Network Field Programmable Gate Array (NetFPGA), a programmable device, has widely application prospect in computer, communications and high-speed networks. This paper surveys its development course, and gives a thorough summary for its applications in quick route search, routing forward, string matching, content extraction and traffic classification of high-speed network switch, communications and information processing, etc. This paper also presents its application advantages of high speed, parallel and real-time processing and its application disadvantage of lack of flexibility. The paper eventually addresses the feasibility that assembly line design and modularization are employed to overcome this disadvantage.