1. What is a NIC?

It is a network interface card, more commonly referred to as a NIC, is a device that allows computers to be joined together in a LAN, or local area network. Networked computers communicate with each other using a given protocol or agreed-upon language for transmitting data packets between the different machines, known as nodes. The network interface card acts as the liaison for the machine to both send and receive data on the LAN.

2. What are the things that you would consider when selecting a NIC?

In my own idea in selecting the NIC (Network interface card) you must choose the known NIC and have good quality or let us say it can give you money back guarantee. Also it must be compatible to all OS so that when the time you will choose or dual boot you will not having problem on it.

3. What is a MAC Address?

In computer networking, a Media Access Control address (MAC address) or Ethernet Hardware Address (EHA), hardware address, adapter address or physical address is a quasi-unique identifier assigned to most network adapters or network interface cards (NICs) by the manufacturer for identification. If assigned by the manufacturer, a MAC address usually encodes the manufacturer’s registered identification number.

4. What is a Protocol? What are the different organizations that create these protocols? Name 3 organizations.

In computing, a protocol is a convention or standard that controls or enables the connection, communication, and data transfer between two computing endpoints. In its simplest form, a protocol can be defined as the rules governing the syntax, semantics, and synchronization of communication. Protocols may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of the two. At the lowest level, a protocol defines the behavior of a hardware connection.

5. Differentiate LAN and WAN.

A computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most LANs are confined to a single building or group of buildings. However, one LAN can be connected to other LANs over any distance via telephone lines and radio waves while the WAN is a wide area network (WAN) is a geographically dispersed telecommunications network. The term distinguishes a broader telecommunication structure from a local area network (LAN).