Computer network card. Wi-Fi network card: types, principle of operation and connection


Description of network cards for computers and laptops.

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A network card is a device that allows users to access the Internet, as well as a local network from a computer or laptop. As a rule, modern network adapters have an Ethernet connector to which an Internet cable is connected. This could be a fiber optic cable coming from Wi-Fi devices or the corresponding modem.

In addition, there are also wireless network adapters if the user does not have the ability or desire to run cables across the entire apartment.

In today's review we will discuss in more detail what network cards are, what they are needed for and how they work.

Network cards

As already noted, network cards are essential integral part computer or laptop that allows us to work on the Internet. Network cards may differ from each other in bandwidth, type and other parameters.

What types of network cards are there?

Here we list the main types of network cards:

  • Wireless cards are cards that provide an Internet connection when Wi-Fi assistance or Bluetooth devices.
  • External - usually used for external connection to laptops via USB port
  • Integrated - the most common cards that are built into computers and laptops by default.
  • Internal are network cards that can be additionally connected to computers in the corresponding slots on motherboard.

How do network cards work?

We will not delve too deeply into the operating principle of network cards, since this information will be more understandable only to specialists. Let's explain it more simply. Let's say if you installed fiber optics at home and paid for the Internet, then your provider gives you access to the World Wide Web.

Digital information is transmitted through the fiber optic cable, which is then processed by the network card. There is nothing complicated about it. When you buy a computer or laptop, as a rule, these devices should already have a built-in network card on the motherboard. The driver for it comes along with the drivers for the motherboard. You only need to install the drivers from the disk, which must be given to you by the seller of your computer/laptop.

All this is so simple that most users simply do not realize that there is a network card on their computer. They connect the cable to the network unit of the PC or laptop, pay for the services of their provider and freely use the Internet.

As you might already guess, the computer’s network card is located in its system unit. You just need to open its side cover and pay attention to the lower left corner. You can see this in the screenshot:

How to find a network card on a computer?

If you want to buy a separate internal network card, you can build it into the corresponding slot in the lower left area system unit.

The network card looks like this:

How to find a network card on a computer?

To find out what card you have, you don’t have to go into the system unit. Relevant information can be found in a systematic way. You don't need to install this to do this. third party programs, it is enough to use the means " Windows».

  • Go to " Control Panel» via menu « Start»

How can I find out which network card is installed on my computer?

  • Next, go to “ System»

How can I find out which network card is installed on my computer?

  • Then go to " device Manager»

How can I find out which network card is installed on my computer?

How can I find out which network card is installed on my computer?

How much does a network card cost?

It's hard to say how much a network card will cost tomorrow, since prices digital devices can constantly change. Different network cards have different prices, let's present some list for today:

How much does a network card cost?

How to choose the right network cards for laptops and computers?

When buying a card, of course, you should pay attention to such parameters as media type, throughput, type of network card. It is important to know the classification. But, if you are not an expert, this information you can find out from the seller (buy digital technology only in famous official stores). The most important thing is to know in advance which network card from which company you should look for.

Let's list what you need to know when choosing a network card:

  • The most famous top manufacturers of network cards: “ D-Link», « Tp-link», « Gembird», « Acorp».
  • The network card must have connectors or a connector to be able to connect to a local network (be sure to ask the seller about this).
  • To connect to computers, the network card must have a connector " PCI"(especially if you have old computer), and for computers – the “ PCMCIA».
  • It is also important to consider what maximum speed Your network card will be able to provide Internet access. Standard cards support speeds up to 100 Mb per second.

Video: How to change the network card?

Network card, also known as a network card, network adapter, Ethernet adapter, NIC (English network interface card) is a peripheral device that allows a computer to communicate with other devices on the network. Nowadays, especially in personal computers, network cards are quite often integrated into motherboards for convenience and to reduce the cost of the entire computer as a whole.

Types

Based on their design, network cards are divided into:

  • internal - separate cards inserted into an ISA, PCI or PCI-E slot;
  • external, connected via USB or PCMCIA interface, mainly used in laptops;
  • * built into the motherboard.

