Best Ethernet Network Interface Card

Ethernet Remains Under 3Com's Rule

The 16-bit, 10BASE-T Ethernet adapters are best suited for use in workstations and smaller, lower-traffic network servers. Our Well-Connected winner in this category is a stellar performer in both environments. Offering very good performance, good autoconfiguration capabilities and excellent documentation, 3Com's Etherlink III 3C509B-TP is the best all-around choice for modern Ethernet networks.
10BASE-T Ethernet network adapters have certainly become commodity products. You can get decent, reasonably high-quality adapters for as little as $30. It takes special features to justify spending any more. All three of our top candidates in this category offer enticing reasons to open your pocketbook a bit wider.
3Com's parallel tasking technology makes the Etherlink III about the fastest 16-bit Ethernet adapter around. Essentially, speed is enhanced by having the card perform specific functions simultaneously. This scheme adds an average of 10 percent to the adapter's throughput. Standard Microsystems Corp.'s Elite 16T Ultra also has a form of parallel tasking, which the company calls SimulTasking. The 16T Ultra's performance, while good, doesn't equal that of the Etherlink III.
Like Intel's EtherExpress PRO/10 Adapter, 3Com's Etherlink III sports excellent autoconfiguration capability, which saves the network installer time and grief. Adapter interrupt and I/O settings are automatically set. And the files required for the workstation to run as a NetWare ODI client are automatically copied from the supplied set-up d isk and then installed. It's a good time-saver. We'd love to see 3Com add something like Intel's Flash ROM-based installation capability, which eliminates the need for an installation disk by downloading all installation software from the server.

Etherlink III 3C509B-TP, $132, 3Com Corp., 5400 Bayfront Plaza, Santa Clara, CA 95052. (408) 764-5000; fax (408)
764-5001.

Runners-Up
EtherExpress PRO/10 Adapter, Intel Corp., 5200 N.E. Elam Young Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124.
(800) 538-3373; fax (503) 525-3019.

EtherCard Elite16T Ultra,
Standard Microsystems Corp.,
80 Arkay Dr., Hauppauge, NY 11788. (800) SMC-4YOU;
(516) 273-3100; fax (516) 273-1803.