What does a Network Interface Card (NIC) enable?

A Network Interface Card (NIC) plays a crucial role in facilitating communication between computers within a network. It serves as the hardware component that allows a computer to connect to a network, whether that be a local area network (LAN) or a broader network like the internet. The NIC processes and translates the data into a form that can be transmitted over the network, enabling devices to send and receive information effectively.

The primary function of a NIC is to manage the data sent and received over the network, ensuring that messages reach their intended destinations. It operates at the data link layer of the OSI model and is responsible for the physical address of the device, usually in the form of a MAC address, which uniquely identifies it on the network. By facilitating this communication, NICs are essential in enabling devices to interact, share resources, and access the internet.

Other options may relate to networking or data security but do not directly describe the primary function of a NIC. Wireless internet connections could be facilitated by a NIC, but it's not exclusive to that function since NICs also exist for wired connections. Data encryption and decryption, as well as network traffic monitoring, are tasks typically performed by software or other specialized hardware, rather than the NIC itself.