Windows comes pre-configured for Internet access via Ethernet. If your computer includes an Ethernet adapter as many do, connecting your computer to the Internet is as simple as connecting a cable.

A network card (also called a network adapter, network interface card, or NIC for short) acts as the interface between a computer and a network cable. The purpose of the network card is to prepare, ...

Former CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He managed CNET's San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D ...

Editors' note: This post is part of a regularly updated series. For the other parts, check out the related stories below. All home networks start with a network cable. Even if you plan on using all ...