What is the main function of a network card in a computer?

The primary function of a network card in a computer is to enable network communication. This device provides the necessary hardware interface that allows a computer to connect to a network, whether that be a local area network (LAN) or the internet. It translates the data packets from the computer into a format suitable for transmission over the network and vice versa, ensuring that data can flow to and from the computer smoothly and effectively.

Network cards can perform various tasks such as managing the speed and format of the data transferred, error checking, and even direct memory access (DMA) to increase performance. They play a crucial role in facilitating networking capabilities, whether through wired connections using Ethernet cables or wireless connections via Wi-Fi. Thus, the correct choice highlights the network card's fundamental role in enabling communication between computers and other network devices.