A technician is searching through a storage locker and finds an Ethernet NIC. What is the purpose of this device?

The purpose of an Ethernet NIC (Network Interface Card) found by the technician is to connect a computer to a wired local-area network. An Ethernet NIC is a hardware component that provides a computer with the ability to access and communicate over a network via Ethernet, which is a common wired networking standard. It typically has a port for an Ethernet cable and allows a computer to connect to a network such as a home network, office network, or the internet.

The other options describe different devices or technologies:

• A device that uses radio waves to provide network access to wireless devices is typically a wireless access point or a wireless network adapter. These are used for wireless networking, as opposed to an Ethernet NIC which is for wired networking.
• A device whose sole purpose is to connect end devices and to microsegment a LAN is a network switch. Switches are used to connect various devices within a local area network and manage the flow of data between them.
• A device that connects networks and forwards traffic to remote networks by using IP addressing information is a router. Routers are used to connect multiple networks and route data between them, such as between a local network and the internet.