Most versions of Ethernet NICs are configured using jumpers to set addresses and interrupts . An example of an Ethernet NIC is shown above. With some cards, however, the active connector can be selected with configuration software. Addresses are assigned by IEEE to the vendor for the first three bytes of a six-byte address. The vendor is responsible for assigning the rest of the address and ensuring unique IDs.
Vendors sometimes label their cards with the node address.
If the address is not visible, use the diagnostic disk supplied by the vendor. Ethernet Cabling A variety of cables can be used to implement Ethernet networks. The 10Base-T cabling standard, which uses UTP in a star topology, is described later. Ethernet remains closely associated with coaxial cable, however. The Ethernet networks have different limitations based on thinnet and thicknet cable specifications.