On 10-megabit network cards, 3 types of connectors are used to connect to the local network:

  • 8P8C for twisted pair;
  • BNC connector for thin coaxial cable;
  • 15-pin transceiver AUI connector for thick coaxial cable.
  • optical connector (en:10BASE-FL and other 10 Mbit Ethernet standards)
These connectors may be present in different combinations, sometimes even all three at once, but in any this moment only one of them works.

On 100 Mbit boards, either a twisted pair connector (8P8C, erroneously called RJ-45) or an optical connector (SC, ST, MIC) is installed.

One or more information LEDs are installed next to the twisted pair connector, indicating the presence of a connection and the transfer of information.

One of the first mass-produced network cards was the NE1000/NE2000 series from Novell with a BNC connector.

Network adapter settings

When configuring a network adapter card, the following options may be available:

  • RAM memory base address (if used)
  • support for auto-negotiation duplex/half-duplex standards, speed
  • support for tagged VLAN packets (802.1q) with the ability to filter packets of a given VLAN ID
  • WOL (Wake-on-LAN) parameters
  • Auto-MDI/MDI-X function automatic selection operating mode for direct or cross crimping of twisted pair

Depending on the power and complexity of the network card, it can implement computing functions (mainly counting and generating frame checksums) either in hardware or software (by a network card driver using a central processor).

Server network cards can be supplied with two (or more) network connectors. Some network cards (built into the motherboard) also provide functions firewall(for example, nforce).

Functions and characteristics of network adapters

The network adapter (Network Interface Card (or Controller), NIC) together with its driver implements the second, link layer models open systems at the final node of the network - the computer. More precisely, online operating system the adapter and driver pair performs only the functions of the physical and MAC layers, while the LLC layer is usually implemented by an operating system module that is common to all drivers and network adapters. Actually, this is how it should be in accordance with the IEEE 802 protocol stack model. For example, in Windows NT, the LLC level is implemented in the NDIS module, common to all network adapter drivers, regardless of what technology the driver supports.

The network adapter together with the driver performs two operations: frame transmission and reception. Transmitting a frame from a computer to a cable consists of the following steps (some may be missing, depending on the encoding methods adopted):

  • Design of the MAC layer data frame into which the LLC frame is encapsulated (with flags 01111110 discarded). Filling the destination and source addresses, calculating the checksum. Receiving the LLC data frame through the cross-layer interface along with the MAC layer address information. Typically, communication between protocols within a computer occurs through buffers located in RAM. Data to be transmitted to the network is placed in these buffers by protocols upper levels, which extract them from disk memory or from the file cache using the operating system's I/O subsystem.
  • Formation of code symbols when using redundant codes of type 4B/5B. Scrambling codes to obtain a more uniform spectrum of signals. This step is not used in all protocols - for example, Ethernet technology 10 Mbit/s does without it.
  • Output of signals into the cable in accordance with the accepted linear code - Manchester, NRZ1. MLT-3, etc.
Receiving signals from the cable that encode the bit stream. Receiving a frame from a cable to a computer involves the following steps:
  • Isolating signals from noise. This operation can be performed by various specialized chips or DSP signal processors. As a result, a certain bit sequence is formed in the adapter receiver, which with a high degree of probability coincides with the one sent by the transmitter.
  • If the data was scrambled before being sent to the cable, it is passed through a descrambler, after which the code symbols sent by the transmitter are restored in the adapter.
  • Checking the frame checksum. If it is incorrect, the frame is discarded, and the corresponding error code is sent to the LLC protocol through the inter-layer interface to the top. If check sum is correct, then an LLC frame is extracted from the MAC frame and transmitted through the interlayer interface upward to the LLC protocol. The LLC frame is placed in a RAM buffer.

The distribution of responsibilities between a network adapter and its driver is not defined by standards, so each manufacturer decides this issue independently. Typically, network adapters are divided into adapters for client computers and adapters for servers.

