The NETGEAR FA310TX is an auto-sensing, 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet PCI adapter designed to support the next generation multimedia power-applications. The NETGEAR adapter is like 2 products in 1 while it supports the 100BASE-TX 100 Mbps high-speed standard, it also runs in the pervasive 10BASE-T 10 Mbps mode. Moreover, the FA310TX is priced at a level comparable to many 10BASE-T only adapters removing any reason to buy 10 Mbps -only adapters even if there is no immediate plan to upgrade to 100 Mbps.Install the adapter once, and it will operate with either 10 Mbps 10BASE-T or 100 Mbps 100BASE-TX hubs or switches. Single network connection works at either speed - the FA310TX can be introduced in a 10 Mbps environment and later upgraded to 100 Mbps with no changes to the desktop. A graphical interface guides the user through the installation of software drivers and support files for all popular network operating systems. Plug-N-Play compliance enables the adapter to be automatically configured.
Whether you're putting together a new network or just need to add a computer to your existing setup, 10/100Base-T Ethernet network interface cards (NICs) are the way to go for home and small-businesses use. The Netgear FA310TX skimps on a few advanced features we've seen with competing cards, but offers a low price that anyone on a tight budget will appreciate.
This NIC connects to a PCI slot on the motherboard, so it's quite easy to install. You just turn off the computer, seat the card in the PCI slot, connect the card to your network hub via a cable (not included), and turn on the PC. Windows will recognize the card and ask for drivers, which are supplied on an included floppy diskette. Customers with experience installing modems, video cards, or nearly any other internal PC device should have this card installed and working in under 20 minutes.
The FA310TX is a very basic card. Wake-On-LAN is not supported--there isn't even a connecter if you have an extra WOL cable lying around. There are five status lights that show various types of network activity and also let you know when collisions are happening. We didn't have any trouble with this easy-to-install card, and it would make a good choice for anyone looking to expand their network without breaking the bank. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
- PCI interface
- 10/100Base-T support at a reasonable price
- Easy installation
- Many status lights
Cons:
The Netgear FA310TX is an auto-sensing, 100BaseTX Fast Ethernet PCI adapter designed to support multimedia applications. With easy, one-step installation, the adapter operates with either 100BaseTX or 10Base-T hubs and switches, providing either 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps modes of operation. Thus, introduced in a 10 Mbps environment, it can later be upgraded to 100 Mbps with no changes to the desktop. Its 32-bit architecture and PCI bus mastering enable speedy network response with minimal CPU overhead. Five LEDs provide clear, at-a-glance status to help ensure proper configuration and operation.
The FA-310TX Fast Ethernet PCI card comes with a lifetime warranty
1 Horrible...
Dead on arrival. No support. Exchanged it for another, still didn't work. Bought a D-Link and I'm now networked.
2 Died after only 6 months.
This card only lasted 6 months. I tried new drivers with no luck ... Try another brand.
3 BEWARE!!
This product is the worst. The first one was broke when I opened it. The second one had no drivers. Tech support is awful as well. Really, don't buy this one...
4 Serious issues with later revs
These used to be some of the best cards to have, back when they were based on the REAL Digital Tulip chip. However, some years ago the Tulip went out of production and Netgear switched to an _almost_ compatible clone chip.
The LiteOn PNIC chip that the current cards use has a poor reputation (from what I've read) in the development community. I personally have used dozens of these cards over the past two years and have seen almost every manner of failure. We've had cards that can't auto-neg, ones that never seem to work, and worst of all, cards that will work for weeks and then die without warning. From what I've seen, these things never get decent performance, especially with multiple cards in a system.
I have used the FA310TX with Windows 95,98,NT,2k, Linux 2.2-2.4, and Free/OpenBSD. Across every OS and hardware platform I've tried I've seen the same problems, so it's definately not driver or configuration issues.
5 Save your money...
Just buy the cheapest you can find. They work the best, becuase they have less bells and whistles.
6 Save your money...
Just buy the cheapest you can find. They work the best, becuase they have less bells and whistles.
