Ethernet Controller Drivers: The Fastest and Easiest Way to a Great Connection

Connecting a PC to a high speed network requires some type of network interface. Today the most common network interface is Ethernet controllers, which have replaced technologies that are older like Appletalk and Tolen Ring. Without an Ethernet controller, it is impossible to take use the high speed networks available at the office or home, and many modern computers have an Ethernet interface already configured when you buy the PC.

There are many manufacturers and suppliers of Ethernet controllers. These companies include Linksys, 3Com, and D-Link. In addition, many companies that create motherboards will embed Ethernet controllers into their products, so that there is no need to add in a card. A computer can support multiple Ethernet controllers, and these PCs can be configured so that the Ethernet controllers are be used or gateways.

Facts About Ethernet Controllers

Every Ethernet controller has an address that is unique, and this address consists of six full bytes, or octets, and the first three of these octets will consist of the identification for the device manufacturer. Networked PCs became very popular in the nineties, and this created a demand for high speed Ethernet controllers by consumers. Before this point, built in Ethernet controllers were only available on midrange computers, including those from IBM, Digital, and Sun. Before the introduction of Windows 95, support for the TCP/IP protocol was uncommon, and usually required extra drivers and other system tweaks to work correctly.

The first Ethernet devices had a speed of around ten Megabits, and they used the specification 10BASE-T. This has been changed because of the quicker interconnect speeds today. Modern Ethernet controllers can reach one hundred Megabits or more concerning data rates, making it Gigabit Ethernet. The actual speed of the PC, however, will be determined by the slowest connection. It is possible for your home network to reach data rates of one hundred Megabits, but the speed of your connection method, such as cable, DSL, or others, will limit the throughput to the outside.

Unlike TCP/IP, which is the Internet communication standard protocol, Ethernet controllers have the ability to run many protocols at the same time. A card may be configured to utilize TCP/IP, Ethertalk, the Microsoft Networking protocol, and the IPX/SPX client by Novell called Netware, all at the same time. Managing connections requires no user intervention or assistance, because the configured protocols activity is multiplexed through the device.

A new product idea that is still under patent is an Ethernet controller and SCSI integrated together on a PCI local bus. This will involve having both the Ethernet controller and the SCSI controller both integrated onto one single circuit chip, and both the controllers will include digital circuitry coupled together with the needed buffers, as well as the Ethernet controller including analog circuitry also.