What is a network adapter also called?

A network adapter, also known as a network interface controller or a network card, is a piece of computer hardware designed to allow computers to communicate on a computer network. Because it has a MAC address, it belongs to Layer 1 of the OSI model, which allows users to connect to each other via cables or wirelessly.

The operating environment of this tutorial: Windows 10 system, Dell G3 computer.

Network Adapter is also called network interface controller and network interface card.

The network card is the interface that connects the computer and the transmission medium. Network cards are mainly used to convert computer data into signals that can be transmitted through transmission media.

Types of network cards

To access the Internet, a network device needs to be connected through a network card. Due to different ways of accessing the Internet, the types of network cards used will also be different. The types of network cards are as follows:

1) Wired network card

A wired network card is a network card that connects to the network through a "line". The "line" mentioned here refers to the network cable. The common forms of wired network cards are as shown in the figure.

2) Wireless network card

Contrary to the wired network card, the wireless network card does not need to be connected through a network cable, but through wireless signal to connect. A wireless network card usually refers specifically to a wireless network card for a Wi-Fi network. The common forms of wireless network cards are as shown in the figure.

3) Bluetooth adapter

The Bluetooth adapter is also a wireless network card. The difference between a Bluetooth adapter and a wireless network card is the data communication method. Common styles of Bluetooth adapters are shown in the figure.

Classification by installation method

Network cards are usually slave devices of network devices. According to its installation method, network cards can be divided into built-in network cards and external network cards.

1) Built-in network card

Since the network card has become a necessary device for connecting to the network, many network devices have built-in network cards. Therefore, the built-in network card is also called an integrated network card. For example, today's motherboards have integrated wired network cards, as shown in the figure. The interface pointed by the arrow is the wired network card interface provided by the built-in network card.

2) External network card

In addition to the built-in network card, many network devices allow users to install additional network cards. This type of network card is called an external network card, sometimes called a standalone network card. Since it can be inserted into various expansion slots on the motherboard, it can be removed at will and has a certain degree of flexibility. The wired network cards and wireless network cards mentioned above are external network cards.

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