USB and Ethernet connections are different in appearance, networked connection speed, security, and reliability. Both connection options allow users to connect to the Internet using a broadband cable modem. USB and Ethernet cords are very different in appearance. The USB cord has a very flat square end with a forklike symbol on it. The Ethernet cord looks very similar to a phone cord, but more rectangular.

Most cable modems have ports for both ethernet and USB cords. Which type of port to use depends upon different factors including:

• Operating System: Users with Windows 98 OS or older should use an Ethernet connection. Most versions of Windows 98 do not reliably support USB 2.0.
• Connections available. If an ethernet card is not already installed on a (Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS 8 +) computer, and a USB port is available, installing the modem software and connection using USB is preferred.
• Only one type of connection or the other can be used with the cable modem. Users with multiple computers or devices's should use a router.

Computer Networking:

The data transmission speed is the main difference between networked NIC and USB connections. Computers networked together using a router, switch, or other network setup can transfer data and signals to each other at different rates depending upon the type of connection. Most Network Cards (NIC) are 100mbps connections while Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 the connection is 480Mbps. The NIC is also more secure connection.