Network Cards

Ensure an NIC Card is Among Your Computer Components
By Jeffrey Frasco

When it comes to modern computing there are as many different ways of using computers as there are people who use them. The one thing that the vast majority of computer users have in common is in their shared interest in utilizing the internet. Of course, even the best grouping of computer components will remain cut off from the information superhighway without a Network Interface Card, or NIC.

The NIC card - usually pronounced with a short "I" and a hard "c", and short for "Network Interface Card" - is the element that enables your computer components to make connection with the network cable that links you to the internet. Each NIC card has its own identifiable number that any Local Access Network (LAN) can recognize - which is how the network differentiates between your computer and every other computer that is set up on your network. Available in configurations of 10, 100, and 1000 Mbps, the NIC card is the essential component for connecting your computer to either a network or another internet service.

Network Cards were once expansion units that were plugged into the computer, but are now essential computer components that are built directly into the motherboard. The vast majority of these cards have Ethernet capabilities, which is the standard for network connectivity.

There is often confusion for many novices with respect to their computer's networking capabilities. However, since Ethernet technology has risen to such preeminence, you would be hard pressed to find a new computer that is built without the ubiquitous network card. In fact, most users simply take these cards for granted and know only that their computers are online-capable as soon as they plug in their network cable.

The bottom line is that the NIC card's importance in our ability to use our computers the way we need to use them in our daily lives cannot be overstated. When it comes to meeting user needs, the NIC card is one the most important computer components of all.

Article was written by Jeffrey Frasco. Visit Computer Knowledge For You for information about Basic Computer Components. Computer Knowledge For You also offers information about computer hardware tips, and a tutorial about how to build your own computer.

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