Ethernet card issue..

E

El Kabong

n00b
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
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Ugh... could someone educate a n00b for a second here?

I'm not exactly sure what im looking for here. I need an ethernet card for my comp but i'm not exactly sure where to go. I see these things called Network Interface Cards, which is what Newegg keeps steering me to whenever i enter "Ethernet cards" into the search box. I'm under the impression that these are just what they are named, network cards used to connect your comp to a network, router, and all that jazz and through that to a modem.

What im looking for is a card that connects directly from my comp to a modem... or is that not one in the same? I dont want to end up messing up big time here lol.

Thanks for your help.
 
Ethernet card, network card, network adapter, NIC... they all mean the same thing.

Nearly all recent computers have on-board networking. Are you sure yours doesn't? What's the make and model of the computer / motherboard?

What sort of modem do you have? Make and model?
 
Yes, my motherboard has onboard networking. But it wasnt for internet access but just LANs i think... But i tried using a network interface card once before but i couldnt get it to work through my modem (Com21.. dunno the exact model or anything). I remember it trying to work with the IP but i cant remember for sure...


*EDIT btw i used this one ethernet card that the cable company intially gave me on two computers, and the same card worked on both computers. (Reason i got this issue is cuz i need a second). so is the problem between the card and the modem or.. what? Cuz i couldnt get a connection when i used another ethernet card...
 
El Kabong said:
Yes, my motherboard has onboard networking. But it wasnt for internet access but just LANs i think... But i tried using a network interface card once before but i couldnt get it to work through my modem (Com21.. dunno the exact model or anything). I remember it trying to work with the IP but i cant remember for sure...


*EDIT btw i used this one ethernet card that the cable company intially gave me on two computers, and the same card worked on both computers. (Reason i got this issue is cuz i need a second). so is the problem between the card and the modem or.. what? Cuz i couldnt get a connection when i used another ethernet card...
Click to expand...

Ehhh, if it has onboard networking, it should work for both LAN's and the Internet - Ethernet is Ethernet.
 
>_O Funny... should it? It was 1394 connection. I contacted the cable company earlier about the connection when i first built the comp, they suggested i used the original ethernet card that i used before. I tried the connecton from the motherboard before calling, and it didnt work...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131142
Onboard LAN
LAN Chipset Marvell 88E1116
Max LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps


So any LAN connection will work locally and through a modem to the internet...
So what did the cable people say to me then...


*EDIT* oooh... my bad. 1394 is wi-fi and all that firewire stuff... but in any case i didnt see any network connection reference in the network connections refering to the onboard LAN so...
 
As you're talking about multiple computers now, the thing to do might be to get a router. It'll let you share the internet connection and also give you a hardware firewall. Connect the router's WAN/Internet port to the modem, and connect the computers to the router. Follow the router's installation manual for more details. If there are any setup instructions from your ISP, you might need to apply them to the Internet connection setup part of the router itself.

If your on-board NIC is not working at all, it could be a driver issue -- I think the version for your board would be found here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/nf_650i_winxp32_8.43.html. You should also have a copy that came with your motherboard.

Sometimes Internet connections need a good boot to work. Try powering down everything for some time, then powering them back up one by one -- starting with the modem and working back to the computer.
 
No, no need for a network. The reason im getting a second network card is because my comp and i are moving out of the house soon (college) and the apartment complex supplies cable internet access (included in the rent... almost too good, no?).

Thing about the onboard NIC is that im not even sure it's "there" at all? I look in network connections and the only things that show up are the firewire and the (seperate) network card connection im currently using. I DO see the ethernet port on the motherboard though... so...
 
Use your onboard ethernet port, don't get a card. I bet that you just need to enable the port or install a driver for it. Since it sounds like you may be a little lost, I would suggest getting a friend or service provider to come out and set you up at the new apartment. It will make your life a lot easier.

LAN stands for Local Area Network. It is your basic internet port, and is used for both local traffic and the internet. Your onboard port is actually pretty decent, I wouldn't waste the money on a card.
 
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