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network adapter

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network adapter

Also called a "network interface card" (NIC), a network adapter is a plug-in card that enables a computer to transmit and receive data on a local network. Today, the term refers to an Ethernet adapter, although in the past, Token Ring, LocalTalk and FDDI networks were used. A network adapter may also refer to a Wi-Fi adapter (see wireless adapter).

Mostly Built In
Ethernet circuitry is built onto the motherboard of every new desktop and laptop computer, and plug-in cards (NICs) are generally only used in high-end machines when a faster Ethernet standard is new and not yet mainstream. See Ethernet adapter, Token Ring, LocalTalk, FDDI and OSI model.
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References in periodicals archive
While the above implementation works, it still requires that a network adapter is dedicated to each virtual client.
Emulex OneConnect Network Adapters, LightPulse 8Gb/s Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters and Fibre Channel over Ethernet Converged Network Adapters are the main components of the virtual infrastructure, providing VMware vSphere 4 environments with Storage Area Network and Local Area Network connectivity.
The Sensium Life Pebble ships with a full implementation kit, including Sensium USB Network Adapter and SensiumSoft development software.
With the PCE-AX58BT network adapter and several Wi-Fi routers, ASUS is the first company to offer a complete Wi-Fi 6 networking solution.
Amped Wireless's network adapter kit will extend internet to any room (basement, attic, back room, back of back room) using your existing power outlets.
WORLDWIDE COMPUTER PRODUCTS NEWS-June 26, 2012-Myri-10G 10GbE network adapter cards complete Thunderbolt Technology compliance testing with Sonnet(C)1995-2012 M2 COMMUNICATIONS http://www.m2.com
BrocadeEeA (NASDAQ: BRCD) today announced that it will be offering the first fully converged embedded 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switch module and Converged Network Adapter (CNA) designed specifically for IBM BladeCenter server environments.
* Linksys Wireless-N USB Network Adapter with Dual-Band
(Nasdaq:QLGC), Aliso Viejo, a leading supplier of high performance network infrastructure solutions, has announced that its 8Gb/4Gb/2Gb Fibre Channel, 1GbE iSCSI, 40Gb/20Gb (QDR/DDR) InfiniBand(r) and 10Gb Enhanced Ethernet Converged Network Adapter products are qualified with the latest distribution of SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 from Novell, the Linux platform that drives mission-critical computing from the desktop to the data center, for physical and virtual environments.
Wi-Fi networks can be configured to accept connections only from certain computers, using those computers' Media Access Control addresses, a unique number that's attached to the network adapter in every piece of networked equipment.
In this configuration a 66 MHz or faster network adapter or similar add-on circuit board will be forced to operate at 33 MHz to accommodate the slower 32-bit expansion card.
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