A network card is a device that is installed in a computer to support the Internet. Each board has its own characteristics that affect the speed and stability of the connection. Depending on these parameters and the requirements of the Internet connection, you should choose a suitable card.
Connection speed
When buying a network card, the main parameter is the realized connection speed. Today, the most affordable devices on the market are devices with the ability to connect 100 Mbit / s or 1 Gb / s of the Internet channel. If you plan to use the card for internet only, you can opt for the less expensive option with up to 100 Mbps bandwidth. However, if you plan on organizing or connecting to a local network, you will need a faster 1 Gb / s card.
Most network cards support PCI and PCI-E (PCI-Express) interfaces and are installed in the corresponding slot on the motherboard.
Most modern motherboards are already equipped with a network module, which usually has a speed of 100 Mbps. If you have a built-in interface, you should buy a plug-in card only if you want to get access to connecting additional ones at a higher speed of 1 Gb / s.
Wireless network cards
To organize wireless Internet access on your computer, you will need to purchase a specialized Wi-Fi network card, which will enable the ability to transfer data from your home router wirelessly. The characteristics of such cards are also limited by the values of the available data transfer rate and the supported standards, which, however, are fully represented on most new cards. It is important that the network card supports wireless data transmission in the 802.11b / g / n standards.
additional characteristics
When choosing a network card, you should also pay attention to its manufacturer. So, when choosing, you should study the products of companies such as ASUS and D-Link. Companies offer quality adapters in various price ranges. Equally good devices are available from Gembird, TP-Link, Zyxel and Netgear.
An important characteristic of a network card is the presence of its own processor, which will greatly facilitate the work of your computer when downloading large amounts of data at speeds exceeding 80 Mbps.
An additional subprocessor takes some of the load on itself, increasing the performance of the entire system when loading data packets.
The cost of a network card can start from 200 rubles. and reach 5000 p. However, the most efficient network cards are more intended for server equipment, which provides traffic to a large number of users at the same time.
