Most desktop motherboards and many notebooks are coming with onboard gigabit Ethernet. Even the "entry-level" Intel 915 boards often have gigabit on them. Unfortunately, a gigabit NIC does not do you much good when you have a 10/100 hub, switch or router. These devices are expensive, too, with even smaller 4-port models being quite spendy. Netgear's GS108, an unmanaged 8-port switch, is one of a few products breaking that. The article also covers jumbo frames, a technology that makes gigabit Ethernet useful in the first place. Give it a read.