The TG-3468 is a budget PCIe Gigabit NIC (Network Interface Card) from TP-Link.
Unboxing
The back of the box highlights some of the main features for the network adapter, in different languages.
As we can see, TP-Link highlights the main selling points of the product on the front of the box, such as the speed (1000 Mbps), wake on LAN. On the back, a typical network setup image is shown as well as more features described in different languages.
The TG-3468 V2 network adapter is wrapped inside the anti-static bag with the pre-installed full length PCIe bracket. However, no low profile bracket is included.
There is a driver CD, which I do not recommend using it. Just download the latest driver version on the product website. A warranty card and a quick installation guide are also included.
Review
Installing the network card is easy as other PCIe peripherals. Only need to plug it into a PCIe x1 slot on the motherboard. The computer will detect it automatically as a generic ethernet adapter.
You will see the detailed information of the network card if you install the driver correctly. The chipset is made by Realtek, which is expected for a budget network card.
To test out the performance of the TG-3468 network adapter, I directly connect two computers together with ethernet cable. Both computers have a gigabit ethernet port, one of which is the TG-3468. The computers transfer a 5 GB test file to a SSD to simulate real world scenario. This is to reduce the bottle-necking (limiting) by the ISP’s internet speed and slow HDD write speed.
The 5 GB file finishes transferring in less than 1 minutes, which is quite impressive. The transfer speed reaches over 110 MB/s, almost at the theoretical maximum of 125 MB/s (1 Gbps).
Conclusion
The TP-Link TG-3468 gigabit PCIe network adapter is not a bad budget model. It delivers acceptable performance using a lower end chipset. It will fit into some small ITX cases perfectly with its compact size.
Unboxing Experience: 65%
– No product presentation at all.
– Costs have to be cut in packaging for budget model.
Performace: 75%
– Adequate transfer speed
– Lack support for more advanced features like 802.3ad (Link Aggregation)
Value: 80%
– Strike a great balance between price, features, and performance
Product link: http://www.tp-link.com.au/products/details/cat-11_TG-3468.html
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