To some extent, the question of "to gig or not to gig(abit)" may be a moot point in a year or two. From a SOHO consumer's point of view, you could say that the 10 to 10/100 transition just sort of happened. New computers began to come with built-in 10/100 Ethernet ports, and the routers that they were buying to share their broadband connections started sporting 10/100 switches instead of 10Base-T hubs. It wasn't like home networkers were demanding the change. Heck, they were (and still are) just learning what all this networking stuff was about!

The changes consumers saw came courtesy of enterprise networkers, who were buying 10/100 gear like crazy, which drove chip volumes up and prices down. When consumer gear manufacturers found that it would cost them more to use 10Base-T only chips vs. 10/100 devices, it didn't take them long to make the jump!

Just as yesterday's hub-based 10Base-T networks quietly morphed into today's switched 10/100 LANS, a similar shift is now taking place from 10/100 to 10/100/1000. Although the changeover point is still probably a year or two away, the move has started and prices have come down quite a bit.

Since all you'll need to buy are Network Interface Cards (NICs) and a gigabit switch, let's see what that'll run you:

NICs

Name-brand 32bit PCI 10/100/1000Base-T NICs such as Intel's PRO1000 MT, NETGEAR's GA302T, and SMC's SMC9552TX can be found on-line for prices ranging from $40 - $70, with products from second-tier manufacturers able to save you maybe another $5 or so. Although about 2.5X the price of the average name-brand 10/100 NIC, unless you're buying a bunch, this price won't break the bank.

You can also find NICs that can handle both 32 and 64 bit PCI, but they'll cost you more. What you won't find, however, are CardBus adapters for your laptop or notebook. For some reason, manufacturers seem to think that notebook users neither need nor want gigabit connectivity!

Switches
The price tags for 10/100/1000 switches are more likely to make would-be gigabit upgraders think twice before plunking down their money. But the good news is that simpler, unmanaged gigabit switches are now available, and the cost savings over managed enterprise-grade equipment is significant.

NETGEAR's GS104 basic four-port 10/100/1000 switch can be found under $225. If you expand your search beyond the more recognizable names, you'll find even lower prices, such as TRENDnet's TEG-S40TXE for about $150. If you need more than four ports, you can bump up to the 8 port versions, namely NETGEAR's GS108 (about $450) or TRENDnet's TEG-S80TXD (about $280).

Considering that you can pick up a 5 port 10/100 switch for as little as $20, the above prices might be considered too steep for some. But considering that not long ago you could purchase only managed gigabit switches at $100+ per port, the above prices show that the trend is heading in the right direction!