Network card

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A network card is a computer hardware component that allows computers to communicate between them over a network. A network card is also known as a network interface card (NIC) or network adapter.

Latest motherboard models come with network cards built-in. For older motherboards, network cards are attached to PCI slots or USB ports.

For security reasons, every network card is assigned a unique 48 bit code known as a MAC (Media Access Control) address when it is manufactured. This assignment is done by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), which makes sure that no two network cards can ever have the same MAC address.

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Components

There are three main types of connectors used in network cards:

  1. BNC: This connector is circular in shape. It is used for 10Base2 LANs (local area networks), also known as thinnets. BNC stands for Bayonet-Neil-Concelman.
  2. DB9 and DB15: Also known as the RJ45 JACK, the DB9 connector is used in Token Ring networks. DB15 connectors are used in 10Base5 local area networks, also known as thicknets. The number (after DB) indicates the number of pins in the connector.
  3. RJ45: This connector looks similar to a RJ11 connector used in telephone connections, but is a bit wider. It is widely used in Ethernet, ISDN and other network connections.

Network cards also have LED indicators to indicate whether the network is active and whether data transmission is taking place.

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