These 16-bit NICs are the latest to enter the Asian market. Our exclusive network tests identify the top performers.
Since our last Lab Report on network interface cards ("Network Connections: 100 Ethernet Cards," August 1993 BYTE), a number of new 16-bit Ethernet NICs have been introduced in Asia. Some of these cards may be available only in that market, but others are sold internationally. In either case, this group represents the latest levels of price and performance for 16-bit NICs.
LANBit Computer, an independent testing lab that licenses methodologies from BYTE's Lab Report collaborator NSTL, recently tested 22 new NICs. The Taipei, Taiwan-based lab found Accton's new EN1650 to be the performance leader. This card also earned an ease of use rating of excellent, thanks to its comprehensive documentation and easy configurabilit
y, among other factors.
Although the EN1650 led the way in speed, performance scores for the cards in this group didn't vary dramatically. For example, the slowest card in the Workgroups and Large Networks benchmarks, Info-Net's E2000WDC+, lagged behind the EN1650 by only 12 percent.
While the methodologies used for this NIC update were the same as in the original Lab Report, scores are not directly comparable. Differences in test-bed equipment resulted in the latest scores averaging approximately 12 percent higher for the Workgroups and Large Networks components, and 25 percent higher for the Transaction-Based Networks tests. However, the test suite does provide a relative ranking of speed within this group. Performance evaluations used nine tests to simulate six different applications. Five of the tests were Microsoft Windows-based, and the remainder ran under MS-DOS.
Tests ran with and without simulated network loads. For the latter, a traffic generator sent data packets using 25 per
cent of the network's bandwidth (about 2.5 Mbps). In the table below, the Workgroups scores are a composite of tests run without network traffic, while the Large Networks scores are results generated with the network load. The Transaction-Based Networks scores are based on tests that consist of small files (128 to 1024 bytes) and are meant to simulate large database-search applications (e.g., a request for an airline ticket).
Ease-of-use evaluations considered hardware configuration, driver installation, and the quality of technical documentation.
Roll Call Of NICS Tested
SPEED RATINGS (TPM)**
LARGE TRANS-
NET- ACTION
PRICE* WORK- WORKS BASED EASE
COMPANY MODEL ($US) GROUPS NETWORKS OF USE
Accton Technology EN1650 $128 32.48
31.82 614.87 Excellent
Addtron Technology AE-200LC $89 29.59 28.86 563.90 Fair
Addtron Technology AE-200JL $109 29.60 28.88 564.71 Good
CNet CN600E $89 29.24 28.52 554.76 Fair
CNet CN650E+ $99 29.51 28.82 563.11 Good
CT Continental CT-16TB $52 29.54 28.75 558.25 Good
Grand Computer TE-2000AD $79 30.05 29.29 568.38 Good
GVC NIC-2003 $45 29.54 28.82 563.22 Good
Info-Net E2000C $79 29.96 29.18 568.65 Good
Info-Net E2000WDC+ $99 29.10 28.33 567.95 Good
Katron Computers ET-200T/X $85 29.66 28.90 566.94 Good
Katron Computers ET-16TB $59 29.24 28.55 551.76 Good
Lantech Computer LTC EN2000/CT $79 30.09 29.31 567.14 Good
Lantech Computer LTC E-NET/21CT $89 30.76 30.08 591.33 Poor
Longshin
e LCS-8634L-TBA $89 29.67 28.93 562.47 Good
Pheecom PTC-1001SCT $59 29.62 28.91 561.53 Fair
R.P.T.I. International E2003UC $49 29.77 28.99 563.10 Fair
R.P.T.I. International E2015WC $59 29.85 29.08 565.61 Good
Surecom NE-12 $70 29.75 28.98 562.71 Fair
Surecom EP301 $95 30.33 29.54 575.76 Good
Zero One N2000E3+ $60 29.47 28.74 566.85 Good
Zero One N2000E2/M $50 29.21 28.52 557.41 Good
INQUIRY
COMPANY PHONE FAX NUMBER
Accton Technology +886 35 770270 +886 35 770267 1000
Addtron Technology +886 2 4514507 +886 2 4514614 1001
Addtron Technology +886 2 4514507 +886 2 4514614 1002
CNet +886 35 782211 +886 35
782458 1003
CNet +886 35 782211 +886 35 782458 1004
CT Continental +886 2 7913812 +886 2 7912685 1005
Grand Computer +886 2 7859197 +886 2 7855724 1006
GVC +886 2 7552226 +886 2 7552413 1007
Info-Net +886 2 7647786 +886 2 7647166 1008
Info-Net +886 2 7647786 +886 2 7647166 1009
Katron Computers +886 2 7991064 +886 2 7994020 1010
Katron Computers +886 2 7991064 +886 2 7994020 1011
Lantech Computer +886 2 7667088 +886 2 7666892 1012
Lantech Computer +886 2 7667088 +886 2 7666892 1013
Longshine +886 2 3634958 +886 2 3626810 1014
Pheecom +886 2 7613142 +886 2 7615764 1015
R.P.T.I. International +886 2 9183006 +886 2 9183096 1016
R.P.T.I. International +886 2 9183006 +886 2 9183096 101
7
Surecom +886 2 5922327 +886 2 5912675 1018
Surecom +886 2 5922327 +886 2 5912675 1019
Zero One +886 2 5652323 +886 2 5714698 1103
Zero One +886 2 5652323 +886 2 5714698 1104
* Estimated Taiwanese street price
** Transactions per minute
22 New Ethernet Cards