7 Easier install driver than the Netgear 311 but...
Netgear packaged the wrong software driver disk with my 310 (they send me the 311 driver disk). I figured if they included the 311 driver there must be a good reason but that turned out to be a poor assumption. After wasting sometime with the wrong driver I got the 310 driver from their site and install was pretty easy from there.
It works very well.. I just wish Netgear was a little more careful.
8 Good Card but stick with 3-Com
I have bought 3 of these cards. The first one about 3 years ago for the t1 line in my dorm room and its still working. The next two are only one year old and they have already failed.
For some reason they refuse to work at a reasonable speed when networked at 100 mbps. Physically the cards look inexpensive and with revision two it seems like they "reduced" the cards even more.
In addition one of newer cards refuses to work at all while the computer is overclocked even at 140 mhz fsb (from 133, I don't know what this would mean on the pci slot because I don't feel like looking it up).
Overall this card is a good inexpensive card for use with broadband. However, I'd rather spend twice as much for a much more reliable, and robust, 3-com NIC.
9 Not a good card.
I've experienced consistent shutdown problems and lock-ups when using this Netgear card with Windows ME. I've simce switched to a D-Link card and all of my shutdown problems went away. My advice is to avoid this card and go with D-Link or LinkSys.
10 DO NOT BUY
I bought 4 of these cards, and each one had a problem on all of my systems. Lock ups, slow transfer, constant freezing, you name it I got it. I ditched the cards and bought 4 Linksys LNE100TX cards to replace it. They work great.
11 D2 doesn't work with Linux
I bought this card from Amazon about one year ago. It works
great in Windows 2000 pro. But it is not compatible with linux.
I tried both Redhat 7.1 and Mandrake 8.0. The card I got is
revision D2. I saw numerous posts on the internet saying
the problems with this revision. Revision C1 C2 and C6 should
be fine. Not sure about D1 and D3.
12 Easy installation.
This NIC was easy to install and I have not had any problems with it. I have used it on a Windows 2000 system.
13 Super Card for Linux Servers
I purchased these cards for a few servers running Linux. You configure your kernel with the Tulip chipset and bang!! this card runs great. Highly recommend for Linux users.
14 The Best Home or Office Network Card
The Best Home or Office Network Card for the Price, Under $.... This NIC (Network Interface Card) Have a great performance over others more expensive cards. Its easy to install, have all the Drivers you can need for mayor OS. Great card!!! Great card!!! ATT. Agenor Marrero A+
15 Simple, Cheap and Effective
Simply put, the Netgear FA310TX works. It is an extremely simple card, but not much is required in a ethernet card. Those of you needing WOL support (why?!) should not purchase this card, as it does not support it. The speed and throughput is consistant with more expensive cards, my LAN does not require speeds up to 100Mbps anyway, but it is good to know it is there. The cards are good priced, so it will not cost much to outfit a small network with these cards, I have one in every desktop in our LAN. They work, what more could you ask?
16 Versatile not Durable
The Netgear FA-310TX 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet PCI Card uses the Tulip chipset which is widely supported. Most Operating Systems have a driver which will support this card right out of the box. For that reason it is very effective in computers where you want a low cost solution for systems running non-Microsoft operating systems.
My only fault with the card is that is uses a flash ROM on the board. This ROM chip is very sensitive. Removing the card for any reason often wipes out the data stored on the ROM. Since Netgear has no patch capable of re-flashing the chip this renders the card unusable.
If you do not intend to upgrade your computer, this is a great low cost board. However if you think you will need to open the case for any reason, I reccomend finding a different solution.
17 Affordable and very robust
This NIC is very robust as it is easily installed in any Windows computer or even a Linux box. Netgear's website is done very well, in which you can get tech support issues resolved quite easily.
I never had to contact tech support due to any of their items that I have purchased. Their web site support is superb.
I highly recommend any of Netgear's products.
