Some products feature NIC partitioning (NPAR). Such controllers are designated 10/100/1000 - this means they can support a notional maximum transfer rate of 10, 100 or 1000 Megabits per second. Ethernet network controllers typically support 10 Mbit/s Ethernet, 100 Mbit/s Ethernet, and 1000 Mbit/s Ethernet varieties. A few LEDs inform the user of whether the network is active, and whether or not data transmission occurs. Older NICs also supplied BNC, or AUI connections. This removes load from the CPU but requires a separate processor on the card.Īn Ethernet network controller typically has an 8P8C socket where the network cable is connected.
Newer server motherboards may even have dual network interfaces built-in. Whereas network controllers used to operate on expansion cards that plugged into a computer bus, the low cost and ubiquity of the Ethernet standard means that most newer computers have a network interface built into the motherboard.
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This provides a base for a full network protocol stack, allowing communication among small groups of computers on the same LAN and large-scale network communications through routable protocols, such as IP. The network controller implements the electronic circuitry required to communicate using a specific physical layer and data link layer standard such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Token Ring.
A network interface controller (also known as a network interface card, network adapter, LAN adapter and by similar terms) is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network.Įarly network interface controllers were commonly implemented on expansion cards that plugged into a computer bus the low cost and ubiquity of the Ethernet standard means that most newer computers have a network interface built into the motherboard.