Network Interface Cards (NIC)

A network card is something you may really want to get. Since you're probably reading this from your own computer, if you build another PC and install a network card in it (and your present computer), you can actually network them together.

The advantages of having your own network are many; you can share Internet access, you can share hard drives, you can play multiplayer video games against other people in your household and more.

If you're only going to connect two PC's, then make sure both have a network card, and that you get the correct cable for direct connection, and you will not need a network hub (this is called Networking, and it's something far beyond the scope of this article).

Stick to a regular PCI network card. These deliver better speeds, and are much, much easier to configure than the ISA ones. A good brand to get would be Linksys. They deliver great technical support; if you have a problem, you give them a call, leave your name and phone number to a friendly operator, and a techie gets back to you really within an hour (no "on hold"! What a concept!).

One thing you should do, is look for a sale on network components and you can get yourself 2 network cards (or even an entire home network kit) for less than $50.

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