In adapters for client computers, a significant part of the work is shifted to the driver, making the adapter simpler and cheaper. The disadvantage of this approach is the high degree of load on the computer's central processor with routine work on transferring frames from the computer's RAM to the network. The central processor is forced to do this work instead of performing the user's application tasks.

Therefore, adapters intended for servers are usually equipped with own processors, which independently perform most of the work of transferring frames from RAM to the network and in the opposite direction. An example of such an adapter is the SMC EtherPower network adapter with built-in Intel processor i960.

Depending on which protocol the adapter implements, adapters are divided into Ethernet adapters, Token Ring adapters, FDDI adapters, etc. Since the protocol Fast Ethernet allows, through the auto-negotiation procedure, to automatically select the speed of the network adapter depending on the capabilities of the hub, then many Ethernet adapters Today they support two operating speeds and have the prefix 10/100 in their name. Some manufacturers call this property autosensitivity.

The network adapter must be configured before installation in the computer. When configuring an adapter, you typically specify the IRQ number used by the adapter, the DMA channel number (if the adapter supports DMA mode), and the base address of the I/O ports.

If the network adapter, computer hardware, and operating system support the Plug-and-Play standard, then the adapter and its driver are configured automatically. Otherwise, you must first configure the network adapter and then repeat its configuration settings for the driver. In general, the details of the procedure for configuring a network adapter and its driver largely depend on the adapter manufacturer, as well as on the capabilities of the bus for which the adapter is designed.

Classification of network adapters

As an example of adapter classification, we use the 3Com approach. 3Com believes that Ethernet network adapters have gone through three generations of development.

First generation

Adapters first generation were implemented on discrete logic chips, as a result of which they had low reliability. They had buffer memory only for one frame, which led to poor adapter performance, since all frames were transferred from the computer to the network or from the network to the computer sequentially. In addition, the first generation adapter was configured manually using jumpers. Each type of adapter used its own driver, and the interface between the driver and the network operating system was not standardized.

Second generation

In network adapters second generation To improve performance, they began to use the multi-frame buffering method. In this case, the next frame is loaded from the computer memory into the adapter buffer simultaneously with the transfer of the previous frame to the network. In receive mode, after the adapter has fully received one frame, it can begin transmitting this frame from the buffer to the computer memory simultaneously with receiving another frame from the network.

Second-generation network adapters widely use chips with high degree integration, which increases the reliability of adapters. Additionally, the drivers for these adapters are based on standard specifications. Second generation adapters usually come with drivers that work like the NDIS (NDIS Interface Specification) network driver), developed by 3Com and Microsoft and approved by IBM, and in the ODI standard (interface open driver), developed by Novell.

Third generation

In network adapters third generation(3Com includes its adapters of the EtherLink III family) a pipeline frame processing scheme is implemented. It lies in the fact that the processes of receiving a frame from the computer’s RAM and transmitting it to the network are combined in time. Thus, after receiving the first few bytes of the frame, their transmission begins. This significantly (25-55%) increases the productivity of the chain " RAM- adapter - physical channel - adapter - RAM." This scheme is very sensitive to the transmission start threshold, that is, to the number of frame bytes that are loaded into the adapter buffer before transmission to the network begins. The third generation network adapter performs self-tuning of this parameter by analyzing working environment, as well as by the calculation method, without the participation of the network administrator. Bootstrapping provides the best possible performance for a particular combination of the performance of the computer's internal bus, its interrupt system, and its DMA system.

Third generation adapters are based on specialized integrated circuits(ASIC), which increases the performance and reliability of the adapter while reducing its cost. 3Com called its frame pipeline technology Parallel Tasking, and other companies have also implemented similar schemes in their adapters. Increasing the performance of the adapter-memory channel is very important for improving the performance of the network as a whole, since the performance of a complex frame processing route, including, for example, hubs, switches, routers, global channels communications, etc., is always determined by the performance of the slowest element of this route. Therefore, if the network adapter of the server or client computer is slow, no fast switches will be able to increase the speed of the network.

