Ethernet really that much better than USB?

[aatticus__]

wondering if an ethernet modem is really that much better than a USB modem, i am currently using a usb modem temporarily and i was wondering if i should expect any LARGE decreases in my speeds and latency.

thanks =)

[mccoffee]

Loss of speed could happen i think if anything you would see is speed not as stable

Ethernet is the best way to go usb wasn't ment to be networked by design.

[The Dude]

USB bandwidth is shared between all the devices on the bus. By switching to a NIC you give your broadband connection a dedicated hookup. Not necessarily faster but should be more stable. USB has it's uses but IMHO networking isn't one of them.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by The Dude
USB bandwidth is shared between all the devices on the bus. By switching to a NIC you give your broadband connection a dedicated hookup. Not necessarily faster but should be more stable. USB has it's uses but IMHO networking isn't one of them.

PCI is actually very heavily shared. Even integrated NICs, except for some new Intel designs, are on the shared PCI bus.


I prefer ethernet modems anyways because I insist on a hardware router as the means of connecting to broadband, that way you have a nice hardware NAT firewall. I don't like software firewalls. Except for a very small handfull of specialized routers, most don't work with USB broadband modems.

Performance wise, for the average user, the USB port is more than fast enough to accomodate a USB network interface. The bottleneck is your broadband, even lowly old slow USB 1.1 has way more than enough bandwidth so as not to be the bottleneck. For working on peoples computers that don't have an internan NIC, I reach for a trusty old Netgear USB NIC and download windows updates and all sorts of stuff to work on computers. Been using the same one for years, I've sat there comparing it to a PCI NIC pulling 200 megs files at over 600K on the 6 meg DSL pipe. Pretty much dead even.

Yeah USB was kinda flakey in early Win95b, etc, but with Win98, and esp 2K and XP, I can't count the hundreds and hundreds of computers this little Netgear USB NIC has been in and done the job problem free.

For gamers...here's a slight performance hit, as USB does take a little more CPU utilization than a quality hardware driven NIC, therefore can add a wee bit of latency. But for 95% of most users...nothing that can be noticed.

[aatticus__]

awesome thanks guys :D it sounds like i'll be able to live with the usb modem - atleast until my ethernet one comes in :cool:

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by aatticus__
awesome thanks guys :D it sounds like i'll be able to live with the usb modem - atleast until my ethernet one comes in :cool:

Since you're not going to use a NAT router for protection, at least make sure you have a software firewall, at the very least activate WinXP's built in firewall. Run all your windows updates. Keep your antivirus real time protection on and fully updated.

[MamaBear]

Make sure your are running the usb cable modem thru a usb 2.0 port. You dont get the proper speed tru usb 1.0 which is the standard for usb. I aquired a usb 2.0 pci card for 10 bucks on ebay. comes with 4 external and 1 internal. The same cards cost 35 bucks at a store like best buy...go to ebay first and get one..I promise u will see different and more accurate speed. I was on an ethernet modem and switched to a usb cable modem , wireless too i might add, anyway i had lousy speed until i got my usb2.0 and now im blazing fast.... just my 2 cents..have a good one

[The Dude]

I think you will find that the USB connection on the cable modem is only USB 1.1 My cable modem has both USB 1.1 and an ethernet connection. The cable modem only works at 10 base-T simplex. USB 1.1 is 12 Mbs and more than fast enough for that. The ethernet connection is only a 10 base-T connection, 10 Mbs max.:)

[aatticus__]

how can i check if my usb is 1.0 or 2.0?:confused:

[The Dude]

If you bought it, it should be in the manual. If not just google it or look it up on the manufacturers web site. It doesn't really mater though, because you will never come close to USB 2.0 speeds on cable or DSL. Not right now anyway. Even if it is a USB 2 port you will be lucky to get USB 1.1 speed. If that USB port is connected to another PC for networking or file transfer, then USB 2 is the way to go. I wouldn't sweat it, you sound like you have good speed anyway. I have heard, but I don't know for sure, that if you connect a USB 1.1 device to a USB 2 port then all the ports on that controller will only run at USB 1.1 speed. I am probably making a big deal out of nothing. I only mentioned it because buying a USB 2 card won't necessarily get you anymore speed out of you broadband connection. My self I have never used the USB port on my cable modem. I have a router and 100 base-T NIC's in all my PC's for 100 Mbs file transfer speeds. :)