Virtual Network Adapter

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What Does Virtual Network Adapter Mean?

A virtual network adapter is the logical or software instance of a physical network adapter that allows a physical computer, virtual machine or other computer to simultaneously connect to a network or the Internet. A virtual network adapter works like a typical network standard designed for various networking environments, application and services.

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Techopedia Explains Virtual Network Adapter

A virtual network adapter uses the host physical network adapter to initiate and manage network communications. It is created by the operating system or a purpose-built software application. Once created, it can be used for different applications and networking services. For instance, a virtual network adapter enables a computer to connect to a VPN while being simultaneously connected to another network. Each of the virtual network adapters is considered a unique device, and each has its own separate IP address and network configuration. In virtualization environments, each virtual machine is generally installed with a virtual network adapter for communication between other virtual machines or with the network itself.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.