Network Interface Card
(NIC)

Network Interface Card  (NIC)

A computer needs a network interface card - a NIC - to connect to a network. NICs are rated according to their speed: 10Mbps, 100Mbps or 'Gigabit' 1000MBps. For a NIC to work at its maximum speed, all the other network devices between it and the server must also be able to operate at the same speed. 'Autosensing' NICs can adjust themselves automatically to the best possible speed.

For laptops, NICs are either built into the motherboard or plugged into PC-card (PCMCIA) slots.