When it comes to networking, the undisputed top dog for performance is Gigabit Ethernet. Ethernet on steroids, it hurtles along at up to 10 times the speed of its 100Mbps predecessor. As such it's the de facto choice for those working with images, video, sound and other bandwidth-gobbling files and applications. Unfortunately, until recently, compatible adapters have been prohibitively expensive or even non-existent for laptops.

With the GA511, NetGear has tackled both problems head-on, enabling laptop owners to enter the Gigabit race at only fractionally more than vanilla Ethernet adapter prices.

Usage is about as simple as it gets. Slide the adaptor into the PC Card slot of a Windows laptop, install the accompanying software, attach the RJ45 plug of an Ethernet CAT 5 cable into the socket on the card and your laptop will connect to the LAN at the fastest speed the GA511 can negotiate with the switch at the other end of the Ethernet link.

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The card is compatible with the appropriate Ethernet industry standards - IEEE 802.3, 802.3ab and 802.3u - and so is able to automatically negotiate to either 10Mbps, 100Mbps or 1Gbps speed according to the configuration of the card and switch port to which it is attached. In most cases, this will result in the maximum speed possible, but occasionally this coordination process runs amok resulting in lower speeds or, on particularly bad days, unreliable connections.

For this reason, the software included allows the configuration - duplex and speed - to be manually adjusted, enabling the administrator to synchronise the card with that of the switch to which it connects. We tested the card with the NetGear GSM 7224, Cisco Catalyst 2950 and Foundry FES X424 Gigabit switches, all of which worked without problem, although the Cisco and Foundry models needed configuration.

Without configuration, the Cisco and Foundry occasionally resorted to 100Mbps as the negotiation process backfired. This, however, is putting too much blame on NetGear. Ethernet negotiation is notoriously prone to problems and the GA511 is no different to any other Ethernet interface in its ability to sense and optimise speeds.

The achieved speed is shown by a tri-state LED; green indicating 1Gbps, amber signalling 100Mbps, and off (in conjunction with the activity LED flashing) indicating 10Mbps. When negotiation works and Gigabit speed is achieved, the difference is immediate, with all network operations completing much faster and processes requiring periods of sustained network activity - file transfers for example - benefiting in particular.

Windows XP based systems seem particularly at home with Gigabit communication; the same file copy operation carried out on a Windows 2000 based system with this card took noticeably longer than on XP. This is ironic as the drivers that came with the card weren't Microsoft XP certified, resulting in a disconcerting warning notice during installation.

Although a paper insert in the packaging advises that the XP driver does work and that the software is currently undergoing the certification process and to just ignore the on-screen warning, this pop-up is nevertheless troubling. Hopefully, it's something NetGear will correct soon.

There is little to fault with the GA511. It delivers the goods and does what it sets out to do. The only negative points are the lack of certified XP drivers and the large bulbous head protruding from the PC card that will cause problems if used at the same time as another PC Card with similarly expansive protrusion. But again, this is a minor problem.