Quincy Center for Technical Education
Computer Technology Department

NIC Architectures
  • Ethernet, or bus topology, uses a full range of network media (using copper or fiber-optics) and operates at either 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps. The 100 Mbps Ethernet is called Fast Ethernet. An Ethernet network (local area network) can support about 500 nodes. This is the most commonly installed type of network, probably because it is cheapest and simplest, the two main characteristics to look for when building a network.

  • Token ring, or ring topology, also uses copper and fiber-optic cabling, operates at 4 Mbps to 16Mbps, and supports about 260 nodes. A token ring network operates very reliably but can be a "bear" to troubleshoot.

  • FDDI stands for Fiber Distributed Data Interface. FDDI NIC contains a laser transceiver that converts its digital data into light to be transmitted on a fiber-optic network or back to a digital signal from incoming light impulses for use by the PC. FDDI is a standard of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) for data networks using ring topology and data speeds of 100 Mbps.



The component on the NIC that handles the data transmission duties is the transceiver. Athough it performs different tasks for different network types, its job is to transmit the appropriate data format and signal to the PC and the network. Some NICs have more than one transceiver, common on Ethernet cards, with each attached to a different connector type on the card.