Today, almost any user has the ability to connect to the global network, being at a distance from the router itself, both from a personal computer and from any available gadget. This option is provided by a wi-fi adapter.
Its main function is to receive a high-quality signal with its subsequent transmission. Depending on the technical characteristics, the range of the device can extend both within one small room and up to several tens of meters.
In order to provide convenient access to the Internet, such devices are installed in various organizations (this is one of the methods for optimizing workflows) and at home. If the router has high power, then it can distribute a signal, including on the street.
You can install the adapter anywhere, it can be both a static place and a vehicle (in some settlements, buses and fixed-route taxis are equipped with such devices).
To access the World Wide Web through an adapter, you do not need to install any additional applications or connection mobile internet- just enter the access password by connecting to wi-fi using any gadget.
Some difficulties may arise if you need to connect a personal computer to wi-fi, since such devices often do not provide for the possibility of using it. If the computer cannot receive the signal on its own, then external wireless wi-fi adapters come to the aid of the user. Currently, manufacturers offer several types of such devices, including internal and external. You can purchase a model that receives a signal from a router, and then creates its own access point or adapter on the PC, which, after receiving the signal, simply transmits it to the computer. Faced with the need to purchase such a device, read the recommendations for choosing it and the characteristics of the device.
When purchasing a new router, it is important to remember that it will have default password- for adapters from the same manufacturer and the same model, it can be repeated. Immediately after connecting the device, the password must be changed. The unique combination required to access the network will prevent other people from using it illegally. Unauthorized access among other things, it can lead to a deterioration in the quality of signal transmission, as well as a malfunction of the device. Therefore, when choosing a password, you should use alphanumeric combinations that would be difficult for an outsider to pick up in a logical way.
When buying an adapter, it is important to pay attention to such a characteristic as its power. To ensure high quality and speed of signal transmission over the entire required area, you need to carefully select a device with the appropriate parameters.
Q. What is a wireless LAN adapter?
A. Wireless adapter local network- This is a special device that provides communication between a wireless access point and a device: computer, laptop or netbook, tablet PC, smartphone.
Modern portable devices, such as: laptops, tablets and smartphones have this wonderful module “on board”, that is, they are already equipped and do not require the installation of third-party modules and brackets. Of course, it happens that a laptop or netbook lacks the power of an internal wireless network adapter to “reach” an access point, or an outdated B or G standard is used, the throughput of which is significantly less than or equal to 54 Mbps. Often, such moments upset the owners of old equipment. There is only one way out of this situation - the purchase of an external wireless network adapter. USB adapter has good power and uses the modern N standard, which allows you to get speeds within the wireless network up to 100 Mbps. Of course, the range also becomes larger, which allows you to connect to access points at a distance of up to 100-150 m.
With personal computers, the situation is a bit more complicated. There are 2 main types of wireless network adapters for PCs: the most popular - with USB interface and its older brother is a PCI adapter, which is installed in a special slot on the motherboard.
PCI adapters are older and an order of magnitude cheaper than USB adapters, less convenient, although they are simply not designed for portability, and cause horror in the eyes of beginners or ordinary PC users. Although, it is worth noting that they work stably, quickly, have a good range, and support b\g\n standards. Install once and work happily ever after.
Adapters with a USB interface are more expensive only because of their "friendliness" to all categories of users. Because nowadays everyone knows how and where to “plug in” a flash drive. These devices work with all standards: b\g\n. They can have dimensions that do not exceed the dimensions of the most ordinary flash drive.
So, wireless LAN adapters are internal and external, have different power and bandwidth, work with different standards: obsolete b / g and with the latest on this moment n.
Nowadays, almost all devices are equipped with wireless Internet WiFi. But there is a separate niche of devices on the market that are not equipped with wireless Internet - this is personal computers. WiFi devices are required to connect them to the wireless Internet. WiFi on a computer may be required in several cases:
- There is wireless internet in the house, for example, on a smartphone or tablet, and it must be connected to a PC that does not have WiFi;
- The computer already has Internet, but I want to distribute it throughout the apartment in order to save time and money on an additional tariff.
What is a WiFi adapter
The WiFi adapter is used to implement the wireless network function on devices that do not support WiFi. It allows the computer to receive a signal from the wireless network. Now there are two types of adapters: the first can only receive a signal, the second can work in receive mode and in signal transmission mode. Adapters with built-in SoftAP function allow you to create a WiFi hotspot on your computer.
How to choose an adapter
You should also take a closer look at the parameters that characterize the power of the antenna (ideally, at least 20 decibels). Thanks to this, it will be possible to clearly capture even the most weak signals. The presence of a connector for an external antenna will be an additional advantage. The antenna can be purchased as a separate device or as a set.
In some adapter models, two antennas can be raised during operation, which will enhance the signal quality and increase the data transfer rate. You can purchase compact models in which the antennas are built into the body of the device itself. The body should preferably have ventilation holes through which heat will be dissipated. Due to the absence of such holes, the quality of the device may deteriorate greatly.
The main characteristics of the adapter can be found on its packaging. The front side contains information that lists the standards that the device supports, special abilities for quick setup adapter, as well as the choice of protection method. In addition, one of the most important points is the support for multiple connection modes between two computers.
One of the most popular models on the market today are D-Link DWA-127 and D-Link DWA-566 adapters.
The DWA-127 adapter has a built-in antenna providing a large area wireless connection, and a dedicated WPS hardware button for auto tuning secure WiFi connection. This adapter provides a good connection to standard devices (IEEE 802.11 marked).
