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One of the ways to access the internet is to connect a LAN cable(Ethernet Cable) to our computer. What happens when we connect this LAN cable to our computer? This LAN cable connects to a hardware device already present in our computer called Network Interface card. So, any computer in order to connect to the internet needs a Network Interface Card(NIC). These days almost all computers have built-in NIC. So let's learn more about NIC. NICNetwork Interface Card is a hardware device that is installed on the computer so that it can be connected to the internet. It is also called Ethernet Card or Network Adapter. Every NIC has a 48-bit unique serial number called a MAC address which is stored in ROM carried on the card. Every computer must have at least one NIC if it wants to connect to the internet. NIC is not the only component that is required to connect to the internet. If your device is a part of a large network and you want it to connect to the internet then a router is also required. The NIC will connect to the router then this router will connect to the internet. Types of Network Interface Card:
Example: TP-LINK TG-3468 Gigabit PCI Express Network Adapter 
Example: Intel 3160 Dual-Band Wireless Adapter
Example: TP-Link TL-UE300 USB 3.0 to RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapter How fast are the Network interface Cards?Every NIC comes with a speed rating such as 11 Mbps, 100 Mbps, etc. that suggests the performance of the NIC. The speed of NIC depends on two other. First, the available bandwidth and second, the speed that you are paying for. Example: If you are paying for 10Mbps download speed but using a 54 Mbps NIC then NIC will not increase your speed. Now imagine you are paying for 15 Mbps but using an 11 Mbps NIC then your download speed will be slower and you will not get the speed of what you are paying for. Now, imagine another situation where your download speed is 54 Mbps and your NIC also supports it. But, you have two computers connected to the network downloading simultaneously. So, the downloading speed is split into two halves and each computer will get a bandwidth of only 27 Mbps. Advantages of NIC
Disadvantages of NIC
This is all about the Network Interface Card. Hope you learned something new today. Do share this blog with your friends to spread the knowledge. Visit our YouTube channel for more content. You can read more blogs from here. Keep Learning :) Team AfterAcademy! by Christopher Trick, on Apr 12, 2022 3:05:53 PM
Many computers are equipped with NIC (network interface controller) cards to operate as a link between the computer and the network to streamline communication and share resources. In this blog, you'll learn more about how NIC cards help enhance networking and processing capabilities to maximize efficiency and ensure optimal performance. What is a NIC card?A NIC (network interface controller) card, also known as a network adaptor or network interface card, is a circuit board that is installed on a computer to connect to the network. A NIC card works as an indispensable component for the network connection of computers, helping to better communication between data communication equipment (DCE). NIC cards are commonly found in most computers and some network servers. They contain electrical circuitry in line with data link and physical layer standards, including a port to connect to the local area network's (LAN) medium. Each communicating device (node) on a LAN must have at least one NIC card. How does a NIC card work?Operating as an interface, a NIC card can transmit signals at the physical layer and deliver data packets at the network layer. Irrespective of location, the NIC card acts as a middleman between a computer, or server, and a data network. When a user requests a web page, the LAN card gets data from the user device, sends it to the server via the Internet, and gets the required data back from the Internet to display for users.
What are the components of a NIC card?There are six primary components of a NIC card:
What are the types of NIC cards?NIC cards are classified into different types based on different features like host interface, transmission speed, and application fields. There are five different types of classifications: Network Connection Based ClassificationsBased on the way the NIC card accesses the network, the card can either be wired or wireless. A wired NIC usually connects a node onto a network with an Ethernet or fiber optic cable; a wireless NIC often comes with a small antenna, which uses radio waves to communicate with the access point to get involved in a wireless network. Bus Interfaces Based ClassificationsISA (Industry Standard Architecture)ISA was developed in 1981, which was a standard bus architecture for IBM compatibilities. Due to the low card speed of 9Mbp/s (megabits per second), the ISA bus interface is no longer a recognized type and hard to find in today's stores. PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)PCI was developed in 1990 to replace ISA. It has a fixed width of 32 bit and 64 bit. This type of NIC card was first used in servers and later on gradually applied to PCs. Most PCs today do not have expansion cards, but rather devices integrated into the motherboard. As a result, PCI has been replaced by other bus interfaces, like PCI-X or USB interface. PCI-X (Peripheral Component Interconnect eXtended)PCI-X is an enhanced PCI bus technology. It operates at 64 bit and is capable of up to 1064 MB/s. In many cases, PCI-X is backward compatible with PCI NIC cards. PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)PCIe is the latest standard and now is popular on computer and server motherboards. PCIe is available in five versions, and each version supports five types of lanes at different speeds. USB (Universal Serial Bus)USB is an external bus standard. It has three versions with different data rates and can work together with a variety of devices. In addition, the wireless network card is also a type of NIC Card. Port Type Based ClassificationsAccording to different cables connected, four types of NIC ports can be found in the market. An RJ-45 port is used to connect with twisted pair cables; an AUI port is used for a thick coaxial cable; a BNC port is used for a thin coaxial cable; an optical port is used for a transceiver. Transmission Speed Based ClassificationsThere are 10Mbp/s, 100Mbp/s, 10/100 Mbp/s adaptive card, 1000Mbp/s, 10GbE, 25G or even higher speed network cards on the market. 10Mbp/s, 100Mbp/s, and 10/100MB/s adaptive NIC cards are suitable for small LAN, home uses or day-to-day offices; 1000Mbp/s NIC cards provide a higher bandwidth in the Gigabit network. 10Gb, 25Gb, or high speed NIC cards are used by large enterprises or data centers. Application Fields Based ClassificationsComputer NIC cardMost new computers today have NIC cards built into the motherboard, so a separate LAN card is not needed. It commonly comes with 10/100Mbp/s and 1Gbp/s speed, and it allows one PC to communicate with other PCs or networks. Server network cardThe main functions of a server network card is to manage and handle network traffic. Compared with the ordinary PC network adapter, server adapters usually require fast data transmission speed like 10G, 25G, 40G, and even 100G. In addition, server adapters have low CPU occupancy rate, since it has a special network controller that can take many tasks from the CPU. SmartNICsSmartNICs are a type of NIC card that offloads tasks from a host server's CPU, reducing workloads and providing additional capabilities like security and storage. Read more about SmartNICs here. ConclusionAt Trenton, our high-performance compute solutions are able to support components like NIC cards that enhance networking power. We create the most powerful networking and processing integrated solutions to increase speeds and feeds for radar, electronic warfare (EW), signal intelligence (SIGINT), communication intelligence (COMINT), and electronic intelligence (ELINT) applications using NVIDIA ConnectX-7 SmartNICs, next generation Intel Dual Xeon-SP CPUs, and PCIe 5.0. Through the use of these interconnected devices, we ensure the rapid transfer of data and improved communication between data communication equipment to deliver actionable insights at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels. What type of interface card do you need to connect to a network?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.
What type of connector is used to connect a network interface card to the network using UTP cable?The connector used on a UTP cable is called as RJ-45 (Registered Jack 45) connector.
What is a network card called?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.
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