Ethernet technology was first introduced in 1973 at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Centre (PARC) to connect devices within a local area network (LAN). Ethernet allowed devices like computers, printers, servers and other nodes to interconnect and share information using a common bus cable. The initial speed of Ethernet was around 3 Mbps but has increased significantly over the years with newer generations. The first commercial network interface card were introduced in the early 1980s which helped popularize Ethernet connectivity in personal computers and workstations.
Components of an Network Interface Card
An network interface card primarily consists of three main components – a physical layer chip (PHY), Media Access Control (MAC) chip and the connector. The physical layer chip deals with the physical transmission and reception of signals over the network cable. It performs operations like encoding/decoding of digital signals, clock recovery, serialization/deserialization. The MAC chip sits above the physical layer and handles tasks like frame assembly/disassembly, address recognition, network media access control according to the defined standard like CSMA/CD. The connector is what allows the card to physically connect to the Ethernet Card, usually an RJ45 port for twisted pair cables. Some BNC or coaxial connectors were also used earlier for thick Ethernet.
Connection Types Supported by Network Interface Card
Network interface card support connections to various types of cabling schemes depending on the generation and specifications. The common connection types include:
– Twisted pair cables – The most widely used type for modern Ethernet and supports speeds up to 1 Gbps using CAT5e or higher grade cables. Both shielded (STP) and unshielded (UTP) twisted pair cables are used.
– Fiber optic cables – Allow transmission over longer distances and higher bandwidths up to 100 Gbps or more using multimode or single-mode fiber optic cable. Requires fiber NICs.
– Coaxial cables – Primarily used in older thick Ethernet networks operating at speeds below 100 Mbps. Coaxial Ethernet uses thick, stiff coaxial cables connected with vampire taps.
– Backbone fiber – Allows connection of switches using single-mode fiber optic cables for up to 100 kilometers of distance. Provides the backbone for modern campus/enterprise networks.
– Wireless – Some hybrid NICs also provide wireless 802.11 WiFi connectivity in addition to Ethernet for laptops and mobile devices.
Types and Speeds of Ethernet Cards
Early Ethernet Card operated at speeds of 10 Mbps using the 10BASE-T standard over UTP cabling. As network speeds increased, higher variants were introduced:
– Fast Ethernet – Raised speeds to 100 Mbps using the 100BASE-TX standard on CAT5 cables. Widely adopted in the late 1990s.
– Gigabit Ethernet – Delivers 1 Gbps using the 1000BASE-T standard on at least CAT5e cabling. Mainstream in the mid-2000s.
– 10 Gigabit Ethernet – Jumped speeds to 10 Gbps using 10GBASE-T, -CX4 or fiber optics. Used in high-performance servers and switches.
– 25 Gigabit Ethernet – Newer standard providing 25 Gbps performance over fiber or copper.
– 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet – Latest variants for ultra-high bandwidth demands at 40/100 Gbps using QSFP+ optics.
In addition to type, network interface card also differ in form factors like PCI, PCIe x1 slot, onboard I/O etc. Specialized variants exist for specific needs like 10GbE XSFP+ for high-density switches.
How Ethernet Cards Facilitate Network Communication?
When an network interface card is installed on a device, it gets assigned a unique MAC address during the manufacturing process. This address acts as the identity of the node on the local network segment. For communication, the card and its driver software work together to perform important networking tasks:
– Frame Creation – Packets are created with the source and destination MAC addresses, Ether Type field, payload and a checksum for error detection.
– Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) – Before transmitting, the card listens to check if the shared medium is free using CSMA. If a collision is detected during transmission, it performs jamming and retransmission using CD.
– Forwarding – Received frames with the matching destination address are handed over to the network stack. Others are discarded.
– Auto MDI-X – Newer standards support automatic detection and adjustment of straight-through or crossover cable types.
– Network Stack Interaction – The card driver interfaces with the TCP/IP stack for functions like IP address configuration, administration etc.
– Hardware Acceleration – Tasks like checksumming, large frame handling are offloaded to the controller hardware for efficiency.
The role of an network interface card is to provide the essential physical network connectivity and interface to reliably transmit and receive digital frames as per the defined standards. This forms the foundation for all modern networking and communication.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author:
Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemical and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/money-singh-590844163)
