Windows 8 In Depth

1000Mbps Ethernet (Gigabit Ethernet)

Ultra-high-speed Gigabit Ethernet networking is probably overkill for most home and small office networks, but it’s sometimes found in the corporate world and in fields such as medical imaging and video editing. Gigabit speed can also help if you back up your hard disk over your network from one computer to another, or copy large video files. The adapter cost is so low that many new PCs and all Macs now come with 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet adapters built in as standard equipment.

It sounds great at first, but here are some things to consider:

• It won’t speed up your Internet connection (unless, perhaps, you have Fiber-to-the-Home service), and it won’t improve the streaming of HD video within your home. Standard ...