A NIC operates at the physical and data-link layers of the OSI model. It provides the hardware interface to the network medium (copper, fiber, or radio) and transmits or receives frames so the computer can communicate on the LAN or WAN. It does not allocate IP addresses (a function of a DHCP server), route between networks (a function of a router), or enforce firewall rules (a function of a firewall).
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What are the physical and data-link layers of the OSI model?
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How does a NIC transmit and receive frames?
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