Don, sorry to mention this, but the thing most people have against 3com cards is that they seem to be a bit slower and a bit more resource hungry than do their Intel counterparts. I didn't think expensive was one of their major faults. I have an entire home wired with them because they were dead cheap. Now that you can get Intel nics for about 50 bucks, though, 3com makes a bit less sense than it did.
Still, using a 3com or an Intel will almost always yield good results. I've also had a good bit of luck with D-Link 4-port cards based on the aging tulip chips and fantastic experiences with the hideously expensive Adaptec Starfire nics.
