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Common reasons for not adding a second NIC are:
You don't have any open expansion slots in your computer
You don't have any spare IRQs
Your computer doesn't support IRQ sharing (for PCI NICs only).
You have an iMac! (Go here for more info on
iMacs.)
USB 2.0 Ethernet Network adapters
allow you to connect to a hub or switch to communicate with other systems on the
network. USB 2.0 to Ethernet Adapters are compatible With Windows
98/98SE/Me/2000/XP. You can share your Internet connection or just transfer data
between PCs in different rooms by using standard Ethernet Cat5 twisted pair
cabling. Windows XP standard drivers do seem to work decent enough and with USB
2.0 there are even less installation and set-up issues, than with pervious
versions of Windows OS. There are excellent help guides and how-to's for using
USB Ethernet Adapters with Windows XP, 2000, and ME
here.
USB to Ethernet adapters &
Win 98
If your computer has a USB connector, and you're running Win98, you can use a USB
to Ethernet adapter to create a separate subnet for your LAN, just as you would with a
second NIC. There are a few things that you should note before you go
this route
Remember that USB 1.1 is a shared 11Mbps bus.
If you are already using a number of USB devices, you might
not want to use a USB-Ethernet adapter, since you might get poor transfer
speed.
There are mixed reports on using two USB-Ethernet adapters on the same computer.
Many users have been unsuccessful, but there are successes. Let
us know if you find a combination that works!
NOTE! I've had reports of (and experienced myself)
problems with
installing USB-Ethernet adapters on some machines.
There is a known problem with computers running Windows 98 SE
that use >350MHz AMD processors, and USB controllers from Via
Technologies (you can check the maker of your USB Controller using
the Device Manager). You need to download and run this Microsoft
update.
There may also be problems with other computers that use the Via USB
chipset. Check
this Via page for driver updates.
Unfortunately, USB has problems just like Plug and Play and some adapters just don't get
along with some computers. If you run into problems installing a USB-Ethernet
adapter on your computer, try a different manufacturer's product before you give up on the
technology!
USB to Ethernet adapters &
Win 95
Quick note on trying to run USB on Win95. I haven't
tried this, but supposedly you can download driver updates from Microsoft.
However, from everything I read, upgrading to Win98 is the easiest way
to add reliable USB support to your computer... assuming you have USB
ports on your machine!
USB to Ethernet adapters
Manufacturers
USB to Ethernet adapters are available from many manufacturers and I've included a
short list below. Note that these come with Win98 drivers only!
