There is provided a network control device including: network control unit
for controlling a communication process in a first network system; a
serial interface for controlling a serial communication process between
the first network system and a second network system; and initializing
unit for updating a communication program of the second network system,
wherein the initializing unit has mode switching unit for switching
changeable/unchangeable of the communication program of the second network
system, and program download unit for transmitting the communication
program to the second network system. According to this device, without
using a device having a conventional gateway function and changing a
conventional device at all, a new different network system is added to a
conventional network system such as an in-vehicle network system, so that
the network system can be extended.