Associates with IFNAR1 to form the plasma membrane receptor in the type I interferon signaling pathway. In the presence of intracellular IFNAR2 (iIFNAR2) and IFNA1 (iIFN1b isoform), may mediate STAT1 and STAT2 phosphorylation and induction of EIF2AK2, MX1 and RSAD2. Heterodimer with IFNAR1. In the fibroblastic RTG-2 cell line, induced by polyinosine-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), a synthetic analog of dsRNA, that binds TLR3. Belongs to the type II cytokine receptor family.