Kenneth C. Laudon,Jane P. Laudon Management Information System 12th Edition pdf

network interface card (NIC)

. Most personal computers today have this card

built into the motherboard. The connection medium for linking network

components can be a telephone wire, coaxial cable, or radio signal in the case of

cell phone and wireless local area networks (Wi-Fi networks).

The 

network operating system (NOS)

routes and manages communica-

tions on the network and coordinates network resources. It can reside on every

computer in the network, or it can reside primarily on a dedicated server

computer for all the applications on the network. A server computer is a

computer on a network that performs important network functions for client

computers, such as serving up Web pages, storing data, and storing the network

operating system (and hence controlling the network). Server software such as

Microsoft Windows Server, Linux, and Novell Open Enterprise Server are the

most widely used network operating systems. 

Most networks also contain a switch or a hub acting as a connection point

between the computers.