What provides the interface between the computer and the network medium?

• A. Network interface card
• B. Router
• C. Switch
• D. Modem

Answer: (A)

The interface between the computer and the network medium is provided by the network interface card. It sits in or on the computer and serves as the bridge that lets the machine put data onto the network and receive signals from it. The NIC handles converting the computer’s digital data into the electrical or wireless signals used on the network, and it manages addressing at the data link layer (like MAC addresses) and the framing of data so it can travel over the medium. Without a NIC, the computer has no direct way to talk to the network.

Routers, switches, and modems have different roles. A router connects separate networks and routes traffic between them, not the direct connection from one computer to the local medium. A switch links multiple devices within a LAN and forwards data to the right device, but each device still needs its own NIC to connect. A modem translates between digital signals and the ISP’s medium, enabling internet access, but it isn’t the direct interface per computer to the local network medium.