NIC and Structured Cabling
What lets a computer talk to a network in the first place?
- Identify a network interface card (NIC)
- Recognise a properly terminated Ethernet cable
- Follow a signal from PC to switch
Overview
Before there is a network, each device needs a way onto it. That job belongs to the NIC. And the cable needs to be terminated correctly — one bad crimp and nothing works.
The NIC
A Network Interface Card is the hardware that connects a device to a network. Every laptop, desktop, printer and phone has at least one — wired, wireless or both. Each NIC has a unique 12-hex-digit MAC address burned in at the factory.
Ethernet cabling
Cat 5e or Cat 6 UTP is the standard, terminated with an RJ-45 plug. Two wiring standards — T568A and T568B — describe the colour order. Both work; the rule is that both ends of one cable must match. A crimping tool and a cable tester are the technician's basics.
Find the MAC
- On a lab PC, open a terminal and run 'ipconfig /all' (Windows) or 'ifconfig' / 'ip a' (Linux).
- Find the wired NIC's MAC address and IP address. Write both down.
- Compare with two classmates — are any MAC addresses the same? (They should not be.)
- What does NIC stand for?
Reveal answer
Network Interface Card.
- How long is a MAC address?
Reveal answer
12 hexadecimal digits (48 bits).
- What is RJ-45?
Reveal answer
The 8-pin connector at each end of an Ethernet cable.
Watch a video of an RJ-45 cable being crimped. Note the tools needed and the two most common mistakes.