Review: Belkin Gigabit Ethernet Options
Don Bradbury describes some quick and easy ways to upgrade to 1000Mbps Ethernet
| Product | Gigabit Ethernet devices F5D5055ed; USB 2.0 Gigabit Ethernet adapter |
|---|---|
| Company | Belkin Corp |
| Web | www.belkin.com |
| Price | F5D5005ea £13.84 F5D5055ed £22.61 |
| We like | Useful activation LEDs on USB adapter |
| We don't like | USB adapter will probably need the supplied stand-off lead |
| Rating | 9/10 |
| Requirements |
If your computer, whether desktop or laptop, came equipped with an Ethernet port for networking and Internet connectivity, unless it's of recent build it will probably be to 10/100Mbps, IEEE 802.3u, 100Base-T standard.
But Gigabit Ethernet can ostensibly give you ten times the data transfer speed of a 100Mpbs port over a network connection. That's useful for transferring large data and video files, multi-player gaming, and for sharing network printers over your network, though of course you wouldn't expect that sort of speed gain over any current Internet connection; the infrastructure simple isn't there yet.
To add Gigabit Ethernet you have several options, PCI card, USB adapter, and Cardbus/ExpressCard among them. Here we look at the former duo in the shape of a couple of adapters from Belkin Corp.
From a Desktop's PCI slot
Installing this PCI card, coded F5D5005ea, involves switching off and opening up your desktop's system box, locating a free 32-bit PCI expansion slot, removing that slot's blanking plate, inserting and seating the card firmly into position and replacing the slot screw, closing up, and then plugging your network cable into the Ethernet port and switching on.
Belkin state that all Windows versions from 98SE to XP/2000 support this upgrade, with no mention of Vista on the pack; in fact we checked and it was not yet Vista compatible at the time of writing.
Windows will detect the new hardware addition and may require you to let it see the driver CD. There's other software on the CD that you might possibly have need of, too, but basically that completes the setup for Windows. The driver line-up for this device includes Linux versions 2.4.x or 2.6.x, though without guarantees of operability with these.
From a USB 2.0 port
The Belkin Gigabit USB 2.0 Network Adapter, coded F5D5055ed, is a neat little device that lets you convert a free USB 2.0 port into a Gigabit Ethernet port with minimal fuss. It can, of course, also be used on a Desktop PC.
The adapter is of solid construction; that's to say that, on it's own, it will overlay adjacent USB ports if they happen to lie on the "wrong" side of the port you want to use, or perhaps a power adapter lead may be in the way if you employ a Cardbus USB card or similar.
In order to neatly obviate this potential difficulty, Belkin provide a 6 inch A/A type flexible USB 2.0 lead which lets the Ethernet adapter stand off the machine a distance. In this way, any of your USB 2.0 ports can be pressed into service.
Incidentally, that A-Male to A-Female stand-off USB lead may well fit the bill for other duties, such as the extended reach or accessibility problem we discussed recently. If so, it doubly justifies the expense of this particular device provided you don't need it in service constantly. A/A USB leads provide simple extension for awkwardly placed USB ports, one end of the cable being connected to the USB port and the other end accepting the USB device you require to use.
Again, the Gigabit Ethernet Adapter will need to see the CD provided for driver installation. After a restart, the computer is ready for action, complete with the high speed Ethernet port and three rather bright blue LEDs to indicate power, the established connection, and activity. The compatibility line-up for this device includes Windows 98SE to XP/2000. Again, there's no mention of Vista on the pack. We understand, though, that this adapter is compatible in version 2000. There's also support for Linux 2.6.x on x86 architecture as well as Windows CE 5.0.
In conclusion
Adding fast 1000Mbps Ethernet is a simple task, and not expensive to implement. Either of these devices could fit the bill for you rather neatly, though there are alternatives on the market. Just don't expect super fast Internet connections. The stated transmission rate is the physical data rate; the actual USB 2.0 throughput of the USB adapter, for instance, will be lower than the physical rate and will be dependant on the PC's USB capacity and other data traffic on the USB bus. Gigabit Ethernet is, for now, intended for those fast data transfers over network connections, as described, while Internet connection speed is mainly determined by the setup your ISP gives you. Finally, be careful over the Vista compatibility issue.
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