What is Fiber Optic Network Interface Card

Fiber network interface card, scientific name is Fiber Channel HBA. Fiber optic network card use 32/64-bit PCI bus network interface card, the estabishment of the PC or the connection between the server and the switch, to solve the bottleneck problem of the Intranet server NIC mode fiber optic transmission media interface, 32/64bit/66MHz’s Compact PCI bus interface truly support the efficient transmission; integrated communication controller chip to ease the pressure of the CPU data processing; In addition also provided VLAN tagging, data flow priority, power management and other intelligent processing power; driver The library supports multiple operating system platforms. Transfer Protocol of fiber channel protocol, typically via a fiber optic cable connected to the fiber channel switch. Interface types of optical and electrical interfaces. The optical ports are generally via a fiber optic cable for data transmission, interface module is commonly SFP (transmission rate of 2Gb/s) and GBIC (GB/s), the corresponding interface for SC and LC. The electrical port interface type is gererally the DB9 pin or HSSDC.

Fiber Ethernet card shares of the main application of fiber optic Ethernet communication technology, fiber optic network card can provide users with Fast Ethernet computers on the network to provide reliable fiber connection, especially for the access point distance exceeds five lines access distance (100m) place, can completely replace the current commonly used the external photoelectric converter Ethernet RJ45 interface card network structure, to provide users with reliable fiber-to-the-home and fiber to the desktop solution. The user can use the occasion to select the optical interface parameters (including connectors, single / multi-mode fiber, working distance, etc.).

Identification of true and false of the network card

a. Use spray tin plate

High quality network card board commonly used spray tin plate, the fiber optic network adapter plate is white, while the poor network card is yellow.

b. Use the high quality main control chip

The main control chip is the most important parts of the network card, it often determines the merits of the performance of the card, so high quality network card used in the main control chip should be mature products on the market. Market a lot of low quality network card in order to reduce costs and using an older version of the main control chip, which undoubtedly played a discount to the performance of the network card.

c. Most of them adopt SMT type components

High quality network card in addition to the electrolytic capacitors and high voltage ceramic capacitors, and other resistance containers of more reliable and stable than the plug-SMT chip components. The poor quality of most of the network card using the plug-in, which makes heat dissipation and stability of the network card is not good enough.

d. Titanium Goldfinger plating

The high quality network card Goldfinger selection of the titanium gold production, increased its anti-jamming capability and reduced interference from other devices, while Goldfinger node at the arc-shaped design. Most of the poor quality of network card using titanium gold, node turning a right angle, the impact of signal transmission performance.

The factors to be considered in the purchase card

In correct selection of assembly, connection and set up card is often a prerequisite and necessary condition correctly connected network. In general, the purchase card to consider the following factors:

Network Type

Now more popular Ethernet, token ring, FDDI network, etc., should be selected according to the type of network to select the corresponding card.

Transmission Speed

Combined with the physical transmission medium can provide a maximum transmission rate should be based on the bandwidth requirements of server of workstation to select the transmission rate of the network card. Ethernet, for example, the speed options there are variety of 10Mbps, 10/100Mbps, 10bps, but not the rate the higher the more appropriate. For example, a computer connected to the twisted pair have only 100M transmission speed configuration 1000M card is a waste, because at best can only achieve a transmission rate of 100M.

Bus Type

Servers and workstations typically use the PCI, PCI-X or PCI-E bus intelligent card, the PC is basically no longer supported by the ISA connector, so when their PC purchase card, do not buy outdated ISA network card, but should be optional PCI, PCI-X and PCI-E card.

The server NIC support the interface

NIC ultimately with the network connection, so it must have an interface cable through its connection with other computer network equipment. Different network interfaces suitable for different network types, common interface Ethernet RJ-45 interface and LC, SC, FC fiber optic interface.

Price and Brand

Different rates, different brands of NIC large difference in price.

Source: www.fs.com