3com network interface card

[zxc47]

Does anyone know anything about the 3 com gigabit server network interface card 3C996B-T 10/100/1000 Mbps copper connections for servers?

[YeOldeStonecat]

Just quoted one yesterday for a dual CPU 2 gig RAM RAID 5 Small Business Server I'm hoping to do soon....they have a need for storage and reading large geographic survey maps and files...so I'm shooting for a gig NIC on the LAN side of the server to a 10/100/1000 switch. Will use CAT 5e cable to the switch.

http://www.3com.com/products/en_US/detail.jsp?tab=features&pathtype=purchase&sku=3C996B-T

Surprised this NIC was that cheap.

[zxc47]

YeOldeStonecat: I just put one in my computer, it is running at 100 but I want set up my home network to work at 1000 .I need know the easy way to do that.Can I add a card to the other computer and just run a cat6 line nic to nic?
This card is very good it can work in a 32/PCI slot or 64/PCI-X slot
it improved my network speed by about 10% by just adding the card.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Yeah it's a good card. Server class NICs are always quite superior to standard desktop/workstation class NICs. I love the 3COM 905 series....which is really just a workstation NIC. But in our public gaming server, I installed a 3COM 990XP server NIC this past winter..MAN what a nice improvement...when you have 50 - 75 peeps connecting at once...the NIC doesn't break a sweat.

To answer your question, yes it should work with CAT5e or CAT6 (just wired my house with CAT6) crossover cable to another computer with the same NIC.

Or if you have a LAN, get a 10/100/100 switch that has several 10/100 ports...and a single 1000 port...uplink your server to that switch...and your network still sees a substantial boost since the server is uplinked to the switch with a giga link...that way the server can dish out full speed transfers to several concurrent hits.

[Stef]

Funny, I though Cat 6 was'nt an official spec yet. Would'nt that mean that your just buying some vendors product that could possibly fail to meet the official TIA/EIA-568-B standards?(are the 568-B specs out yet?)

I know this is a little off topic, but would somebody care to explain?

Stef

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally posted by Stef
Funny, I though Cat 6 was'nt an official spec yet. Would'nt that mean that your just buying some vendors product that could possibly fail to meet the official TIA/EIA-568-B standards?(are the 568-B specs out yet?)Stef

Tis not an official spec....but I got an entire spool of Avaya cable for free at some classes I was taking early last summer. Heh.

The twists are much tighter.....I'm always one for being forward thinking....and the price was right!

[Stef]

Just checking, I got this book on voice and data cabling for cheap (it was in one of this discount boxes at the drug store). Anyway, I've been going through it and it gives some minor details about what the 568-B standards will be about. It's from 1999 and I just wanted to see if 568-B is out yet.

Thanks,

Stef

[zxc47]

The most important changes as the industry moves from 568-A to 568-B are as follows:

1) elimination of category 4 and 5 cabling systems. The only copper cabling categories fully recognized in 568-B are category 3 and category 5e, with category 6 to be specified in a forthcoming annex. Some information on category 5 is provided for legacy users.

2) definition of a new test configuration, the permanent link. The cords connecting a field tester to premise cabling are now considered part of the test equipment, where previously they were part of the cabling under test. For more details, click here to view Permanent Link testing with the WireScope 350.

3) division of the standard into three parts.

TIA 568B.1, General Requirements, describes the overall specifications and testing requirements for both copper and fiber systems. B.1 will be the most important document for most end-users, since it contains all the specifications and test limits for installed cabling.
TIA 568B.2, Balanced Twisted Pair Cabling Components, sets the individual standards for the cable and connectors used in copper cabling. It also specifies accuracy and reporting requirements for field testers.
TIA 568B.3 includes detailed specs for Optical Fiber Cabling Components. B.3, the first part of this new standard to be approved, was published in April 2000.
TR-42 hopes to complete work on the category 6 Annex, 568-B.2-1, early in 2002. The overall channel and link specifications have been stable for some time now. There has been substantial progress towards defining component-level performance characteristics for cable, connections, and patch cords, which will ensure interoperable, multi-vendor links and channels. Category 6 test limits conforming to the latest draft standard are always available to Agilent customers by downloading the current versions of WireScope 350 software and ScopeData Pro.