Updated: 09/03/2019 by Computer Hope Show  Short for network interface card, the NIC is also referred to as an Ethernet card and network adapter. A NIC is a computer expansion card for connecting to a network (e.g., home network or Internet) using an Ethernet cable with an RJ-45 connector. Due to the popularity and low cost of the Ethernet standard, nearly all new computers have a network interface build directly into the motherboard. The top image shows the SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI network card, one of the more common examples. The bottom picture shows a PC Card. More specifically, the SMC EZ Card 10/100 wireless network card, which is found with older laptop computers that do not have onboard wireless capabilities. Tip A network card is sometimes improperly referred to as a broadband card or Internet card. The network card is what allows your computer to connect to the Internet (a network) using a cable (Cat 5). That cable is connected to a router that allows your computer to use a broadband connection. How does a computer with a network card connect to a network?Network cards can communicate with each other over the same network using a network switch, or if two computers are directly connected. When computers need to connect to a different network (e.g., the Internet), they must be use a router to route the network packets to the correct network. Where is a network card located in a computer?In a desktop computer, the network card is most often located near the USB ports on the back if it's an onboard version. If it's a separate network card expansion card (not onboard), it usually is on the back of the computer, near the bottom, taking up a PCI slot. In a laptop, the network card is integrated into the motherboard. The network port is usually on the side on the laptop, or it may be on the back. If you cannot find a network port on your laptop, it may only have a wireless network connection. You can purchase a network card for laptops, which is installed into a PC card slot on the side of the laptop, if available. Broadband, Computer acronyms, Connection, Hardware terms, LAN, Network terms, Processing device The TCP/IP Network Interface layer formats IP datagrams at the Network layer into packets that specific network technologies can understand and transmit. A network interface is the network-specific software that communicates with the network-specific device driver and the IP layer in order to provide the IP layer with a consistent interface to all network adapters that might be present. The IP layer selects the appropriate network interface based on the destination address of the packet to be transmitted. Each network interface has a network address. The Network Interface layer is responsible for adding or removing any link layer protocol header required to deliver a message to its destination. The network adapter device driver controls the network adapter card. Although not required, a network interface is usually associated with a network adapter. For instance, the loopback interface has no network adapter associated with it. A machine must have one network adapter card for each network (not network type) to which it connects. However, a machine requires only one copy of the network interface software for each network adapter it uses. For instance, if a host attaches to two token-ring networks, it must have two network adapter cards. However, only one copy of the token-ring network interface software and one copy of the token-ring device driver is required. TCP/IP supports types of network interfaces:
The Ethernet, 802.3, and token-ring interfaces are for use with local area networks (LANs). The SLIP interface is for use with serial connections. The loopback interface is used by a host to send messages back to itself. The Serial Optical interface is for use with optical point-to-point networks using the Serial Optical Link device handler. The ATM interface is for use with 100 Mb/sec and 155 Mb/sec ATM connections. Point to Point protocol is most often used when connecting to another computer or network via a modem. The Virtual IP Address interface (also called virtual interface) is not associated with any particular network adapter. Multiple instances of a virtual interface can be configured on a host. When virtual interfaces are configured, the address of the first virtual interface becomes the source address unless an application has chosen a different interface. Processes that use a virtual IP address as their source address can send packets through any network interface that provides the best route for that destination. Incoming packets destined for a virtual IP address are delivered to the process regardless of the interface through which they arrive.
Computer EngineeringComputer NetworkMCA A network interface card (NIC) is a hardware component without which a computer cannot be connected over a network. It is a circuit board installed in a computer that provides a dedicated network connection to the computer. It is also called network interface controller, network adapter or LAN adapter. Purpose
Types of NIC CardsNIC cards are of two types − Internal Network CardsIn internal networks cards, motherboard has a slot for the network card where it can be inserted. It requires network cables to provide network access. Internal network cards are of two types. The first type uses Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) connection, while the second type uses Industry Standard Architecture (ISA). External Network CardsIn desktops and laptops that do not have an internal NIC, external NICs are used. External network cards are of two types: Wireless and USB based. Wireless network card needs to be inserted into the motherboard, however no network cable is required to connect to the network. They are useful while traveling or accessing a wireless signal.
Updated on 30-Jul-2019 22:30:24
A network interface card (NIC) is a hardware component, typically a circuit board or chip, which is installed on a computer so it can connect to a network. Modern NICs provide functionality to computers, such as support for I/O interrupt, direct memory access (DMA) interfaces, data transmission, network traffic engineering and partitioning. A NIC provides a computer with a dedicated, full-time connection to a network. It implements the physical layer circuitry necessary for communicating with a data link layer standard, such as Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Each card represents a device and can prepare, transmit and control the flow of data on the network. The NIC uses the OSI model to send signals at the physical layer, transmit data packets at the network layer and operate as an interface at the TCP/IP layer. The NIC performs different functions for different layers of the OSI model.The network card operates as a middleman between a computer and a data network. For example, when a user requests a webpage, the computer will pass the request to the network card, which converts it into electrical impulses. A web server on the internet receives the impulses and responds by sending the webpage back to the network card as electrical signals. The card gets these signals and translates them into the data that the computer displays. Originally, network controllers were implemented as expansion cards that could be plugged into a computer port, router or USB device. However, more modern controllers are built directly into the computer motherboard chipset. Expansion card NICs can be purchased online or in retail stores if additional independent network connections are needed. When purchasing a NIC, specifications should correspond with the standard of the network. The term network interface card is often considered interchangeable with the terms network interface controller, network adapter and LAN adapter. Types of network interface cardsWhile the standard NIC is a plastic circuit board that slides into a computer to connect with the motherboard, there are multiple ways this connection can occur:
Components of network interface cardsNetwork interface card components include the following:
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What is a computers network interface?
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