18 Great Medium Sized Company/SOHO Card
As a network administrator in an enterprise enviornment I agree that generally you wouldn't use this card in a corporate enviornment. But large companies buy products in bulk and they get the deals that the everyday user doesn't get. But, in all honesty you could probaly run this card with no problems on an enterprise level network -- the performance is great especially for $15.
But for general networking in a medium sized/soho enviornment you can't beat it. This card seems to work with every system I have installed it on -- no matter the platform or OS.
Its cheap, well documented, and easy to install. Is there anything else really to say?
19 Don't buy Netgear
Do not buy this unless you plan on giving it to someone you really hate. First of all one of the cards I got was defective and then the software that came with it really stunk. It couldn't detect my dsl modem and then it stopped checking for it. Also the instructions that came with it told you only the basics nothing on how to setup the network after you installed it, and finally Netgears support was the worst I've ever seen wait I never saw it because I never got to speak to anyone because I was place on never ending hold or cut off. And the web site told me to refer to my Windows manual. All in all Netgear is a really bad product to buy, also avoid Soho they make Netgear. If you want a good network kit or card or whatever go for Linksys, I had it setup in an hour and it had detailed instructions.
20 Works Well With Red Hat Linux, Windows 9x
I use this card for my home network, and it has never given me trouble. I reccomend it for people wanting to quickly get a home network up and running. Provided you pay attention to the network configuration requirements for your particular OS, this card is most unlikely to give you trouble. If you think you have a card problem carefully recheck your config work a few times first before blaming the card.
This card works great in Red Hat Linux AND Windows. It is the only Netgear card certified for Red Hat Linux 7. As a matter of fact I'm ordering a 4th FA-310TX card to replace a Linksys card right now. I'm involved in Linux and am presently converting an Emachines box to a 100% Red Hat Linux 7 machine. I ran into trouble with the Linksys FastEthernet 10/100 (Version 2) card in this box. It turns out Red Hat 7 can see that card, but not the Linksys chip, so I need to replace it. End of my use of Linksys cards (but they work just great in Windows networks and I have a complete Linksys-based network running for a client as well.) I'll probably stick to Netgear in the future.
21 Doesn't work with Windows ME
Although LinkSys tech support will tell you differently, this card does NOT work with Windows ME. And the only help that tech support will give me is that it "should" be working.
22 Didn't work for me.
I had two FA-310TX cards and a Netgear FA-311TX had problems with all three. Both of the 310s would stop working after a while - couldn't ping anything or get packets further than the card. The FA-311 started making my machine reboot during online games. Had problems in NT4 as well as Windows 2000. In frustration, I spent a little more and bought a 3Com 3C905 and it's been rock solid. Great price and probably a good card for most people, but I had zero luck with it.
23 Great Value and Works Flawlessly with win 95/98
I have bought over 5 of these for home and office use. They work flawlessy and for the price you cannot beat the functionality. I was running Windows 95 or Windows 98 on all the computers. Setup was a snap. Just pop in the card to an empty slot. Then install the drivers from the floppy disk that comes in the package. Worked flawlessly everytime. I had no problems hooking up the ethernet card to a Linksys DSL/Cable Router, Netgear ethernet hubs, or a college dorm ethernet connection.
Get this card and you will get the convenience of file and print sharing when used in conjunction with some sort of hub and windows network neighborhood. Anyone with little to no computer expertise can do this just by following the instructions. It may be a little difficult if you are scared of computers, but it can still be done. Just follow the pictures that come on the step by step setup foldout.
24 Great product!
Am a LAN administrator at work and run a home network with a Win2000 Server, 1 Win2000 Pro (working on my Win2000 certification), and 3 Win98 stations plus a printserver. Got 2 of these previously, had no problems installing, configuring or running. Am back to get 2 more to expand my home network. I do enjoy gaming with my kids and some of their friends.
25 Top line LOW price
I beta test software. I have been on 3 of the 4 listed below betas. The card has always preformed even under the beta operating systems.
This is the only card I install. it is one of the most compatible cards I have ever seen and I have tested this card on Windows 95,98,98se and Windows ME* without any hitches so far. if you are looking for top performance for a low price this is the card. it is very compatible with all systems. a very user friendly card. you may want to check out their hubs too. very affordable.
