Well, Rick, I'm no network expert, but I have noticed a difference between what people tell me, what the box says, and real life. I use the LNE100TX and 3Com 3C905B/C cards only. Now, supposedly, when I have a 10Mbps card going to my hub, it's supposed to slow the whole network down to 10Mbps. However, I seem to have an oddball (advanced or something) hub where only the 10Mbps line would run at 10Mbps. (Everyone: No, this is not a switch. This is not a switch. This is not a switch.) Anyway, plugging in a 10Mbps card into a primarily 100Mbps hub is /supposedly/ going to slow everything down. However (from the verbiage on the side of my new switches (ahem)), it doesn't make any difference because the 100Mbps is shared among the machines that are talking on "most" hubs. Hubs also "are only capable of half duplex" meaning 50Mbps up and 50Mbps down, shared among machines. Now, this I can attest to because I ran into it building my own linux distro (linuxfromscratch.org, not recommended to the impatient or anyone with a sex life), my NIC belched out that the network was running half duplex. Supposedly, on a switch, all of these problems are solved. You run at full duplex (100Mbps up + 100Mbps down = 200Mbps and yes I've noticed a speed difference since I installed them). So, what you're asking is going to get you a different answer depending on who you talk to. Network people will tell you that the 10Mbps card will slow down the network without a switch. I can't abide this because I haven't noticed it with three brands of hubs, but it's what's /supposed/ to happen. However, if you're going to get anything, I'd personally suggest a switch. It does help things move along better. D-Link 5 port are what I have, and I have 3 daisy-chained. They were about $60 each. They should make your nics work at their own proper speeds and even speed them up a bit. And (aestethic note) I like that they plug in the ether in back and have lights on the front... never have figured out why non-rack-mount hubs and such always want the plugs in front. Dave On Wednesday 29 August 2001 22:15, Ricardo Rodriguez wrote:
My actual network is conected through a router that is connected to a cable modem and providing internet access to three laptops.
What I am going to do is put one of those laptops outside the router so it can be set as a webserver and be accessed by outsiders. In that case that pc will be in the middle of the router and de ISP.
I have a 10mbp NIC and a 10/100mbp. Do I really need to get another 10/100 to put in that computer or I can just put the 10/100 in the NIC connected to the ISP and the 10mbp going to the router?
Does that really affect the service performance on the computers connected to the router?
Thnx!!
===== Ricardo A. Rodriguez