Network interface card

How it is used

Usually shortened to NIC, said 'nick'. Server engineers talk about dual NICs, 10 Gb NICs and NIC teaming, which combines two NICs for speed or redundancy. In everyday English people also say 'network card' or 'network adapter'.

Example sentences

1. The server has two network interface cards, one for production traffic and one for backups.

2. Device Manager shows a warning on the network interface card, so try updating the driver.

Common collocations

• NIC teaming
• network card
• dual NICs
• NIC driver
• network adapter

Related terms

• MAC addressA hardware address, usually set in a network card at the factory, that identifies a device on a local network; it has 48 bits and is written as six pairs of hexadecimal digits.
• EthernetThe standard technology (IEEE 802.3) for wired local networks, which defines how devices send frames over copper or fibre cables at speeds from 10 Mbps up to hundreds of gigabits per second.
• hostAny device on a network that has an IP address and sends or receives data, such as a computer, server, phone or printer.
• switchA device with many ports that connects computers, phones, printers and other equipment inside the same local network and forwards each frame only to the port where its destination is.
• transceiverA small plug-in module, such as an SFP, that both sends and receives signals, usually converting electrical signals in a switch or router into light for a fibre link.

More terms: Network Devices

• router
• configure
• modem
• load balancer
• PoE