Network Adapter

A Network card, Network Adapter, LAN Adapter or NIC (network interface card) is a piece of computer hardware designed to allow computers to communicate over a computer network. It allows users to connect to each other either by using cables or wirelessly.

Although other network technologies exist, Ethernet is most commonly used since the mid-1990s.  Whereas network cards used to be expansion cards that plug 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. These either have Ethernet capabilities integrated into the motherboard chipset or implemented via a low cost Network Card with a dedicated Ethernet chip, connected through the PCI (or the newer PCI express bus) slot. A separate network card is not required unless multiple interfaces are needed or some other type of network is used. Newer motherboards may even have dual network (Ethernet) interfaces built-in.

Most network card today uses a twisted pair socket where the network cable is connected. Network Cards are available in 10/100/1000 Mbit/s varieties. This means they can support a transfer rate of 10, 100 or 1000 Megabits per second.

A Network Interface Controller (NIC) is a hardware interface that handles and allows a network capable device access to a computer network such as the internet. Sometimes the word 'controller' and 'card' is used interchangeably when talking about networking because the most common NIC is the Network Interface Card. Although card is more commonly used, it is in less encompassing. The 'controller' may take the form of a network card that is installed inside a computer, or it may refer to an embedded component as part of a computer motherboard, a router, expansion card, printer interface, or a USB device.
  

( Append Example of Network Interface Device )

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