*note* Windows is a register trademark of Microsoft. I'm not indorsing it but merely using it as a compatibility reference
26 Excellent value for the price
This ethernet card gets the job done. If you are just trying to set up a small network, or perhaps a DSL modem, this card is perfect...It is a very worthwhile addition to any computer. I have not had any problems with it to date, and the installation was very easy.
27 4.5 stars
The cheapest and best network card on the market. Widely supported for all operating systems. I use this on my linux box currently without a problem. Currently running 2.1.12smp redhat 6.1. Great price for a great card. Did have some problems with the tulip driver on a previous install after recompiling though it seemed to be OK. SOme people complain of documentation.
28 you could pay more for 3com but...
I've been using this for 2 years now. I've never had any problems so far. Windows 2k, Me, 98, 95, 3.11, 3.1? No Problems. This product works great and is *so* easy to install.
29 Awesome card at a great price.
I'm moderately comfortable with my PC's innards, but I'm no hardware guru. Therefore, I was extremely pleased when this card installed with the ease the documentation (and other Amazon reviewers) promised. The low price was icing on the cake.
30 Solid cards, Use tulip driver in linux
Work well in Linux, 98, ME, NT and Win2K. I use these cards and the Linksys PCI cards all over my network, both work great.
31 Awesome Price, Great performance
I have been using these little babies for the last couple of years...and they perform as well as 3COM 905's, fraction of the cost.
I'm a Systems/network Admin type--hardware, software,etc. I do most of it.
I have yet to run into problems I could peg on the card. I've run it under WinNT Server and Workstation 4.0, Win 2000 Pro, Windows 9x, and Linux. For a brief time, bad drivers were shipped with them, but Netgear corrected it.
These little babies are dual mode (10/100 speed) and Full Duplex (this is a good thing for you non-geeks out there).
The naysayers are blaming the wrong part of their PC with the criticisms I've read so far. I've run them in everything from Pentium Class TX motherboards up to PIII BX boards. No problems.
Buy it, you'll like it.
32 Great quality, inexpensive, wonderful buy!
This product works great and was so easy to install. For people that are worried about the installation believe me, so was I. It just pops right in in about 4 minutes (no joke!) The only reason I bought this was for use with my new cable modem. Well, it works fantastic and I have had no problems at all. I give it 5 stars.
33 Excellent. Netgear definately makes the best stuff.
I got one of these NIC's after getting recommendations from a couple friends. This NIC is awesome. Every bit as good as anything that 3Com puts out for a fraction of the price.
Installation under Windows 9x/ME is painless, and it's natively supported in Windows 2000. I haven't encountered a defective one yet, and I have no complaints.
34 Easy To Install And Works The First Time
I have 3 of these nic's running here at home and I also have a 10/100 4-port hub from Netgear. It was so simple to install. I tried another brand nic first and could not get my computer to boot up on them. I took them back and got Netgear FA-310TX. Plugged them in and it worked the first time. I don't know about you, but I hate "hard to install hardware" A great buy at Amazon... ! I need one more so I am buying it here. Thank's Amazon
35 A bargain that works
I read all the reviews on this product before I purchased it, and frankly a few of the reviews left me with some doubts. But after checking out other models on this and other sites, I figured that, at this price, it's worth a shot.
The card installs easily and I've had no problems with it during a month of operation (which included some pretty intense thunderstorms). The bottom line is, it's a bargain that works.
36 Good card.
I like Netgear products, and FA310TX is not an exception, have 3 of them, and they work fine.
They seem to be compatible with pretty much everything, I used them as far under DOS-Win3.11 :),Win9x, WinNT & 2000 & ME, as well as Linux /SuSE, RedHat, Corel/, I used them in Netware 4.1 and 5 servers....perform great on LAN as well as with cable modems /someone on this site was dissappointed with their low quality and cable modems connectivity, well, they ROCK with MY modems - GE Surfboard SB2100 and RCA's very latest DCM205.../
They work without ANY trouble, and are always either instantly recognized, or very easy to setup. I can't say this about some other NIC's, like Linksys or Realtek brands .
