does network card really matter? and router brand...

Just wondering if the cost/quality/brand of network card matters at all? I was trying to choose between

ENCORE ENL832-TX-RE 10/100B PCI FAST ETHERNET CARD - RETAIL Model#: ENL832-TX-RE $4.00

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=27&manufactory=1576&DEPA=1

or anyone of the 9-10 dollar cards from linksys netgear etc... any of those companies... does it matter what I get? is it worth the 12 more dollars to get 2 10 dollar ones of 2 4 dollar ones?

Also, in another thread I read like 5 good comments about linksys 4 ports, but 1 really really bad one... they are out of netgear routers so if my choice is between the 80 dollar 4 port linksys router and this

Belkin 4-Port Cable/DSL Gateway Router Model F5D5230-4 Enables you to share your broadband Internet connection connect PCs and notebooks, share printers and other peripherals, and communicate via e-mail Auto-sensing to offer future scalability of 10Base-T networks into 100Base-T Networks Uplink port that lets you add computers to your network Dedicated bandwidth for each port so you can enjoy an efficient and error-free network Compliance with Ethernet IEEE 802.3 and 802.3u standards LED indicators for monitoring network traffic Plug-and-Play compatibility Model#: F5D5230-4 Special FedEx Saver Shipping $7.00 $79.00

what should I get? Thanks a lot for any help you guys can give me...

p.s. this is for sharing cable...

YES. Do not skimp on NIC prices. Get a D-Link of Netgear, my personal favorite is the Dlink DFE-530TX. Trust me, do not bother with sub $5 NIC's. I once found some nic's based on the Realtek chiopset for like 3 bucks, I was like "woah!" bought a few, and each and every one of them worked only intermittently and didn't get along with our network.

You don't really need to spend 40 bucks on a NIC, but do not get a cheapo...get atleast one of those Dlinks or Netgears. Beware though, the Netgear FA311 does not like systems running AMD chipsets (chipsets...NOT CPU's...i.e. AMD750/760 etc...)

Linksys and Belkin are pretty comparable. Look at the features there when you choose. Also, are you using this as a firewall for broadband? If its just as a network hub and not to share broadband, then go for an 8-port 10/100 switch, which has dedicated bandwidth for each port, you can pick on up from newegg for like 50 bucks.

But as for the Linksys and Belkin, you should be happy with either one. Don't swear by user reviews either...sometimes you find that problems a user has are due to their own faults and not a defective part. And remember, you are alot more motivated to post a negative comment about a product than a good comment....

Mike

i agree get the dlink dfe 530tx+. ITs cheap and its good.

Routers? Nope the brand doesnt matter. What it does is what matters. Look at the functions and see what matches your needs better. DHCP, DNS, VPN...all of these are important as some routers dont support all of these.

NIC's matter. Especially if your overclocking. Sometime NIC dont like the extra Mhz going through the PCI. 3Com's hold up very well to overclocking in my experiance.

3com and Intel take high FSB's. My D-Link 530TX (As mentioneded above) takes alot of crap.. (173fsb before), it even posted at 177fsb

177 on a 1/4 divider? If so...that's impressive! I had to put a heatsink on my 3Com to get it to do 167.