Configuring the network card, its characteristics. Reset its settings and install several network cards.

What is a network card?

A network adapter or, as they say in everyday life, a network card is a device for communication between computers on a local network or for accessing the global Internet. It can be of two types: a computer built into the motherboard or a separate chip with a corresponding output connector. By the type of connection (sockets), there are network adapters of the ISA format (obsolete bus), PCI, USB, PCMCIA (for laptops), PCI-E and some others. The first two specifications allow you to connect the network adapter only inside the PC case. USB- and PCMCIA-sockets are output to the front or rear wall of the case. Therefore, the adapter of these specifications is connected from the outside. PCI-E is a modern high-speed bus, which replaced the PCI bus. The method of connecting the adapter of the said bus is internal.

Configuring the network card and its proper functioning

The network card configuration and its operability is determined by the manufacturer, driver and operating system of the user. Interaction of these parameters is inevitable and none of them can be excluded when this device is operating. Another thing to consider is the adapter manufacturer. The manufacturer, tested for years, will not produce low-quality equipment. A product of an unknown firm, albeit cheaper on sale, can quickly refuse to work or not comply with the declared characteristics.

When buying a network adapter, determine the type of bus for the connection. Make sure that your PC or laptop supports the specification of the bus under which the network chip is made. Usually it is PCI or PCI-E bus, less often USB. The ISA specification is used only in very old motherboards. Equipment for this tire is almost no one produces.

Set which type of output jack the adapter uses. If, for example, the network is built on a thin coaxial cable 10Base-2, the board must be equipped with a BNC socket.

Check the compatibility of the network adapter being purchased with your operating system. Some OS do not support work with cards of certain manufacturers. Also, make sure you have the correct driver for your device. To check for compatibility with the OS, the Compatibility List is used.

How to configure the network card? To configure the device, it is assigned an I / O address (i / o) and an interrupt number (IRQ). I / O is the physical memory range for communicating with the adapter. These resources must have a unique value so as not to cause conflict with other operating devices. If your adapter is Plug-n-play, the operating system will automatically allocate the necessary resources. Otherwise, you must assign them manually to the adapter.

Sometimes the Plug-n-play function can, for one reason or another, not work properly with adapters of this format. This can cause functional malfunctions. In this case, it is advisable to try disabling Plug-n-play support through the driver settings.

The network card can be configured not only by means of the operating system, but also by special programs. If the manufacturer of the network adapter has included such software in the package with the driver, it is recommended to use them when configuring. If the "How to reset the network card to factory settings" question appears, use the manufacturer's instruction.

A bit of network administration. Configuring two network cards

When a computer is used as a router and it is also part of a local area network (LAN), at least two network adapters are used. One is connected to the local network through a switch or hub device, the other has an Internet connection through a special WAN port. All other network devices route data packets through this computer. The necessary literature on this topic can be found on the network, for example, in public electronic libraries.