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Tech Trend: A Modem and a Network Card: Do You Need Both?

Most corporate PCs come with a network interface card for office network hookup, while home-office systems usually ship with a 56-kbps modem for dial-up connectivity. But some machines (like this month's Best Buys from Gateway and Dell) have both a modem and a network interface card to handle any type of connection.

Do you need both? Probably not. If you use your corporate network for Internet and intranet access, modems just cost money and take up expansion slots. Conversely, if your home office has a single PC, you don't need a network interface card because, well, you don't have a network. The strongest argument for buying a unit with both a modem and a network card is that you can connect to the Internet even if your network goes down. Also, some users like to separate their Internet access from the office network (for personal e-mail, bulletin board access, or direct access to a non-networked PC, for example). If you add PCs to your home office, you may want network cards to connect those machines.

Find out which networking tools are installed in the PC you're buying. Rejecting an unwanted modem can save you $20 to $50, while forgoing a network card can shave $70 or more off the system's price.