The Network Card Explained

A network card allows communication between different devices connected to each other and also allows the sharing of resources between two or more computers (hard disks, CD-ROMs, printers, etc.). A network cards are also called network adapter or NIC (Network Interface Card, Network Interface Card in Spanish). There are various types of adapters depending on the type of cabling or architecture that is used on the network (thin coax, coax thick, Token Ring, etc.). But now the most common type of Ethernet interface or using an RJ-45 connector .

Although the term network card is usually associated with an expansion card inserted into a slot inside a computer or printer, is often used to refer to devices embedded on the motherboard of the computer, as the interfaces present in the Xbox video game or modern notebooks. It also is used for expansions for the same purpose that nothing reminiscent of a typical card with chips and connectors soldiers, as the network interface for the Sega Dreamcast, the PCMCIA or CardBus-connector and form factor CompactFlash and Secure Digital SIO used in PDAs

Every network card has a unique identification number of 48-bit hexadecimal called MAC address (not to be confused with Apple Macintosh). These addresses are unique hardware administered by the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE). The first three bytes of the MAC numbers are known as OUI and identify specific suppliers and are appointed by the IEEE.

NIC is also called the chip card network that is responsible for serving as Ethernet interface between the physical environment (for example a coaxial cable) and equipment (for example a personal computer or a printer). It is a chip used in computers or peripherals such as network cards, network printers and embedded systems to connect two or more devices to each other through any means, whether wireless, cable UTP, coaxial cable, fiber optics, etc. .

Most cards come with an empty socket labeled BOOT ROM, to include an optional ROM that enables the computer to boot from a network server with an image of half boot (usually a floppy disk), which allows to use computers without disk hard or floppy drive. On some motherboards and incorporate that into your ROM drive BIOS and the possibility of using CompactFlash cards instead of the hard drive only with an adapter, it starts to become less frequent, mainly in low-profile cards.

Token Ring

The Token Ring network cards have fallen today almost obsolete because of the high cost and low-speed Ethernet connection. They had a DE-9 connector. It also used the RJ-45 for the NICs (network cards) and MAUS (Multiple Access Unit-unit multiple access that was the core of a network Token Ring)

ARCNET

ARCNET network cards used mainly for BNC connectors.