Network Adapters
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Network Cards / Adapters
Network cards (NIC - Network Interface Card) are relics from the early days of computer technology and are still very popular among home users today. Since the early 1980s, network cards for PCs have hardly changed in appearance. These hardware stalwarts are still available as plug-in cards for the expansion slots of PCs. Network cards for Ethernet networks are now easily connected to a hub, switch, or router via twisted-pair cables with RJ45 connectors, forming a local network (LAN) or connecting the home PC to the Internet via a wide-area network (WAN).
Ethernet Cable Provides the Fastest Connection for a Network Card
Upgrading with an inexpensive network card is a popular method to connect older PCs to the Internet. Various manufacturers also offer high-quality network cards for the professional sector, where conventional onboard LAN chips are no longer sufficient, and multiple independent connections and low CPU load are required. In the gaming sector, dedicated LAN cards provide lower latencies compared to wireless networks (WLAN), ensuring interference-free gaming without disruptions.
- Fast Gigabit LAN with 1000Base-T(X) copper cables is now standard in the home sector. Network cards achieve transmission speeds of 1,000 Mbit/s, far surpassing even the most powerful WLAN technologies.
- Network cards can be plugged into a free PCI or PCIe slot, with only PCI-Express allowing the full data rate of the gigabit network to be utilized. Many full-height network cards can be converted to low-profile format using a separate slot bracket, making them suitable for HTPC systems as well.
- Special features include automatic detection of transmission speed (10/100/1000 Mbit/s), Wake-on-LAN function, which allows the PC to be started from the network, or VLAN for virtual sub-networks. Network cards are particularly energy-efficient, with low power consumption of less than 5W and very long warranty periods of up to 10 years.