Network adapters produced today can be classified as fourth generation. These adapters necessarily include an ASIC that performs the functions of the MAC level (MAC-PHY), the speed is developed up to 1 Gbit/sec, as well as a large number of high-level functions. Such features may include support for the RMON remote monitoring agent, a frame prioritization scheme, remote control computer, etc. In server versions of adapters, it is almost necessary to have powerful processor, unloading CPU. An example of a fourth generation network adapter is the 3Com Fast EtherLink XL 10/100 adapter.

A network card driver is an important component of the operating system. It allows the computer to exchange data with other similar devices. The article we bring to your attention describes in detail the installation procedure for this software, as well as its configuration. All this will allow you to easily connect your computer to computer network and start exchanging data with other similar devices and more.

What is it and why is it needed?

A driver for a network card is a special program that is part of the operating system. It controls the operation of this particular device. Without installing this software, the operating system will identify it as an “unknown device”. And the adapter itself will not fully function. Therefore, the installation of this software is very important and relevant. The problem is solved as follows:

  • Determine the type of network card installed on the computer.
  • Find the driver and install it.
  • Setting the settings network connection.
  • We carry out visual inspection and performance testing.

It is in connection with this algorithm that the installation of adapter drivers will be described in the future.

Types of network cards

According to the installation method, such adapters can be soldered to the motherboard (they are sometimes also called integrated), internal (installed inside the system unit) and external (connected to external connectors personal computer). In the first case, this is a microcircuit with connectors that are located on main board personal computer. It is in this design that such devices can most often be found today. The second version of the network adapter can be seen much less often in practice. This is a separate board that is installed in the PCI expansion slot of the motherboard. And in the latter case, such a component of a computer system resembles a flash drive that is connected to the USB universal serial bus port. The second classification of such devices is based on the method of data transmission. The first one is wired. That is, information is transmitted using twisted pair cables. The second one is wireless. In this case it is used electromagnetic radiation, and information is transmitted using the Wi-Fi standard.

Plug and Play

On the most popular and most common models, the driver for the network card is installed automatically when installing the operating system. This can be checked as follows:

  • Place the mouse pointer over the “My Computer” shortcut (it can also be found in the “Start” menu). Click on it right click call up the menu.
  • In the list that appears, select “Properties”.
  • Next, in the left column, select “Device Manager”.
  • In the window that opens, pay attention to two sections. The first one is network adapters. It must contain all devices of this class. Then expand the section “ Unknown devices"(if there is one) and move on to the next paragraph of this article. If this section is missing, then you can immediately begin setting up the adapter, since everything you need software for its full functioning is already installed.

Determining the installed network card

If the adapter came with a CD and it is available, then we proceed directly to the installation. First, we study the documentation for a personal computer. It must indicate the manufacturer and model of the adapter. If the documentation is irretrievably lost, you can use specialized software, for example, AIDA 64. Download this utility and install it. After starting, we look at the hardware configuration and find out which adapter is in computer system installed. The next step is to download the adapter driver from the manufacturer’s official website. All other sources cannot be used, since you can download the wrong software from them.

Installing drivers

Next, the driver, which was downloaded from the Internet or is on a CD, must be installed on the computer. To do this, let's launch it installation version. Then, following the instructions, install this software on your local computer. At the end of this operation, it is recommended to restart the PC.

Another solution

The previously described manipulations can be made much simpler. To do this, just download the DriverPackSolution program and run it. Then it will scan the list of equipment installed on the computer and update all software of that class. Plus such a decision obvious - minimal user participation in the process. But the disadvantage is that the DriverPackSolution utility takes up a lot of space and takes a long time to download. It contains a driver for each Realtek network card model. The situation is exactly the same with equipment from other manufacturers. As a result, its size today is more than 7 GB.

Setting up a network connection

At the next stage, after the Realtek network card driver has been installed, you need to configure the connection parameters. All required values must be specified in the contract you entered into with the provider. Next, go to “Start”, then select “Control Panel” and find “Network Center”. Then in the right column, click on the line “Change adapter settings”. A window will open containing all the network cards of this personal computer. Open the properties of the custom adapter double click mouse according to its icon. In the window that opens, we gradually expand the configurations for each of the parameters using the same action. Then enter the values ​​and save them. Usually it is enough to configure only 2 parameters: “Internet Protocol version 6” and “Internet Protocol version 4”. This is where they ask network addresses PC and DNS. This information, as noted earlier, must be provided by the provider. By default, the system is configured to automatically accept these parameters.