They have neat 5(!) LED's indicating all the activity as well /nice feature/. 10/100, full/half duplex etc...
Price is great too... so why not ?
Oh yeah, and I almost forgot, since everyone lists achieved certs; I'm A+ and MCP ... :)))
37 All around BEST bang for the buck
MCP+i, CCNA, CNA, A+, Network+ certified. I have a small LAN at home (~8 computers). In EVERY single one I use the Netgear FA310TX. I have two in my NT Server which is acting as a router. I have NEVER had any problems with the card. Always reliable. High performance. Offers full duplex for high speed two way transmission. One feature I really like are the many LEDs (lights) on the back of the card. It will tell you if it is at 100Mbps, Full Duplex, Link, Collision, Transmitting. I have tried many others - DLink, SMC, SOHO, to name a few of the inexpensive popular ones - but in my opinion they don't compare to the reliability or ease of use (and installation!). Remember, lifetime warranty! If you need Wake On Lan (WOL) capability, I would go with the FA312 card. If you find a good deal on the FA311 card, you may want to consider that. Pretty much, the difference between the FA310 and the FA311 is that the FA311 supports the future PCI 3.3v voltage AND the 5v voltage. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about finding a FA311 unless you just happen to have the opportunity at a decent price... Hope this has been helpful. One word of advice: -=* DO NOT BUY A CHEAP, UNPROVEN NETWORK CARD! YOU **WILL** REGRET IT *=-
Last but not least, I have heard rumors that this card is 'unstable' and 'very sensitive'. In all of my experience, both firsthand and secondhand, I have never witnessed or heard of any of these cards failing in respect to 'hightened sensitivity'...
38 NetGear is TOPS with Me!
Like the others who have reviewed this item, I am an MCSE, MCP+I and am/have been a network administrator in very large enterprise environments. I have a home network which is 100% NetGear equipment (ISDN router, 10/100 hub, FA310TX NICs).
The NetGear by Bay Networks is a simple, cost effective NIC. You plug them in and they work. Simple. They are also Win2000 compliant (so Win2K will find them automatically). Sure, they cannot be remotely managed, but then again, I have never had cause to remotely manage a NIC (a switch port, yes...)
I wholeheartedly recommend the FA310-TX. The most bang for your buck! I'm buying more right now!
39 An excellent ethernet card for DSL
I bought this Netgear card to replace a competitor's brand. I was very pleasantly surprised to find installation of the Netgear card much easier and more compatible with my Pentium II/Win98 system. I only had to go through the process once, and the card was ready. Now I'm up and running, getting nice speed on my DSL. Happy as a clam at high tide. Get this card.
40 Great card for SOHO or branch LAN
Since their purchase by Nortel, NetGear has still been producing great products. I've used this card in all three of my PC's, and dozens in the computers of my friends and coworkers due to its ease of use and cost. It lacks any diagnostic tools or interface with the card, but it's well accepted on many platforms. A great card.
41 No problems!
I've used Intel, 3Com and D-Link cards in the past, and I can say that I've had my fare share of problems with 3Com and D-Link, but the NetGear FA-310TX worked first time in my NT/Linux system(s), and I'm very happy with them. At this price/performance point it's hard to justify a more expensive brand.
42 Fires up without a hitch in *nix
After installing the card in my box, fired up Linux and had it configured and operational in no more than 3-4 minutes.
Also got the card working under FreeBSD and OpenBSD no problems either.
Unable to comment about Microsoft platform performance, though very pleased with it under *nix. So far have had no problems with the card, works like a charm.
43 This card is a great buy
I would highly recommend this card -- I too am an MCSE and manage a medium sized LAN/WAN environment. I have used several of these cards in my local LAN and have found them to be easy to set up and completely reliable. In my opinion, the assumed super-reliability of the 3Com card is completely offset by the excessive price. Save some money and buy the Netgear card.
