Networking / Beginners

Selecting a NIC and network configuration settings

Part of the role of the network administrator is to install and configure network interface cards (NICs) in client and server systems. Today, this is a fairly simple process, although you need to consider many factors. Let's start with perhaps the most basic of considerations-how to choose a NIC.

Choosing a NIC

The choice of what NIC to use depends on certain criteria, including the following:

  • Bus compatibility-Some older systems have only Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) slots, but most modern systems have either Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slots or both PCI and ISA slots. Either way, you should verify that there is an expansion slot of the correct type available.
  • Type of network-As mentioned in the discussion on NICs in Chapter 3, "Networking Devices," unless you are using a networking system other than Ethernet, you should not need to specify another type of NIC.
  • Media compatibility-NICs can come with one, two, or even three types of network connectors.

Besides these criteria, which dictate to a certain extent which NICs you can use, the choice then depends on manufacturer, cost, and requirements. The NIC might come preinstalled in the system or, as in an increasing number of cases, the NIC might be built on to the system board. In either of these situations, you do not have to install a NIC.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Network Operating Systems and Clients
  2. Network operating systems
  3. Windows NT 4
  4. Domains and workgroups
  5. Windows NT 4 authentication
  6. Windows NT 4 file and print services
  7. Windows NT 4 application support
  8. Windows NT 4 security
  9. Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000 file system security
  10. Windows 2000
  11. Windows 2000 Active Directory and domains
  12. Windows 2000 authentication
  13. Windows 2000 file and print services
  14. Windows 2000 application support
  15. Novell NetWare
  16. NDS (Novell Directory Services)
  17. NetWare authentication
  18. NetWare file and print services
  19. NetWare application support
  20. NetWare security
  21. Linux
  22. Linux file and print services
  23. Linux application support
  24. Linux security
  25. Operating system interoperability
  26. Using Windows with NetWare
  27. Using Windows and Linux servers
  28. Using NetWare and Linux servers
  29. Operating system client support
  30. NetWare server client support
  31. Linux server client support
  32. Client operating systems
  33. Local security mechanisms for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me
  34. Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP Professional
  35. Client connectivity for Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP Professional
  36. Applications for Linux
  37. Local security mechanisms for Linux
  38. Macintosh
  39. Application support for Macintosh
  40. Selecting a NIC and network configuration settings
  41. Connecting the PC to the network
  42. Testing and troubleshooting the NIC
  43. Configuring the NIC settings
  44. Configuring client systems for TCP/IP
  45. Configuring DNS server information
  46. Configuring WINS server information
  47. Using DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol)
  48. Configuring clients to access servers
  49. Client software for Microsoft networks on Windows 95/98/Me
  50. Novell client software
  51. Unix/Linux client software