A network interface controller (NIC, also known as a network interface card, network adapter, LAN adapter or physical network interface and by similar terms) is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network.

Early network interface controllers were commonly implemented on expansion cards that plugged into a computer bus. The low cost and ubiquity of the Ethernet standard means that most newer computers have a network interface built into the motherboard.

Modern network interface controllers offer advanced features such as interrupt and DMA interfaces to the host processors, support for multiple receive and transmit queues, partitioning into multiple logical interfaces, and on-controller network traffic processing such as the TCP offload engine.

10 Gigabit Ethernet Card

10 gigabit Ethernet is a telecommunication technology that offers data speeds up to 10 billion bits per second. 10 gigabit Ethernet (10-Gigabit Ethernet) is also known as 10GE, 10GbE or 10 GigE.

The 10 GbE standards are fully interoperable with existing Ethernet protocols. It differs from traditional Ethernet in that it is a full-duplex protocol, meaning it does not need Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) protocols. In every other way, 10 GbE is the same as the original Ethernet protocol. This is important for network managers because as the demand for speed increases, 10 Gb Ethernet can easily be deployed within existing networks, providing a cost-effective technology that can support high-speed, low-latency requirements. 

Application of 10 Gigabit Ethernet Card 

The PCI Express 10 Gbps Network Card lets you add a 10-Gigabit Ethernet port to your server or high-powered workstation through a PCI Express x4 (or higher) slot.

With rising demand on network resources due to large file transfers, increase in network users and multimedia content, more bandwidth is often required at various levels of your infrastructure. This 10 Gb NIC offers a cost-effective solution for your file or application server or even a high-powered workstation to transfer more data, faster.

Fully compliant with the IEEE 802.3an 10GBASE-T standard, the card offers added bandwidth over standard Cat 6a cabling, to meet your network needs without an overhaul of your infrastructure wiring, or a costly upgrade to fiber. The 10 Gbps network card also offers compatibility with VMWare® ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization software and iSCSI support to combine LAN and SAN function.

Summary

10-Gigabit Ethernet is often described as a disruptive technology that offers a more efficient and less expensive approach to moving data on backbone connections between networks. The IEEE 802.3ae standard permits distances between physical locations up to 40 kilometers over a single-mode fiber. Both single-mode and multi-mode fiber systems can be used with 10 GbE applications.