# Help me buy an ethernet card for my PC **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689 "2009-05-26T15:35:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689/21 "2009-05-27T16:24:42Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > According to [this page](http://support.gateway.com/emachines/emac/EL1210/EL1210sp2.shtml), your box has a PCIe 1x slot as well as the 16x slot. You should buy a NIC to fit that. On checking 3com’s website, I’m gobsmacked to see that they’ve stopped making NICs. Top of Google’s list was [this one](http://www.outletpc.com/c4498.html). Is that a half-height? I cannot find that info anywhere on the page. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689/22 "2009-05-27T17:18:20Z")
Typically, for cards which fit the half height format, the bracket is screwed to the card, and the manufacturer provides a shorter bracket for you to replace the full height one with. If you order online from a vendor that provides pictures of the product, you can note that a half-height bracket seems to be included in the package. For instance, look at this Intel one: > **[Intel Network Adapter 10/100/1000Mbps PCI-Express 1 x RJ45 - Newegg.com](https://www.newegg.com/intel-expi9301ctblk/p/N82E16833106033)** > > Buy Intel EXPI9301CTBLK Network Adapter 10/100/1000Mbps PCI-Express 1 x RJ45 with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689/23 "2009-05-27T19:05:17Z")
I’d definitely go for the Intel card over the one to which I linked. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689/24 "2009-05-27T19:11:08Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Typically, for cards which fit the half height format, the bracket is screwed to the card, and the manufacturer provides a shorter bracket for you to replace the full height one with. If you order online from a vendor that provides pictures of the product, you can note that a half-height bracket seems to be included in the package. For instance, look at this Intel one: > > [Are you a human?](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106033) A brand I know from a site I know. Cool. Now, where do you see the half-height bracket? There is only one pic with what looks like a fulll height and nothing extra. Or is that a half-height bracekt? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689/25 "2009-05-27T20:37:08Z")
Roll over / click on the other pictures in the “image viewer” underneath. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689/26 "2009-05-28T01:35:05Z")
I will take your word for it. The PS3 browser is seriously limited in some ways and I see no othre pictures nor any rollovers ever work in it. Thanks for being my eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689/27 "2009-06-12T08:03:09Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > According to [this page](http://support.gateway.com/emachines/emac/EL1210/EL1210sp2.shtml), your box has a PCIe 1x slot as well as the 16x slot. You should buy a NIC to fit that. On checking 3com’s website, I’m gobsmacked to see that they’ve stopped making NICs. Top of Google’s list was [this one](http://www.outletpc.com/c4498.html). For those of you losing sleep over this 😉 I ended up buying this one. With shipping, it was half the cost of the Intel so I decided to take my chances. It didn’t bring a half height bracket, but minimal surgery took care of that with a successful transplant from the one on the old modem card. My days of tabless browsing on a PS3 are over. Thanks to all. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689/28 "2009-06-12T08:04:46Z")
Excellent, glad that worked out. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-buy-an-ethernet-card-for-my-pc/497689.md?page=1)