Visual functional check

Any network adapter is equipped with indicator lights. After correct installation software and network connection settings, one of them should definitely work. As a rule, this is a green LED that blinks periodically. It is usually located next to the twisted pair connection point (for internal and integrated adapters) or on top of the flash drive (for external devices). If this is all true, then we proceed to the next stage.

Due diligence

The last step is to perform a comprehensive connection check. To do this you need to find out the IP address network router or another computer on the local network. This information can be obtained from system administrator. Home routers have the address “192.168.1.1”. Using his example, we will consider a comprehensive check of connection to a local area network. Press the key combination “Win” (it shows the Windows logo) and “R”. The Run window will open. In its field, enter the command “CMD” and press “Enter”. A command prompt window will open. You need to type in it next command: "ping 192.168.1.1". As it is not difficult to understand, the last 4 digits are the address of the computer on the network. In response, connection testing will begin. Based on its results, a message will be displayed with the number of packets sent and received in response. If the quantity is equal, then everything is fine. Otherwise, check the network connection settings. Then, if our PC is connected to the Internet, we can launch a browser, enter the address of any portal into it (for example, rambler.ru) and press “Enter”. After this it should open.

Finally

A driver for a network card is that part of the operating system, without which it is difficult to imagine its full functioning today. Within the framework of this article, the process of installing, configuring and testing it was described in detail and step by step. There is nothing complicated in this operation, so feel free to take it and do it.

A computer network card (Ethernet adapter, Network-adapter) is needed in order to receive an Internet signal. It can be built into the motherboard or removable. Knowing the brand of the network card is necessary to replace it or install drivers. We will tell you where to find your computer's network card in this article.

The easiest way to find out the Internet adapter and not harm your computer is through Device Manager. You can enter it different ways. Let's look at the fastest one first. So, double-click on the “Computer” icon on the desktop or go through the “Start” menu to the same section. A window opened with hard drives. We are not interested in them now. We look up the screen to the blue stripe. We see buttons, including “System Properties”, click it. A system information window appears, by examining which you will learn about the main characteristics of your computer. Now click on the “Device Manager” button located in the left top corner. The treasured window has opened where you can see all the computer parts.


The second way to enter the dispatcher is through the control panel. Click “Start” and click on the “Control Panel” button. A new window pops up, where we click “Hardware and Sound”.


In the first tab – Devices and Printers – find the “Device Manager” button and click. The long-awaited window has opened. Among the list of names, look for “Network adapters”, click on this line. A list of installed tools for connecting to the Internet opens. These include not only network card, but also built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. Often, network card manufacturers "Realtek" And "Atheros". In any case, look for a device where there is text “PCIe Controller”.


You can find out all the information about the Ethernet adapter using a special command. To do this, hold down the buttons Win+R, then enter "cmd" and press OK. In the window that appears, write the command “ipconfig/all” and click Enter. All data about network devices. Look for the item Ethernet adapter. The “Description” line will contain the full name of the network card. When working with command line be careful. Entering another command can have a serious impact on the health of the computer.


If the computer refuses to cooperate with you and does not show the network card, you will have to remove it and inspect it. This method is only relevant for desktop computers. On the board you will find a sticker with the name, enter it into the search engine. In order for the computer to “see” the device and connect to the Internet, install the drivers. Go to a friend and download software for your network card model. Use only official websites of manufacturers.


A device such as a network card allows a laptop or computer to work on the Internet and local network via WiFi, connected via USB or via special cable. The adapter provides a unique address called a MAC that identifies the computer device transmitting packets of information over the network. If you cannot connect with a cable, you can purchase a wireless wifi adapter for your computer equipment.

