Ethernet (RJ-45) Network Cards for PCI Express x1

How to Use RJ45 With PCI Express

Even though Wi-Fi is becoming more and more popular with people everywhere, there are always those who prefer the security of a wired connection. The key lies in finding the right network adapter that's compatible with your desktop.

How Can You Install a Network Card?

With plug and play operating systems, installing an adapter is fairly simple. You just have to turn off the computer, open the case, drop the adapter in the appropriate slot and then boot to install the drivers. You don't even need a driver CD in most cases, the OS will automatically recognize your Ethernet LAN card. There are three related but incompatible interfaces.

  • PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect is a 32-bit interface found in most older computers. The big weakness here is that it's a shared 32-bit bus with a maximum total bandwidth of 132 MB per second, making it too slow for Gigabit Ethernet.
  • PCI-X: PCI-eXtended is a 64-bit interface offering significantly more bandwidth than its predecessor, but rarely found outside servers. It also suffers from being a shared bus, which means that its bandwidth divides among devices. It's also limited in that it can only reach its maximum performance when only one device is connected.
  • PCI-E: PCI-Express is a serial interface offering anywhere up 8 Gigabits per lane depending on the implementation, which makes PCIe a good choice for network cards as even an x1 card's single lane offers more than enough bandwidth to support Gigabit Ethernet at full speed.

What Should You Look for in a Network Card?

The first thing you should look for in any new network card is a minimum of Gigabit Ethernet support. There is simply no reason to deal with 100 Mbps or slower network interfaces like so-called "Fast Ethernet" when you don't have to, and most adapters can support the Gigabit standard over Ethernet with ease. Features to look for include:

  • Interface: When possible, look for PCI-Express as it's both the fastest and the most common in recent computers.
  • Profile: Smaller cases can benefit from a low-profile card, though if you have a full-size case you may need a low-profile bracket to mount the adapter properly
  • Wake-on-LAN: With this feature, your Ethernet card can wake the computer from sleep.

Network Features

With the right equipment your home LAN can offer everything from full-duplex connections to power over Ethernet. The high speed and small form factor of PCIe network interface cards make them a good choice for many computers. You can get all the bandwidth you want without worrying about wireless congestion. When combined with new external interfaces like USB-C, Gigabit Ethernet is rewriting the book on external performance.

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