I want to create a gigabit network. What do i need?

Question

I have two laptops running Windows xp Sp2 with no gigabit adapters installed. I also have a desktop which is also running Windows XP sp2 and with no gigabit adapters installed. I have Broadband Internet with a modem.

Answer 1

it's not necessary.

Answer 2

You need a gigabit router and for your desktop you need a gigabit ethernet card. As for your laptops, if the built in wireless is 1000 mbps, you should be able to get a gigabit speed. If this doesn't work you should get a gigabit adapter for them. I also recommend that you get everything in wireless N. It'll give you greater speed and farther distance.

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Answer 3

you will need to purchase some gigabit adapters.

the one for the pc http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.... will be cheap but the laptops wil be more expensive and you will need something like a pcmcia to gigabit card- these are more expensive and imply that you will need to run off cat5 (ethernet) cable rather than wifi (gigabit wifi doesn't exist yet) http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product....

you will also need a gigabit switch, there are not many decent adsl routers with gigabit built in yet http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product....

if your existing modem is a usb product then you will need to replace it with an ethernet modem. this modem will connect to the switch at 100mb rather than 1000gb but this is not a problem as your adsl is probably less than 10mb.

The only real advantage you will have over a 100mb network is the abilty to transfer files between machine more quickly. Is this a worthwhile trade off given that your laptops will no longer be using wifi?

Answer 4

If your laptops have PCMCIA slots, you can use pcmcia gigabit ethernet adapters for your laptops. Buy a PCI gigabit ethernet adapter for your PC. And the last one you need to buy a broadband router which at least have 4 GBit ethernet ports to connect your Broadband Modem to both of your laptops and your PC.

Answer 5

Buy the adapters for all stations, maybe a NIC for the desktop, and a gigabit switch. Since you are using only 4 ports, for 3 computers and the modem, you can be set with a gigabit router like the d-link dir-655, the one I use here. This unit cost me around 140 US dollars and also have 802.11N access. USB adapters for gigabit LAN costs arount 40 USD. PCI gigabit NIC around 25 USD.

In this way you can have, just in case, an 802.11N access point with speeds up to 350mbits, and also downward compatible with 54mbits 802.11g for emergency with your laptops antennas... And have internet access sharing and gigabit LAN ports for up to 4 stations in a single box. You can keep the radio off, and turn it on only when needed as a backup, or for things like sync a wi-fi enabled smartphone or camera...

Worked fine for me.

Double check the wired ports on your laptops and desktop. Many new embedded ports are gigabit capable...

[antonio feitosa]