44 Netgear FA310TX is the best NIC on the market...
I would never recommend another network card... this card was perfectly detected by 2 verisons of Linux I have, as well as a copy of UNIX without any installation. The card is extremely reliable and my company has bought 20 without any problems, especially good for retail machines like COMPAQ's. PCI card requires no assigning IRQ's. Fast 100Mbps, and great support. Comes with a driver disk with any driver for any OS. Fully supported in Win2k as well... even better than the classic NE2000!
45 Why not pay less for something that is going to "just" work?
Ok...the fellow that reviewed several before me made a good point. You don't want to use this in an enterprise environment...DUH! I'm an MCSE and I wouldn't recommend this card to any company, BUT, for the home there is absolutely nothing wrong with this card. It works and you can get 2 or 3 at the price of one of those big dog names. Do those work 2-3 times better? No, they don't. I have 3 PC's of my own at home...6 altogether in there and all have different NIC cards. NetGear performs just as well as the others and I wouldn't complain if I had one of their cards in every one of those machines.
So, in short, setting up a corporate LAN/WAN? Then don't pick up one of these cards. Got a couple of computers or just one and want to play network games with friends...save a few bucks and go buy one of these and use what you saved on something else.
46 Worked fine for me
Others have written about poor manuals and shoddy components. This might be true. I'm not a beginner with network software or hardware but I'm hardly a pro either. I had zero problems installing this (manual seemed fine to me) and haven't had any problems using it since. BTW I use it to hook into my DSL connection. If it didn't work I'd just send it back (Amazon's always been great about this). And the price is just too hard to pass up.
47 Wish I had some more DOCs
The only reason I was able to get it working was because my friend had the same starter kit that I got. The card itself is actually pretty nice, but the manual that comes with it is a joke--if you want to bone up your existing network, this could be a nice cheap card for you, but it's not worth the trouble for beginners.
48 Works Fine for me
I used this card at college with out T3 LAN and now at home for my personal network between my and my parents computers, and it works fine. Maybe others got a bad one with a burnt transistor or something, but mine works fine.
49 Iffy Quality & Stability. Skip this one!
I work in Cable Modem operations. We have some customers who buy cheap, and often problematic NIC's, ony to face hours of endless troubleshooting on NIC issues. The NetGear FA-310 is one of their biggest problems. Made of flimsy greenboard and "? " type Chinese components, NetGear's crusade of inexpensive NIC's has made a joke of consistentcy. The price may be attractive, yet you would be hard-pressed to find any company who would commit to using NetGear NIC's throughout their operation: Simply because the service and quality is inconsistent. NetGear's customer support is short of laughable, as well.
You get what you pay for. From my point of view, I would avoid NetGear, Linksys, or any other "Off-Brand" NIC and consider looking for one more dependable. You may pay a little more for a 3Com, Intel, and SMC, but they are worth the price. They offer the consistency and stability every NIC user should demand - Not just a discount price.
50 A clarification...
Just a note: the current shipping revision of the FA310TX is 'D1'; this revision no longer uses the DEC Tulip chip but instead uses the Lite-On PNIC chip.
51 Great performance, good variety of platforms supported
This is Bay Networks (Netgear is their consumer line) implementation of the venerable DEC "Tulip" PCI ethernet chipset. There are many manufacturers of 10/100 cards that use Tulip, so you can go by price since they are all pretty much the same. That's what makes this card good -- it's one of the lower priced cards from a respected industry vendor.
Tulip cards are known for their low CPU utilization, high throughput and their ability to run on a variety of platforms. I have personally used this card with great success on Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris x86, Windows 95, 98, and NT.
I did dock one star however, and that's because their have been some minor problems with the drivers included on the driver diskettes. Those seem to have been fixed with subsequent releases, and the card itself wasn't to blame. If you do have problems, and you can use one of the other Tulip drivers included with your OS, such as the Digital DE500. In fact, Windows may autodetect it as an "Intel 21140 Fast Ethernet" or some such.
