Cable connection

[tomr]

The local cable company tells me that if I decide to subsdribe to Road Runner they can either install a network card in my computer or instead they can just connect it directly to a USB port. Is one method better than the other? TIA

[Statica]

I'd always suggest a PCI NIC, and not a USB. There are a variety of reasons I'd recommend it.
A PCI card will allow you to be connected, irrespective of the operating system, irrespective of pretty much any other needs such as an external power source, or having the USB device drawing power from your computer.
A NIC is something that is that you are going to need pretty much for a variety of reasons, and hence better to go with one that is universal.
The other thing is the bandwidth limitation you are dealing with .. if your mobo has a USB 1.0 then you are stuck with abt ~12mbps .. depending on the PCI NIC you get, they could literally commonly run at 100mbps (not to Roadrunner .. but to your LAN).
USB devices do draw more CPU power than do PCI NICs. And again, if some packet driver hasnt really taken USB NICs into configuration you are going to notice a significant drop in performance. Add to the fact that if you plug in another USB device, you are going to run into some issues as well.

But ultimately, the question is do you need a lot of portability .. do u want to take your network with you on the fly? If so a USB NIC is cheaper, esp for laptops than a PCMCIA NIC.

[Iman74]

All technical reasons aside; I think you will gain more valuable knowledge of networks if you choose to do it via CAT5 Ethernet. That way you can go buy a LinkSys Router, add more PC's and get a hub and add more PC's and then start loading NT Server with PBC and even a BBC on another PC. Once you get one PC to work and then start adding and adding it becomes addictive. We now have 5 PC's on our LAN and only 2 people using it. Figure that one out.

[Confused]

I would go with a NIC unless you have PCI slot limitations or IRQ problems. I've got 2 PC's running WIN98 FE and XP and I haven't found USB to be that great, certaintly not as good as sliced bread. Plus the two NIC's I have only cost $8.00 and $10.00 each.
Chas