What is a network card

An element of the hardware configuration of a laptop or computer is called a Network interface controller, which provides the ability to connect to a network, ensuring interaction between devices. Network cards are LAN adapters, NICs, Ethernet adapters or interface cards. Now the Network interface controller is part of the computer package, but previously it was produced separately.

Types of network cards

The Ethernet adapter is designed to connect computer devices to the local network. The Network interface controller, which provides an Internet connection, has the main characteristic of data transfer speed. The NIC uses high-speed interfaces to interface with a computer device. There are 4 design types of computer boards. They all have basic pros and cons.

Types into which microcircuits are divided according to their physical implementation:

  • integrated - as the name suggests, built into the motherboard;
  • wireless – for bluetooth and WiFi networks;
  • internal (separate boards) – connected via PCI, inserted into a PCI-E or ISA slot;
  • External network cards for laptops are inexpensive and connect via USB.

Why do you need a network card in a computer?

The main purpose of a network card is to connect computer devices with each other. The Ethernet adapter provides connection to the Internet. If there is no built-in Network interface controller, then USB modems are used, but then the ability to work over the network is reduced. By combining computers, laptops, peripheral devices (scanners, printers, etc.) in one local network, you can exchange data via WiFi within the boundaries of an apartment, house or provider network.

Principle of operation

Some of the functionality of the Network interface controller can be transferred to the central processor or driver. Information is transmitted over the network, which is grouped into data packets. They move from one device to another. There is software and Hardware involved in data transfer. NIC refers to hardware. He is responsible for establishing physical connection between devices. An 8-pin RJ-45 or 15-pin AUI connector is used.

Where is the network card located in the computer?

The network card in the computer is located in the system unit. You can find it by slightly opening the side cover of the system unit. Modern computers do with an Ethernet interface. The built-in NIC is soldered onto the motherboard. If it is not built-in, then it is inserted into one of the free white slots. Operation and data transfer are carried out using an optical fiber cable connected to the adapter connector.

What does a network card look like?

You can see what a network card looks like in online stores that have photos of devices. Externally, the device looks like a flash drive, and internally it looks like a small chip or board located near the connection connector computer network. It is curved on one side. If you don't open sidebar system unit, the location of the Network interface controller looks like a socket for connecting a cable.

How to find out your computer's network card

In the operating room Windows system It will not be difficult to determine the NIC, which is necessary in case of a malfunction or when replacing. Programmers call such adapters consumables, because they tend to break. Network card for PC – an important part system configuration, so you can use it to detect it special programs such as "Everest" and "AIDA64". You can determine the model name yourself by following the path:

  1. Start.
  2. Control Panel.
  3. System and safety.
  4. System.
  5. Device Manager.
  6. Network adapters.

How to check if a network card is working properly

A broken network card for a computer or a faulty Wi-Fi card will not allow you to access the Internet or local network. Serviceability problems may be hidden in system settings(if you have a built-in LAN adapter) or in the density of the cable connection (if external). You can try updating the drivers or testing. The check is carried out in the following way:

  1. Computer properties.
  2. Device Manager.
  3. If there are no exclamation marks next to the name of your adapter, then the equipment is detected normally. Contact your provider.

How to install a network card on a computer

Before you decide to purchase a LAN adapter, you need to make sure that the motherboard does not have its equivalent. The NIC can simply be disabled. To enable it, you need to activate it in basic system input/output (BIOS). If it really doesn’t exist, then buy a NIC at a computer store, and then install and connect the network card:

  1. Remove the side cover of the system unit.
  2. By selecting free place on the motherboard, remove the plug on the back of the unit.
  3. Install the NIC, secure with the mounting screw.
  4. Connect the cable to the LAN adapter socket.
  5. Turn on your computer. will flash light diodes, notifying about the exchange of information with the network.
  6. Set up the connection: install the driver for the network card, register the server DNS (dns).

Price

The adapter will cost up to $5. The set of functions can be selected as desired (adapter with higher speed data transfer, 2 SFP ports). You can order a set of adapters through the catalog in specialized stores computer equipment or buy in the online store (from 299 rubles). In the table below you will find the price of a network card in Moscow.


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