10/100 vs. 10/100/1000 ethernet

[arrow_1000]

Hi, I'm a noob and building my first computer. I have upgraded computers and believe that I will not have many problems building my first from scratch. I am having trouble figuring out what type of standard ethernet connection i should have on my motherboard. I don't know the difference between the 10/100 ethernet and the 10/100/1000 ethernet. From what I have read, the 1000 ethernet is not used on common systems? Any info I would appreciate and thanks in advance. You might want to use idiot terms with me though. Thanks.

 

[sturm]

10/100/1000 ethernet will gives you three speeds to choose from, depending on what network equipment you have. 100 Mbps ethernet is the most common, while 1000 Mbps is gaining ground. 10 Mbps is hardly used anymore as a standard speed.
Most, if not all, motherboards will come with a 10/100/1000 onboard Nic. 100 Mbps speeds are fine for ethernet, gaming, and normal file transfers between computers. 1000 Mbps speeds are only good for faster file transfers between computers. It won't help with Internet speeds, which are determined by your ISP.

 

[arrow_1000]

That answered my question perfectly. I also looked at the back of my router and saw that the ethernet connections were 10/100. In other words, there is not a 1000 connection.
Thanks.