Network Hardware

Network Interface Card (NIC) Drivers

The very first step to ensure top performance from the network is to obtain and install the very latest available driver for your Network Interface Card (NIC). These drivers can be obtained from the manufacturer of the network interface card or networking chipset. Here is a list of some of the most popular brands and manufacturers: • 3Com • Realtek • Intel • D-Link • Netgear • Cisco / Linksys • Belkin • TRENDnet • StarTech • TP-Link

Microsoft Generic drivers

Very often, Windows will install a Microsoft generic driver for a device. While these drivers allow the device to function at a basic level, it may not be able to unlock all the features of the device. Whenever a device is using a Microsoft generic driver, steps should be taken to obtain and install the latest available manufacturer-approved driver.

System Manufacturers

If you own a PC that was manufactured by a major manufacturer such as Dell, HP/Compaq, IBM or others, you may not always have the latest drivers provided by the manufacturer. Always check your PC manufacturer’s site first, and then check your NIC manufacturer’s site, in case a more recent driver is available for your device and operating system

Multiple operating systems on the same network

Having the very latest driver available is crucial, especially if multiple operating systems are in use in your network, such as Windows Embedded POS Ready 2009 and Windows 7

Network equipment firmware

Network equipment, such as hubs, switches and routers have built-in firmware that can be updated. Check the manufacturer’s website to find the latest available firmware for your hardware, and apply these updates.

Hardware type

The hardware chosen plays a big part in network performance. For example, using an Ethernet switch will provide more bandwidth than a hub at the same speed, due to the full-duplex capability and the elimination of network collisions. Network cables are often neglected, yet they play a big part in the performance as well.

For instance, using Cat5e cables on a Gigabit Ethernet network may work, but you may find that the performance of such a network is worse than a 10BaseT network, because the cables are not suitable for the equipment.