Network card

The network card (technically know as the Network Interface Card (NIC)) or network adapter is the hardware device that allows a computer to connect to a network.

They are the physical interface between the computer and the network link, e.g. WiFi or ethernet.

They can be internal and built into the motherboard or external as in the case of USB adaptors.

Each network card has a unique MAC address to identify the device on the network.

Network cards on consumer-grade devices typically utilise the devices resources and the kernel manages its actions via a driver. More high-end devices (typically used in servers) have their own processors and memory.