Computer Science · Ch 10 — Computer Networks
Ethernet Card
Ethernet Card
An Ethernet card is the physical hardware that lets a computer connect to a wired network. It is also called a Network Interface Card, or NIC for short. Think of it as the translator and gatekeeper between your computer and the network cable — without it, the computer cannot send or receive data over a wired connection.
The NIC is a circuit board that mounts directly onto the motherboard of a computer. An Ethernet cable plugs into the card, and through that cable the computer is linked to the rest of the network. Because it is a physical component fixed inside the machine, it is considered a piece of network hardware.
The textbook shows a photograph of a NIC (Figure 10.9) — a green circuit board with a metal mounting bracket carrying its cable ports.
Ethernet cards can handle data at different speeds. The textbook states that they support data transfer rates ranging from 10 Mbps up to 1 Gbps (which is 1000 Mbps). This means a NIC can be as slow as 10 million bits per second or as fast as 1 billion bits per second, depending on the card's specification. …
Drawn by us to help you understand the concept clearly, and verified to make sure it's accurate. For exams, practice from your textbook's own diagram.
A Network Interface Card (NIC), also called an Ethernet card, is the piece of hardware that actually lets a computer plug into a wired network. It's normally installed inside the computer, with only its connector ports (like an RJ45 socket) accessible from the outside. …