What Is Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS)?

Network devices such as Network Interface Cards (NIC) and drivers adhere to a predetermined set of guidelines known as the Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) to communicate with one another. It is a fancy name for a group of guidelines. Imagine it as a language that is used by network devices and drivers to communicate with one another. The NDIS employs transport protocols akin to interpreters to facilitate communication between the various devices. TCP/IP, ATM, and NetBEUI are just a few of the different transport protocols. By translating the information passed between the devices, these standards ensure that the devices can communicate. It's like going on vacation and being unable to communicate the language of the place you're visiting. To speak with the natives, you could download an app or use a translation tool on your smartphone. Similarly, network devices and drivers use transport protocols to communicate with one another even though they do not share a common vocabulary. NDIS was produced due to a joint effort between Microsoft and 3Com. They created this set of rules and standards to make it simpler for network devices and drivers to communicate with one another. Their goal was to facilitate this simplification. You could ask yourself, "Why is this so important?" now. If NDIS did not exist, it would be highly challenging for the many different kinds of network devices to cooperate. Imagine it as a giant puzzle with many other components; the NDIS assists in making all of the pieces fit together so that your computer can connect to the internet and carry out all of the tasks you want it to do. The Network Device Interoperability Specification (NDIS) is a collection of guidelines and protocols that network devices and drivers use to communicate. Microsoft and 3Com devised the idea to simplify the interoperability process between various network devices. With the NDIS, connecting to the internet and doing all our other activities without thinking about them is more accessible.