[acttom]

I have a D-LInk router feeding two systems internet connections. The one going to the gateway Win 98 system is ethernet to a usb converter into the back of the pc. Does this converter slow down the internet connection speed to the system?
The gateway does not have an Ethernet port, it only has a USB port.So I have to have the converter unless I buy a Ethernet card and install it.

acttom

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If it's an older machine the USB is likely 1.1 and only good for about 10mbs for transfering files between computers. That's fine for downloading and uploading to the web where your ISP limits traffic anyway. But for local networking it's pretty slow. I networked two machines using ethernet, neither had firewalls or other protection, which slows things down, and they transferred files at 48mbs, or 48% of the network capacity. Also I find USB ports to be a little flakey, you'll see many posts here about people having problems with USB.

[Tyger]

If it's an older machine the USB is likely 1.1 and only good for about 10mbs for transfering files between computers. That's fine for downloading and uploading to the web where your ISP limits traffic anyway. But for local networking it's pretty slow. I networked two machines using ethernet, neither had firewalls or other protection, which slows things down, and they transferred files at 48mbs, or 48% of the network capacity. Also I find USB ports to be a little flakey, you'll see many posts here about people having problems with USB.

[acttom]

Should I buy an ethernet card for the Gateway Win 98 system and run straight ethernet from the router to the pc and remove the converter from the equation?
How much does a card cost and is it hard to install? What kind should I buy?

acttom

[Tyger]

Should I buy an ethernet card for the Gateway Win 98 system and run straight ethernet from the router to the pc and remove the converter from the equation?
How much does a card cost and is it hard to install? What kind should I buy?

acttom

Simpler is definitely better. You don't have to hurry so you can look for a bargain, just get a card with software. You can even buy a surplus/used card if price is a problem and download the software. A very common card you'll find surplus is the D-Link dfe530tx+ and you can find the software at the D-Link site.