NIC card...what's that?

[Dave H.]

I'm not very computer savvy, or at least not very "network" savvy. I currently have a Cox cable modem and a NetGear router and my wireless laptop works great with these.

I'm moving soon and called Cox for a new installation and will be using their cable modem and their wireless router. I asked them whether my laptop would still work with their router as opposed to my current Netgear router. They said that as long as I had an "NIC" card in my laptop, it would work fine.

Then I asked them what to do when I get my new wireless laptop, which I plan to purchase in the near future. They told me, once again, that as long as it had an "NIC" card, it would work fine and they could walk me through the setup in less than five minutes.

Can someone please tell me what an "NIC" card is? If I have wireless, does that automatically mean that I have an NIC card?

Thanx to you guys for being there!!

[illunious]

Network interface card. Typically an ethernet card. The port looks like an oversized phone jack.

If you already have wireless, that's good enough (better even), you'll just plug the modem into your wireless hub.

[Neuge]

NIC = Network Interface Card, which refers to an ethernet connection.

The people at Cox are just being morons. There's no reason to use their wireless router, just use the one you have, and if they were going to supply a wireless router you wouldn't need an NIC.

[Dave H.]

Thank you gentlemen!