Thanks all for help to upgrade

[congo]

A LAN card is just a LAN card, your better off using the onboard ones as they are newer technology as far as performance goes, but the oldest spec LAN card will determine the connection speed.

I think it's nuts to add a LAN card to a mainboard that already has ( two ? )  onboard LAN devices.

The LAN card you got for a bargain price isn't worth two knobs of goat poo if you don't have drivers for it.

Configuring a lan device with (is it three lan cards in your system now? ) multiple cards in the system is gonna be a nightmare for you.

If your mainboard has onboard LAN, use it! if it has two
onboard lan devices, disable one of them, perhaps the one that's newer technology than the card in the second PC. In other words, if the other PC has a 10/100 card, use the onboard equivalent of the 10/100 on your PC.

Someone else might know  the details, I'm not exactly familiar with your mainboard's lan technologies, (I'll be finding out for myself soon enough, broadband connection is happening in the next couple weeks)

[luke]

Very discriptive, thanx Congo,
I only have the onboard LANs on Asus and the card on the old XP Pc.

Asus in CTRL Pnll > System > Hrdwre > Device Mngr shows 3 :-
1349 Net Adapter
Marvel Yugon xxxxx Gigabite Ethernet Controler &
Nvidia nForce Networking Controler

Network Cnnctns show two "Local Area Connections "

One Local Area Connection Properties says
use this to connect: & shows the 3rd (Nvidia Cntrlr) &
the other the 2nd (Marvel cntrlr)

I can't find which is the nearer to 10/100 so I disabled the Marvel one.

The 1349 adapter is necessary, if off messes up things.

At the moment, Asus XP networks the other PC's HD,
also OK on ICS.

But not the other way round,
the VITAL CHOICE for me as not to have both PCs on when using fs9,
although both PCs show the Local Area Connection icon & connected at 100mbps, with4000b Send & 2000 Rec.

Any more help everybody?

[the_autopilot]

Peer to peer connections are a bad way to network PC and are virtually obselete.

This one simple solution will solve all your networking woes:
Buy a switch. Its not expensive (nowhere near the price of the computer parts you just bought).

A 4-port 100 Mbps switch will do the job fine. Then connect your dsl/cable modem to the switch. Then connect all your computers to the switch. Then, bam, all your problems solved.

I recommend something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817201103

[luke]

AutoP,
If it is that simple could be the answer, but kind Sir you are trying to get the fun out of the venture.

Besides the little home networking we do wont suffer by poor system, as long as it works.

Thnx anyway, if you think of anything else on the cable it will be appreciated.              luke

Netgear FS605UK 5-Port Ethernet Switch
Instant plug and play
5-port, 10/100 Mpbs switch
Auto speed and duplex detection
Auto uplink for the right connection
External power supply        

[Ivan]

Get yourself a router with built-in switch and the problem is solved... ICS is outdated

[luke]

Ivan,
have you given up on me?

[Ivan]

No....  no

But we at home had ICS and in the end a router proved to be more reliable (and cheaper in power use too).

@autopilot: putting the DSL modem in the switch only works when the provider gives you more than one IP

[GunnerMan]

Now the only thing we may face with onboard lan is it may use more onboard recorces than if you have a Network Interface Card or a "LAN Card" The newer nics have data processors on them. Im using an ald 10 Mb NIC. The nic itself is new but the model is about 4 years old and I am getting steady 500KB/s dl rate on any online servers that go that high. I am using the  driver provided by WinUpdate though.  8) but yeah don't need to waste ure cash on one onboard is perfect.

[the_autopilot]

@autopilot: putting the DSL modem in the switch only works when the provider gives you more than one IP

I know, but I wasn't quite sure how he was connecting to the internet; I though he was using a computer as a router and to login via PPPoE.

Yeah, definitely go with a router with built-in switching then.

[luke]