[DreamReaver]

Multiple network connections query:

I see some motherboards have dual gigabyte network ports.

If you had one of them and also installed a network card like the bigfoot 2100.

Can you have one network port connected to a NAS.
One connected to the internet.
And one connected to a desktop external hard-drive.

What I am hoping to do when I finishing building my new computer.

If the computer had dual gigabyte network ports and a Bigfoot 2100 installed.

Can I connect like the following? Or would there be problems? Is what I want to do actually possible?

2100 connected to my 4 port/wifi router.
One port connected to my NAS for backup.
One port connected to my desktop external drive.

I know I can have them all hooked up to the router, except I have LANs often with friends and it is pain to disconnect everything so we can plug all the other computers in and and plus I want to the use the NAS and just for my computer and like the idea of having the NAS and desktop external drive right next to the computer and not where my router is.

Hope that all that makes sense.

[Takaharu]

Yes, yes & yes.
Generally, you need a crossover cable to connect a system (I use this term lightly) directly to another system if you're not going through a router or switch. Give it a go first, if you have a cable already for each device but if you get stuck you can always ask.