A Network Interface Controller (NIC), also known as a or , is a hardware component that allows a computer or other device to connect to a network. NICs can be built into the or added as an in a computer. They are essential for establishing communication between devices on a local area network (LAN) or the . NICs operate at the (Layer 2) of the OSI model and handle the framing of data packets, error detection, and, in some cases, .
The primary function of a NIC is to transmit and receive data over a network. It converts data from the computer into a format suitable for transmission over the (like Ethernet, Wi-Fi, etc.). NICs have a unique (MAC) address, a hardware address that identifies the device on a network. The MAC address is used by and other network devices to route data to the correct destination. NICs can operate at different speeds (e.g., for Ethernet) and in (sending and receiving data simultaneously) or (either sending or receiving at a time) modes.
There are several types of NICs, including Ethernet NICs, used for wired networking, and they connect devices using . Wireless NICs are used for , allowing devices to connect to Wi-Fi networks. Fiber Optic NICs are employed where fiber optic cables are used for higher data transfer speeds and longer distances. Virtual NICs provide network connectivity in without a physical NIC.
NIC features include Wake-on-LAN, which allows a computer to be remotely powered on or awakened from using a network message. TCP Offloading offloads certain processing tasks from the to the NIC, improving performance in high-speed networks. Additionally, VLAN Support allows the NIC to be used in a , which can segment network traffic for and efficiency.
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