Ethernet (10 or 100Mbit)

configname: CONFIG_NET_ETHERNET

Linux Kernel Configuration
└─>Device Drivers
└─>Network device support
└─>Ethernet (10 or 100Mbit)
└─>Ethernet (10 or 100Mbit)
In linux kernel since version 2.6.12  
Ethernet (also called IEEE 802.3 or ISO 8802-2) is the most common
type of Local Area Network (LAN) in universities and companies.

Common varieties of Ethernet are: 10BASE-2 or Thinnet (10 Mbps over
coaxial cable, linking computers in a chain), 10BASE-T or twisted
pair (10 Mbps over twisted pair cable, linking computers to central
hubs), 10BASE-F (10 Mbps over optical fiber links, using hubs),
100BASE-TX (100 Mbps over two twisted pair cables, using hubs),
100BASE-T4 (100 Mbps over 4 standard voice-grade twisted pair
cables, using hubs), 100BASE-FX (100 Mbps over optical fiber links)
[the 100BASE varieties are also known as Fast Ethernet], and Gigabit
Ethernet (1 Gbps over optical fiber or short copper links).

If your Linux machine will be connected to an Ethernet and you have
an Ethernet network interface card (NIC) installed in your computer,
say Y here and read the Ethernet-HOWTO, available from
<http://www.tldp.org/docs.html#howto>. You will then also have
to say Y to the driver for your particular NIC.

Note that the answer to this question won't directly affect the
kernel: saying N will just cause the configurator to skip all
the questions about Ethernet network cards. If unsure, say N.