How to check what speed my NIC is good for

[Tommouse]

I have an A-Bit IS7 and I was planning on having a gigabit switch in my dorm room at school for quick file transfers between my laptop, desktop, and server. I have been seeing my network connections display "3Com Gigabit NIC" for the past year now so I thought I have a gigabit controller. Then as I'm cleaning my room I stumble across my motherboard box and it says 10/100 Ethernet controller. I check the manual and it says the same thing as the box. I check newegg(where I bought it) and it says 10/100. Yet everywhere on my PC says Gigabit.

So I decide to install the NIC diagnostics that came with the Motherboard. It tells me lots of stuff most importantly the "Media Type" which it reports "10/100/1000BT"

So I'm thinking that I do have a gigabit. OR I have a gigabit that has been nerfed. Is there anyway I can find out if I do have gigabit or not before I get the switch and try the transfers? Because if I don't have Gigabit then I want to buy a NIC for that when I buy the other networking items.

Thanks in advance

 

[JackMDS]

Giga NICs by then selves do not work in Giga Mode unless the Switch is a Giga Switch too.

Even then the performance of Giga with Entry Level Hardware an OS is nothing to write home about.

However if you want to check local connection you might use this:

Link to: A FREE Utility for Network Troubleshooting from Ixia.

You install the master program on one computer, and End point Client on all other computers on the Network.

About Giga: Peer to Peer Giga Home Networks (Current State at mid 2004).

Link to: The Huge Giga thread on AT Network Forum.

:sun:

 

[Tommouse]

Well see, thats the problem. I know I can check throughput once I have it on my Gigabit Switch at my dorm, but I was wondering if their is a synthetic benchmark or something to see how much information my NIC can take.

It will be a Gigabit NIC, and I don't have entry level Hardware so I do plan to use asmuch of this bandwith as my computers will allow.

Thanks for the links btw

 

[subflava]

I suppose you could try to find someone else with a gigabit network card and run a crossover cable between. Then do some tests that way...assuming you can find someone with Gbit.

 

[DGath]

No need to do tests, you have a gigabit card. ABit put gigabit NICs on some of the IS7s in a manufacturing error (the IS7-G comes standard with gigabit IIRC). I have an IS7 and got a gigabit too, I never did tests to see if it was a gigabit controller, but there was lots of discussion I saw on other forums about the mess-up. Just google IS7 and gigabit

 

[Tommouse]

DGath - Thanks for the info