Prices for 16-bit ISA Ethernet NICs average $147 less than PCMCIA adapters and $129 less than parallel-port adapters, and NIC prices continue to drop. For example, the NICs in this report, which cost an average of $110, average $60 less than those in our August 1993 Lab Report (see "Network Connections: 100 Ethernet Cards"). At the same time, vendors have improved reliability through enhanced chip integration. As a result, almost a third of the NICs in this review carry lifetime warranties, compared to only 15 percent of the adapters in the August Lab Report.
As a group, NICs are becoming easier than ever to install and use. For example, a minority of the cards we tested last year were software-configurable, while all the NICs in this roundup offer this capability. (Note, however, that the GVC NIC-2003BT uses software to con
figure the emulation mode only; you must change other settings through hardware.) Almost half of the NICs in this report--and all the NICs ranked as best overall--come with automatic-configuration software. By contrast, only the top three low-cost cards offer this feature.
As in our last network-hardware report, we found NIC performance to be relatively uniform. For example, the difference between the fastest and the slowest NIC ranked as best overall was only 8 percent. So a database file that took 12.5 seconds to load from a network when using the fastest card would take only 1 second longer with the slower NIC.
While the 3Com EtherLink III offers the best mix of performance, ease of use, and features, the cards we've ranked as runners-up are also solid performers. The second-ranked Alta EtherCombo-16+ T/C ran only 7 percent slower than the top-ranked EtherLink III. In addition, the EtherCombo comes with Novell NetWare, Unix, and NDIS boot ROMs; SMC/Western Digital and NE2000 emulation; and fo
ur LEDs for diagnosing network problems. Alta also includes a diagnostic utility that lets you view packets on the network, similar to the way that a LAN analyzer displays packets.
Intel's third-ranked EtherExpress Flash TP comes bundled with several utilities for network administrators. A FlashStart program, stored in a flash-memory chip, automatically loads after you power up the system. The program can configure the adapter and download drivers from the file server. The flash-memory chip also comes with boot programs for NetWare or Microsoft LAN Manager, so you don't need to purchase and install separate boot ROMs on diskless workstations.
A second utility allows the network administrator to update drivers centrally on the file server. Each workstation on the network receives the updated files when users log on.
The Standard Microsystems Elite16T Ultra includes a two-node utility that tests the adapter's ability to communicate over a network with another adapter. Racal InterLan provide
s a number of internal and network diagnostic tests for its EtherBlaster TP adapter, and Allied Telesis's CardAssistant diagnostic routine tests the AT-1500BT Plus adapter and its configuration for functional problems or conflicts with other installed devices.
The Elite16T Ultra uses a proprietary Ethernet controller and provides slightly better overall performance than the AT-1500BT Plus and the EtherBlaster TP, which use AMD Ethernet controllers.
In the low-cost (under $90) category, the winning Longshine LCS-8634L-TBA and runner-up Kingston EtheRx 2000 Plus Triple Interface have documentation that lacks technical-support information, but the manuals are clearly written and contain numerous charts and diagrams. The CeLAN E2000C's documentation is a single sheet of paper that lists jumper settings and available network drivers. But the E2000C is the only card in this group with a lifetime warranty. The three top NICs can be automatically configured, unlike the remaining three adapters in this c
ategory.
Rankings for This Category Considered:
PERFORMANCE 50%
FEATURES 25%
EASE OF USE 25%
Network Interface Cards
For speed and easy configuration...
BEST OVERALL
3Com EtherLink III
A proprietary Ethernet controller helped this NIC score the best overall performance in our application-based performance tests. Similarly, the EtherLink III's ease-of-use and features scores were both among the highestof the NICs we tested. Installation is a breeze, thanksto a menu-driven configuration and diagnostic utility. The AutoLink software automatically configures the adapter and downloads the NetWare DOS client files from the server--or loads the standard DOS client files if no server is found. The card uses parallel tasking, a technique that breaks down network-adapter tasks into steps that are performed simultaneously to improve performance. The adapter's driver software automatically adjusts the timing of operations in overlap
ped task pipelines. Twisted-pair and thick-coaxial cable connectors are standard. The EtherLink's documentation stands out for its clarity and comprehensiveness. It comes with a glossary, a detailed index, and numerous diagrams. Note: This card supports 3Com emulation, but not NE2000 or SMC/Western Digital emulation.
