A network adapter is a hardware device that connects computer to a network. External network adapters are available for ethernet, home phoneline network adapter. Ethernet is the type of network adapter . Network adapters are PCMCIA devices or USB devices. Wireless network adapter gear for laptop computers are integrated circuit chips pre-installed inside the computer.
A network analyzer is an instrument used to analyze the properties of electrical networks, especially those properties associated with the reflection and transmission of electrical signals known as scattering parameters (S-parameters). Network analyzers are used mostly at high frequencies; operating frequencies can range from 9 KHz to 110 GHz. The two main categories of network analyzers are scalar network analyzer - measures amplitude properties only and vector network analyzer - measures both amplitude and phase properties. A vector network analyzer may also be called a gain-phase meter or an automatic network analyzer. A scalar network analyzer is functionally identical to a spectrum analyzer in combination with a tracking generator. A new category of network analyzer is the microwave transition analyzer or large signal network analyzer, which measure both amplitude and phase of the fundamental and harmonics. The microwave transition analyzer was commercialized before the large signal network analyzer, but was lacking some of the user-friendly calibration features now available with the large signal network analyzer.