Should I get 16 or 32-bit card for laptop??

[Cooky]

Should I get a 16 or 32-bit ethernet card for my laptop on school's 100Mbs dorm network??
I just got a Netgear 10/100 16-bit for $20 after rebate from BestBuy but someone from This Thread
mentioned

This same issue goes for laptops without CardBus support. The 16-bit bandwidth limitation with non-CardBus NICs limits them to about 20Mb/s.

If it's true that the card will operate only 20Mbs should I get a 32-bit then??

 

[nightowl]

I would get a 32bit Cardbus NIC for a laptop. I originally had a 16bit card and it topped out at about 24Mbps @ 100Mbps. Also, the CPU usage was around 100%. Now, with a 32bit Cardbus card I get 60-70 Mbps and a lot lower CPU utilization.

 

[Abzstrak]

yep, 32bit is the ONLY way to go.... you get what U pay for... 16bit ones are cheaper for a reason

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: Cooky
If it's true that the card will operate only 20Mbs should I get a 32-bit then??

I'm FLABBERGASTED that someone would need to get a second opinion about something I posted. Haven't you people realized THAT I'M NEVER WRONG! 😉

Seriously, you should get a 32-bit (also called CardBus) card AS LONG AS your laptop fully supports the CardBus standard. With newer laptops (last 2-3 years) not a problem in 95% of the cases. Anything older...more of a crapshoot.

Probably more of an issue than the top end bandwidth limitation (which will normally only come into play with certain types of usage) is the difference in CPU utilization between 16-bit and 32-bit cards, as nightowl so wisely (HA...I made a funny!) pointed out. High CPU utilization will DRAAAAAAAG your computer's performance down as the machine tries to process traffic.

 

[Cooky]

I'm FLABBERGASTED that someone would need to get a second opinion about something I posted. Haven't you people realized THAT I'M NEVER WRONG!

TallGeese, no hard feelings ok?? I'm sorry but I haven't been around the Networking thread long enough to notice your good work. Thanks for you guys' input, really appreciate it!!

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: Cooky
TallGeese, no hard feelings ok?? I'm sorry but I haven't been around the Networking thread long enough to notice your good work.

You should have left in the wink when you quoted my little "rant" there. The day I'm not wrong will be a day to wear a winter coat in Hell.
Anyone who's been around this particular forum for even a little while knows I am:
* The KING of discombobulation
* The EMPEROR of confusion
* The SULTAN of gobbledegook
and finally
* The GRAND POOBAH of flim-flam

 

[spidey07]

*The MASTER of the BS

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: spidey07
*The MASTER of the BS

AKA: The custom title I'm REALLY gunning for!!!