NIC is an acronym for Network Interface Card. It is hardware that is inside the CPU, which allows the computer to connect to a network. It is a circuit board that is installed in a CPU without which you cannot connect your computer to a dedicated network. Almost every computer has a motherboard, and most of them have a built-in Network Interface Card. Some of these cards are for wired networks and others for wireless.
Types of Network Interface Card
Network Interface Card is generally of two types, and those are internal network card and internal network card. Let’s discuss further what these types are:
An internal network card refers to the card which is inserted in the motherboard. The motherboard has a slot where this card can be added and cables are used to provide network access to the computer. The internal network card is further of two types: PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) and ISA (Industry Standard Architecture).
External Network card is generally used in those desktops and laptops which doesn’t have in-built NIC in their motherboard. You can use either of the two types of external network card wireless or USB based. If you choose a wireless card, then you are required to insert it into the motherboard to have access to the network. You will not need any cable to connect to the network.
Purpose of using Network Interface Card
Earlier, computers were operated as stand-alone systems, and it wasn’t easy to connect them to other computers or networks. When people are required to transfer files between computers, then floppy-disk were used to transfer data. However, these floppy-disks used to carry only small bits of data at a time. Therefore, the emergence of another substitute was essential for making this process easier and faster. Thus, they came up with the Network interface card to let the computer become a part of the network.
How fast are network cards?
It depends on the type of NICs that on what speed they run. Usually, the Network interface card has a speed rating, including 11Mbps, 54mbps, and 100Mbps. The speed of the internet doesn’t determine the speed of the network card. It can differ because of the external factors like speed you are paying for and bandwidth. For instance, if you are paying 40 Mbps download speed, using a 100 Mbps network interface card will not help you in increasing your speed to 100Mbps, not even 1 unit more than the original speed. Nevertheless, if you are paying for 30 Mbps but your NIC supports only 11, then you will experience slower download speed because the installed hardware component doesn’t support the full speed.
Components of Network interface cards
Every NIC comprises of the following five components:
Ancient yoga brings many rewards - physiological, mental, and even emotional. Among the simplest yet…
As organizations continue to gather vast amounts of data from various sources, the demand for…
What is an AI customer experience? The fundamentals of AI customer experience involve using AI…
Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept of the future but an actual dimension nowadays.…
The terms "crystal" and "gemstone" are frequently used interchangeably to describe precious stones that are…
Step into the batter's box and get ready for a grand slam of knowledge as…
This website uses cookies.