Gigabit networks

[PBase001]

We're having a discussion in the office regarding the possible usage of Gigibit ethernet and someone thinks it's bus bound, due to a Wintel's bus speed of 66MHz. Not sure that makes sense or has a relationship, since 100MBit runs fine and not bound by the 66MHz bus speed.

So the question is, can a Wintel box run a Gigabit network card and take advantage of it? Assuming all the necessary infrastruce exist (swithces). Thanks.

[PBase001]

Never mind...

http://www.digit-life.com/articles/intelpro1000t/

For the 1 Gbit adapter 128 MBytes/sec is a too overstated result as the process can be limited by a PCI bus (the junior version is PCI32/33 MHz = 133 MBytes/sec, though there is also PCI64/66 MHz = 533 MBytes/sec) and by a server's disc subsystem. For example, the Ultra160 SCSI has a peak transfer rate of 160 MBytes/sec, but in reality you can get 40 MBytes/sec from one disc and up to 120 MBytes/sec from a RAID0 array of 4 discs (and this is not on the PCI32/33 MHz :).

[MacGyver]

Right now, I'd only use gigabit to connect two servers or switches together, or create a local backbone (like in a school where you have a server in each classroom and all the servers are connected)

[Dark Millennium]

What MacGyver said pretty much concurs with what I learned in school. gigabit usually used as a backbone......

Good luck

[PBase001]

Thanks, it wasn't a dicussion regarding placement, but rather usefullness, but I understand what you mean.

We were wondering if emerging copper solution is bounded via the standard Wintel PCI bus.

Again, thanks.