which allows you to configure your card. If you buy a card 2nd hard, ensure that you can obtain the configuration software (unless it only cost a few quid!) because the world's snazziest card is no good if you can't set it up correctly!
This card does not carry any form of ID, it says only: "Made in Taiwan" (twice!) and the red label says "YES It runs with NetWare".
However, the layout of the components, and the components themselves, are the same as for my Kingston NE2000 compatible board (refer to IDing the PC's NIC) so I am guessing the software to set that up would also work for this NIC

http://www.heyrick.co.uk/mynet/hwpics.html

If the shuttle can run with it...why can't you?! :P

[Karenna]

THAT's why I'm NOT an astronaut

[mIstabone]

Make sure you get one that supports Jumbo frames. Do a search here and you should come up with lots of posts about good cheap gigabit switches that support jumbo frames.

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb.x/a/frm/f/469092836