Macs have NIC cards?

[drsarg]

Hello. This might sound a silly question but I'm confused.

I have been doing research but can not find any information on this. Do Macs have NIC cards that allow them to connect to the internet, or is that just for PCs? If they don't have NIC cards, what else is it known as?

When I go on the Apple website, on the diagrams it just says "gigabit ethernet" and nothing else about ethernet. It says something on "Tech Specs" but it is not really that detailed.

The reason why this is in Mac Mini is because that is what I am studying. However this generally counts for any Macs.

Thanks!

 

[sammich]

The Network Interface Component is built into every modern motherboard. People just refer to it by 'ethernet port' or 'LAN port'.

 

[0007776]

I'm pretty sure NIC stands for Network interface controller, which is what the ethernet port is.

 

[peskaa]

NIC stands for Network Interface Controller, and as such means any device used for networking. In Apple's case this is Ethernet or AirPort (wired or wireless respectively). The gigabit reference is simply that of the speed it is capable of.

 

[chrismacguy]

Hello. This might sound a silly question but I'm confused.

I have been doing research but can not find any information on this. Do Macs have NIC cards that allow them to connect to the internet, or is that just for PCs? If they don't have NIC cards, what else is it known as?

When I go on the Apple website, on the diagrams it just says "gigabit ethernet" and nothing else about ethernet. It says something on "Tech Specs" but it is not really that detailed.

The reason why this is in Mac Mini is because that is what I am studying. However this generally counts for any Macs.

Thanks!

Im pretty sure every Mac since about 1999 possibly earlier has a Ethernet port/NIC built-in, including the Mac Mini