Vista Compatible Ethernet Adapters

• Ethernet adapters allow you to connect your computer to networks, including the Internet. Computer Network Interface Card image by Northwest Photo from Fotolia.com

  Windows Vista is a Microsoft operating system. It is the seventh version of Windows and was released in November 2006. Ethernet adapters are hardware components that allow your computer to communicate with other computers or networks, including accessing the Internet. Before you purchase an Ethernet adapter, make sure it's compatible with your Windows Vista system.

FA120

• The Netgear FA120 Universal Serial Bus 2.0 10/100 Ethernet Adapter is compatible with USB 1.1 and 2.0 hardware. The FA120 is an external device, which means you don't need to open your computer case to use it; just plug it into a USB port. It has light emitting diode (LED) lights on the front that let you know whether you're connected to a network. Green means you are; red means you are not. This Ethernet adapter is compatible with both desktop computers and laptops. It's a plug and play unit, which means your computer should recognize it as soon as you plug it into your system. The Netgear FA120 comes with a five-year warranty.

D-Link Ethernet Adapter

• The D-Link DGE-528T Gigabit Ethernet Adapter is compatible with both 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows. The DGE-528T is an internal 10/100/1000 Megabits per second (Mbps) Ethernet adapter. It fits into the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) slot inside your computer case and is compatible with Ethernet category 5 (cat 5) cables. The D-Link DGE-528T supports virtual local area network (VLAN) networks. You can upgrade the Ethernet cable to Gigabit (Gb) speeds if your system supports it.

Intel PRO

• The Intel PRO 10GbE XF SR Server Adapter/Network Adapter device is a PCI-Express (PCI-E) card. It comes with two ports and is also a plug and play device. It can also transfer data at 10,000 Mbps. This device is meant for enterprise systems that need to transfer large amounts of data between computer networks or for IT professionals who need to deploy applications across network platforms. It comes with a server adapter, which allows you to connect this device to your server. Other features of this device include one PCI-E expansion slot. It is also compatible with fiber optic cables. The 10GbE XF SR device is compatible with both 32- and 64-bit versions of Vista.