Network Adapters & Adapter Cards
With network and adapter cards, a PC can be expanded. Among the most common network and adapter cards are the WLAN cards. Network and adapter cards are connected via PCI slots on the motherboard. A network card allows a PC to connect to a local network. Network cards were mainly installed in PCs during the 80s and 90s to exchange data in a Local Area Network (LAN). As the digital subscriber line (DSL) became a standard for Internet access towards the end of the 90s, LAN ports on motherboards became standard, and the network card initially lost its significance.
WLAN Card: The Comeback of the Network Card
Motherboards with integrated network cards have partly replaced the classic network card. Network cards experienced a comeback with the spread of local wireless networks (Wireless Local Area Network, WLAN). Like network cards, WLAN cards are usually connected via a PCI interface. Newer motherboards have special slots for WLAN and Bluetooth cards.
If you want to use a network card or WLAN card, the motherboard must have a corresponding slot. Network cards and WLAN cards are typically inserted into a PCI, PCIe-x1, or PCIe-x16 port on the motherboard. Some WLAN cards have a Mini-PCI connector or must be inserted into a special M.2 WiFi slot on the motherboard.
M.2 Adapter Card for Fast NVME SSDs
In addition to the M.2 slot for WiFi cards, there is the M.2 slot for M.2 SSDs. Motherboards with an M.2 slot can be equipped with particularly fast M.2 NVME SSDs. M.2 slots are connected to the chipset via four PCIe 3.0 lanes and are therefore extremely fast. With M.2 adapter cards, motherboards without an M.2 slot can be upgraded with an M.2 interface. The M.2 adapter card is simply inserted into a PCIe slot on the motherboard.
Like M.2 adapter cards, USB adapter cards are usually connected via a PCI slot. There are variants for internal and external USB connections. The simplest form of the USB adapter card is connected via USB headers on the motherboard. For example, an older PC can be upgraded to the faster USB 3.0 standard with a USB 3.0 adapter card, increasing data transfer rates between the PC and an external hard drive with a USB 3.0 connection.
