Network Card Q

rizla01

i am starting to get old machine up & running following HD crash and have acquired an old amchine with a Dlink - dfe 500tx network card installed.

Is it worth installing in my older (5years) machine with the intention of one day, connecting wirelessly to my new dell?

The older machine is an 85o Mhz with 385gig of Ram and a hard drive yet to be sourced but it doesn't (As yet) have an ethernet card installed.

espresso

Don't understand what you are saying because the DFE 500TX IS an Ethernet card.

rizla01

Yes. I am aware that this is an ethernet card. My OLDER machine doesn't have one and I have now aquired ANOTHER machine with this card installed.

My machine is more powerful so I was asking if it is worth taking out of OLDER machine and putting in my computer with the intention of it communicating with my NEW machine or am I better off buying a more modern card.

espresso

Basically it will perform the same as any other Ethernet card i.e. max data transfer rate of 100 Mbps, so you may as well make use of it. It won't help with connecting to your Dell wirelessly though.

rizla01

Aha. So what would I use it for then?

Do I take it that this is only for hard wired Networking?

With 'wireless' on the go now I would have thought that redundant technology.

chartreuse_2

Both transport layers have their uses. In any event, as even really really old NICs run at 10Mb/s and your broadband connection isn't that fast the whole matter is probably irelevant.;)

rizla01

Sorry. I'm now confused.

1) Will this card enable me to connect to my Dell in anyway?
2) Is there any other benefit in installing it?
3) Will I need other soft/hardware to use it and if so which?
4) do I just plug it in or do I need to alter Bios settings Etc or will windows (Xp) recognise it and do the necessary?
5) To connect to my Dell wirelessly, do I take it that I dont need this board installed but instead, a different type? If so which type?

sorry about the stream of Qs but I'm getting on a bit these days.:)

rizla01

Anyone?............

chartreuse_2

Sorry, I was on my way home from the office.

Whether this is worth doing or not depends on what you want to do:

- If both machines have Ethernet ports then you can connect them with a crossover cable (like a regular ethernet cable but with the wires crossed over). This will let you move files between machines.

- If one of them is connected to t'Internet you can use Windows Internet Connection sharing to let the second machine connect through the first.

- But a better solution is to buy a cheap router and connect that to t'Internet and then connect both machines to it. Which type you got would depend on the type of connection you have.

- If you got a router you could get one with wireless capability. That way, if one of your machines is enabled, you could connect wirelessly (eg, if your new one is a laptop, you'd put the router next to the old one, connecting them with a regular Ethernet cable, and use your lappy wirelessly from the sofa or the bog).

- But wireless network are really really easy to leave wide open, which can leave you vulnerable, so you'd want to read up on wireless security first. US DoD used to make a manual available FoC, but I don't have the link to hand.

- You shouldn't need to touch the BIOS settings.

Hope this helps.

rizla01

Chartrause.

Blinding m8.

Thanks for that information - Much clearer now.

O.k. I think I'll install the card anyway and experiment for the time being.

Being able to move files over would be an advantage so it's worth it for that alone.

I Happy now!!:)