SPEED EASE
PRICE INDEX OF USE FEATURES
BEST 3Com EtherLink III $143 1.07 **** ****
RUNNER-UP Alta Research EtherCombo-16+ T/C $99 1.00 **** ****
RUNNER-UP Intel EtherExpress Flash TP $139 0.99 **** ***
RUNNER-UP SMC Elite16T Ultra $129 1.04 **** **
RUNNER-UP Compex ENet 16 Combo/VP $99 1.01 **** ***
RUNNER-UP Allied Telesis AT-1500BT Plus $100 1.03 **** ***
RUNNER-UP Thomas-Conrad TC5143-T $98 1.00 **** ****
RUNNER-UP Racal InterLan EtherBlaster TP $159 1.02 **** ***
NETWORK DRIVERS
AUTO- NET-
MATIC WARE NET-
CONFIGURATION SERVER ODI IPX BIOS UNIX
BEST 3Com EtherLink III X X X X X X
RUNNER-UP Alta Research EtherCombo-16+ T/C X X X X X
RUNNER-UP Intel EtherExpress Flash TP X X X X X X
RUNNER-UP SMC Elite16T Ultra X X X X X X
RUNNER-UP Compex ENet 16 Combo/VP X X X X
RUNNER-UP Allied Telesis AT-1500BT Plus X X X X X
RUNNER-UP Thomas-Conrad TC5143-T X X X X X X
RUNNER-UP Racal InterLan EtherBlaster TP X X X X X X
Key
Poor *
Fair **
Good ***
Excellent ****
Yes = X
Network Interface Cards
Budget-conscious?
LOW COST
Longshine LCS-8634L-TBA
The performance of this NIC's proprietary LSIC905R Ethernet controller is comparable to that of most of the boards ranked for best overall. This combination board supports twisted-pair, thick-coaxial, and thin-coaxial cabling, and it automatically detects the connection type. All settings are automatically configured by software that detects available system resources. This NIC supports NE2000 and SMC/Western Digital emulation, but not 3Com emulation.
Also noteworthy is the $45 Elisa ETI-LAN002TLC, which offers essentially the same performance as the top-ranked Longshine LCS-8634L-TBA. It provides twisted-pair, AUI (attachment unit interface), and BNC connectors; supports NE2000 emulation; and is backed by a 5-year warranty. We ranked it fourth, however, because it doesn't offer automatic configuration, and its documentation is sparse and doesn't present clear setup instructions.
SPEE
D EASE
PRICE INDEX OF USE FEATURES
BEST Longshine LCS-8634L-TBA $79 1.01 **** ***
RUNNER-UP CeLAN Technology E2000C $89 1.01 *** ***
RUNNER-UP Kingston EtheRx 2000 Plus $89 0.97 **** **
RUNNER-UP Elisa Technology ETI-LAN002TLC $45 1.00 ** ****
RUNNER-UP Lancast 4116 Combo Card $79 1.00 ** ****
RUNNER-UP SVEC FD0490I $69 0.99 ** ***
NETWORK DRIVERS
AUTO- NET-
MATIC WARE NET-
CONFIGURATION SERVER ODI IPX BIOS UNIX
BEST Longshine LCS-8634L-TBA X X X X X
RUNNER-UP CeLAN Technology E2000C X X X X X X
RUNNER-UP Kingston EtheRx 2000 Plus X X X
RUNNER-UP Elisa
Technology ETI-LAN002TLC X X X X
RUNNER-UP Lancast 4116 Combo Card X X X X
RUNNER-UP SVEC FD0490I X X X X
Key
Poor *
Fair **
Good ***
Excellent ****
Yes = X
The Best 16-bit NICs
