Ethernet is a common networking technology used to connect devices locally within homes, offices, or other buildings.
Types of network interface card
There are different types of network interface card available for different use cases and connection speeds:
- Fast Ethernet: One of the earliest and most common Ethernet standards is 100BASE-TX, also known as Fast Ethernet. It provides connection speeds up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) over standard Category 5 cable. Many older network interface card and interfaces support only Fast Ethernet.
- Gigabit Ethernet: As network usage and file sizes grew, Gigabit Ethernet Card was developed to provide speeds up to 1,000 Mbps or 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) over Category 5e or higher cabling. Nearly all modern network interface card support Gigabit Ethernet as the baseline standard.
- 10 Gigabit Ethernet: For high-performance networking in data centers and large organizations, 10 Gigabit Ethernet provides connection speeds up to 10,000 Mbps or 10 Gbps. Special fiber optic or Category 6a cabling is required to reach these speeds. 10 Gigabit network interface card tend to be more expensive than standard Gigabit network interface card.
- Wireless Ethernet: With the growth of notebook computers and mobile devices, wireless 802.11 standards like Wi-Fi also provide Ethernet-compatible networking over radio waves instead of cables. Wireless network interface card, also called Wi-Fi cards, allow cable-free connectivity.
- Multigigabit Ethernet: A newer emerging standard provides even higher speeds ranging from 2.5Gbps to 5Gbps and sometimes beyond using existing cabling. These “multigig” network interface card offer greater performance for power users.
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