cable through USB? or NIC?

[Fudgemaker]

how do you know if your cable modem is run through USB or a NIC? sorry if this sounds a little ignorant sounding... i was just wondering....

[mnosteele52]

A NIC is a network interface card, a PCI slot card that a CAT5 cable goes into, USB is USB?:)

[Soporific]

If it's using a NIC the end's of the cable will look like fat telephone plugs. If you are using USB one end will most likely look like a thin rectangle and the opposite end will look like:

/~\
| O |
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I hope that detailed illustration came out right.

~S