Network interface controller

A network interface controller (NIC, also known as a network interface card, network adapter, LAN adapter and physical network interface) is a <a href="/facts/Computer_hardware/8jSjsCNv">computer hardware</a> component that connects a <a href="/facts/Computer/SQe1aK05">computer</a> to a <a href="/facts/Computer_network/3w5RM99p">computer network</a>.
Early network interface controllers were commonly implemented on <a href="/facts/Expansion_card/QkWAPnxJ">expansion cards</a> that plugged into a <a href="/facts/Computer_bus/R45TKwS7">computer bus</a>. The low cost and ubiquity of the <a href="/facts/Ethernet/nMfhU8tU">Ethernet</a> standard means that most newer computers have a network interface built into the <a href="/facts/Motherboard/GXB10heG">motherboard</a>, or is contained into a <a href="/facts/USB/XcIKWLyg">USB</a>-connected <a href="/facts/Dongle/aSvsUF6X">dongle</a>, although cards for the purpose using <a href="/facts/PCIe/ADhsLCUK">PCIe</a> remain available.
Modern network interface controllers offer advanced features such as <a href="/facts/Interrupt/Mm6C4rpc">interrupt</a> and <a href="/facts/Direct_memory_access/DWuVgclV">DMA</a> interfaces to the host processors, support for multiple receive and transmit queues, partitioning into multiple logical interfaces, and on-controller network traffic processing such as the <a href="/facts/TCP_offload_engine/I3fPV7WK">TCP offload engine</a>.

Network interface controller open-in-new

Network interface controller