An NIC, or a network adapter, is a hardware device that connects a computer to the network. It allows computers to communicate over the network using standard networking protocols. It works at the Data Link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. Every card has an RJ-45, a BNC, or an AUI socket where the network cable is connected. A light-emitting diode (LED) usually indicates the status of the card whether it is active or not. Older cards supported only 10 Mbps data transfer speeds, but the newer cards support 10/100 Mpbs or even 1000 Mpbs speeds.
Like other devices in the computer, network cards must also be configured to use certain system resources such as I/O Address (Input/Output Address), IRQ (Interrupt Request), and DMA (Direct Memory Access). Most of the newer cards are Plug-n-Play and are automatically configured by the system. However, before a card is purchased or installed, ensure that it supports the type of cabling used in the network. For example, a NIC-supporting fiber optic cable may not work in a network where UTP/STP cables are used.
Every network card comes with a device driver that needs to be installed to configure it properly on a system. In older cards, network technicians had to configure them manually by setting jumpers for the I/O address and IRQ. The driver software also had to be installed manually. As noted earlier, most new cards are automatically configured by software. However, in certain situations, you may need to download a driver from the vendor’s web site and install it in order to let the system configure the card appropriately.
Like other devices in the computer, network cards must also be configured to use certain system resources such as I/O Address (Input/Output Address), IRQ (Interrupt Request), and DMA (Direct Memory Access). Most of the newer cards are Plug-n-Play and are automatically configured by the system. However, before a card is purchased or installed, ensure that it supports the type of cabling used in the network. For example, a NIC-supporting fiber optic cable may not work in a network where UTP/STP cables are used.
Every network card comes with a device driver that needs to be installed to configure it properly on a system. In older cards, network technicians had to configure them manually by setting jumpers for the I/O address and IRQ. The driver software also had to be installed manually. As noted earlier, most new cards are automatically configured by software. However, in certain situations, you may need to download a driver from the vendor’s web site and install it in order to let the system configure the card appropriately.
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