Which of the following hardware devices is responsible for building a frame?

The hardware device responsible for building a frame is the Network Interface Card (NIC). A NIC is designed to convert data from the computer into a format that can be transmitted over a network. During this process, the NIC encapsulates the data into frames by adding necessary headers and trailers, which include information such as the source and destination MAC addresses. This frame formatting is essential for the data to be correctly understood and processed by other devices on the network.

Other devices, such as routers, switches, and hubs, perform different functions in a network. Routers, for instance, are responsible for directing packets between different networks based on IP addresses. Switches operate at the data link layer and are involved in forwarding frames based on MAC addresses but do not build frames themselves. Hubs function at a more basic level by simply broadcasting signals to all connected devices without filtering or processing the data frames. Therefore, the NIC stands out as the correct choice for the task of frame construction.