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[kstuart]

I've personally seen "micro-hanging" in MC and other applications when using network volumes heavily from:

* Bad Intel NIC drivers (just a bad update)
* Bad Realtek NIC drivers (they're often bad, and I've since sworn Realtek NICs off entirely)
* Bad network CABLES.

I've certainly been able to get Realtek NICs to behave properly, by the way.  But they're definitely flakier, and I've seen lots of problems come and go with drivers (and they are more picky about switches and cabling, to boot).

I just got frustrated and eventually swore them off, the 32nd time I hit a problem with them that turned out to be due to flaky Realtek drivers or firmware.

And, if you talked to MrC about it (who would know, since one of his many jobs in days-long-since-past was writing NIC drivers and firmware for a major network equipment vendor), he'd tell you to NEVER, EVER, EVER use Realtek NICs.

So, I stopped. 

Over many months, I have had a few minor problems with my HTPC on my network (such as the PC vanishing from view of other devices, even during the middle of a transfer from one to the other).

I had this same problem with the previous HTPC and so I always concluded it had something to do with the router.  Then I upgraded my router and the same problems occasionally occurred.

Then I read the above quotes.

I realized that both HTPCs had onboard Realtek NICs and all my other devices are Thinkpads (that use Intel everything).

I finally got around to getting an Intel NIC PCI card (the only open slot).

However, there are no longer drivers for those cards on the Intel web site.  Can I expect that the drivers that Microsoft Windows automatically installs will be sufficient?   Or should I go in search of the drivers that Intel used to provide?   (The comment "Bad Intel NIC drivers" implies that the latter might be necessary.)

Thanks!

[glynor]

Use the ones built into Windows if you're on Windows 8.1 or newer.

Windows 7 needed drivers.
Windows 8 needed drivers, but NOT the Windows 7 ones (but that was back when Windows 8 was new, I imagine there is some kind of "group package" now).

If you're using Windows 7, and you really, really can't find them from a decent source, I probably have them kicking around. But Intel probably doesn't list older cards, but probably still has the downloads up if you dig (that's their typical way).

[kstuart]

Thanks !

(It's actually Windows Vista 32-bit, but the suggestions should apply.)

[kstuart]

Use the ones built into Windows if you're on Windows 8.1 or newer.

Windows 7 needed drivers.
Windows 8 needed drivers, but NOT the Windows 7 ones (but that was back when Windows 8 was new, I imagine there is some kind of "group package" now).

If you're using Windows 7, and you really, really can't find them from a decent source, I probably have them kicking around. But Intel probably doesn't list older cards, but probably still has the downloads up if you dig (that's their typical way).

I found a Vista download page that seems to apply to all Intel Gigabit NICs.... but.... it says:

"Microsoft Windows Vista does not support the following devices:
  IntelŪ PRO/10GbE CX4 Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/10GbE LR Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/10GbE SR Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/100+ Dual Port Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 T Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 F Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 Gigabit Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 PF Quad Port Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Server Adapter 
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Low Profile Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 XT Network Connection
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 XT Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 XF Server Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 XF Network Connection
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 T Desktop Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 T Network Connection
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 XT Desktop Adapter
  IntelŪ PRO/1000 CT Network Connection
  IntelŪ Gigabit VT Quad Port Server Adapter
  IntelŪ Gigabit PT Quad Port Server Express Module

The software drivers provided on this page are generic versions and can be used for general purposes. "

I'm wondering if I happened to pick the wrong Intel PRO/1000 model ?

[jmone]

I had an Intel Pro Dual Nic card for a while but always had issues with it / drivers and getting Teaming to work well.  I upgrade to an Intel I350-T2 and all was sweet but that is now also "broken" in Win 10....

Important Note:  Creating IntelŪ ANS teams and VLANs on Microsoft WindowsŪ 10 is currently not supported.  As a result, when created, teams and VLANs do not pass traffic.  We expect that ANS will be supported on Microsoft Windows 10 client in a future release.