Features:
- Cost-effective entry-level networking product
- 4 Port 10/100 Mbps dual-speed network hub
- Includes two 10/100 PCI NIC cards (32-bit)
- Two 25-foot patch cables
- Limited lifetime warranty
Description:
Looking for a quick way to network a couple of PCs? Consider the Netgear DB104NA Network Starter Kit, which uses 10/100 Mb per second Ethernet components to ensure high speed performance but is so easy to install that even novices should have no trouble. The kit comes with a few basic PCI 10/100Base-T Ethernet network-interface cards (NICs), two 25-foot long cables to connect the cards to the included 10/100Base-T four-port hub, and a power adapter for the hub. The most impressive part of the package is the hub, a solidly built and compact metal unit with plenty of status lights. There are four Ethernet ports on the front of the box, and if you have more than four PCs to connect you can use the fourth port to uplink to another hub. A simple button is used to switch between normal and uplink modes, making it easy to upgrade when the time comes. Installation is easy since the products are designed to work with one another and the NICs are plug-and-play devices. It took about 20 minutes on each of our two test PCs to install the NICs, about two minutes to attach them to the hub, and less than 30 minutes to configure the network. You should have similar success with the hardware installation, but the network configuration time will vary depending on your experience. Performance in file transfers and LAN gaming was right up there with other 10/100Base-T networks with hubs that we've tested in the past. The few problems we found with the kit were minor. The cables were stiff, so snaking them around objects was more difficult than it should have been. The included network cards don't support Wake-On-LAN features, but that likely won't be a problem if you are connecting only two PCs. We also would like to have seen a switch rather than a hub at this price, but for home or small office use it really shouldn't matter. Other than that, this is a nice kit for beginners, offering fast speeds and a decent amount of scalability should you decide to add more computers to your network in the future. --T. Byrl Baker Pros:
- Kit comes with everything needed to connect 2 PCs
- Easy installation
- Fast performance
Cons:
- NICs have no Wake-On-LAN support
- Stiff cables
| 