DWA-566 is wireless adapter, which enables high-speed connection of computer devices to the network. At the same time, there is no need to carry out additional laying of an Ethernet cable. This adapter fits all standard slots (x1/x4/x8/x16), has two removable antennas (with a gain of about 2 dBi), is capable of operating in two bands: at a frequency of 2.4 GHz (marking: IEEE 802.11; b/ g/n) and at 5 GHz (marking: IEEE-802.11; a/n). Due to these conditions, the wireless connection can reach speeds up to 300 Mbps.
These adapters can work with WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption protocols, are fully compatible with secure wireless networks and provide reliable data security.
The package contains the D-LinkManager WC utility, which allows you to configure convenient settings and saves the most frequently used profiles. The DWA-127 is about $22 and the DWA-566 is about $47.
If you have a regular desktop computer and the Internet is connected via a Wi-Fi router, then there are at least two ways in which you can connect a PC to a router.
Let's look at both options:
- With a network cable. In this case, there is one big minus, and one big plus. The downside is that you need to lay a network cable from the router to the computer. And if the router is installed near the PC, then this is not a problem. But it is not always possible to stretch the cable. It is not always convenient and beautiful. Well, the plus is that the cable connection is more stable, and the Internet speed will be higher.
- By WiFi networks using a special adapter. Desktop computers, as a rule, do not have built-in Wi-Fi adapters, and in order to connect a PC to a wireless network, this adapter needs to be purchased, installed and configured. This is not a problem, but an additional cost. But no wires. I wrote about this in an article:.
In this article, we will take a closer look at what Wi-Fi adapters for PCs are, what to look for when choosing, and how to choose the right adapter for a desktop computer. It should be noted that the USB adapters discussed in this article can also be used on laptops without any problems. If the built-in module is broken, or does not work for some other reason.
In the meantime, you choose a Wi-Fi adapter, you can use mobile device on Android. How to set it all up, I wrote in the article.
Perhaps you have another router, then you can try to configure it as a receiver according to the instructions.
What are Wi-Fi adapters? Determining the connection interface
First of all, I advise you to decide on the interface through which the adapter will connect to a desktop computer. The most popular are USB and PCI Express. There is also PCMCIA (mainly for laptops), but they are no longer very relevant, therefore, we will not consider them. Let's take a closer look at receivers that connect via USB and PCI.
I think you have decided on the connection interface. As for other characteristics, there are no differences between USB and PCI. The information below applies to Wi-Fi adapters with different interfaces.
Selecting a Wi-Fi receiver by technical specifications
After you have decided on the connection interface, you need to look at other specifications. Basically, this is one indicator: the data transfer rate over wireless wifi networks. This determines the speed of the Internet connection that you will receive on your computer when connected via a Wi-Fi receiver.
Also pay attention to the coefficient wifi gain networks. I watched different adapters, in the characteristics, as a rule, do not indicate the power of the antennas. If your computer is installed far from the router, where the signal is not very stable, then for good reception wifi signal take the receiver external antennas. The system unit is usually installed on the floor. Therefore, for better reception, the adapter can be connected via a USB extension cable (if you have external model) and put it on the table.
Wi-Fi standard, support 802.11ac (5 GHz)
At the time of this writing (end of March 2017), the most adapters on sale that support the 802.11n standard. Wireless network speed up to 300 Mbps (may be higher). The cheapest Wi-Fi adapters provide speeds up to 150 Mbps. I would advise buying such adapters only when you need to save a lot. It is better, of course, to buy a receiver with speeds up to 300 Mbps, and even better with support for the modern 802.11ac standard.
Also by connecting the Internet to the computer by network cable, and by installing a Wi-Fi adapter, you can not receive, but distribute Wi-Fi. How to do this, I wrote in the article:.
If your PC was previously connected to the Internet via cable, then after connecting via Wi-Fi, the connection speed may drop significantly. There is nothing wrong with this, and it does not mean that you did something wrong, or configured something incorrectly. True, it all depends on how much the speed has dropped. Speed Tips WiFi connections you can find in the article.
In the comments, you can leave your question, or share useful information on this topic!
Wi-Fi connection technology is becoming popular and in demand among various categories of consumers. Modern brands of TVs, tablets and smartphones support the ability to access wireless Internet.
How the Wi-Fi adapter works
Wi-Fi adapters are special devices, which are used to connect to a wireless network in a specified frequency range, via a broadband radio type, to receive and transmit packet data.
The devices are used to receive and transmit a signal via a wireless network on devices that do not provide WiFi function. Some models are configured only to receive a signal, others - to receive and transmit.
For signal transmission, they can be equipped with an external antenna of a circular type. To increase the range of the Wi-Fi adapter, you need to install an additional omnidirectional antenna.
For the correct digitization of radio waves through the adapter, a special software- drivers that are installed on a stationary PC, laptop, tablet or TV.
Types of Wi-Fi adapters
There are three types of modern network adapters: external, built-in and card. Each of them differs in technical parameters and functional features.
External
Such devices are structurally similar to standard USB– drive, it is ergonomic, reliable and easy to operate. External modules are connected to system unit, laptop or tablet via USB port or cable.
To get started, you need to insert it into a free port and connect to a wireless connection. Devices of this type provide high speed Internet data transmission, which is compensated reasonable price. They do not have obvious shortcomings, therefore they are the most popular.
Embedded (internal)
Built-in adapters are designed to connect to motherboard, therefore, installation requires skill and a little experience in disassembling equipment.
Have an increased throughput, providing a reliable network connection and high data transfer speed.
The cost of equipment for internal connection much higher than external counterparts and depends on the model and manufacturer.
Card (Card-Bus)
Card-type devices are intended for computer technology with special PCCard card slot. Such equipment is equipped with a built-in antenna for receiving and transmitting a signal, they are distinguished by an ergonomic body, concise design, reliable operation and ease of setup. Such devices have not yet received distribution, although they have conquered their part of the market.
How to choose a Wi-Fi adapter
When buying Wi-Fi network devices, you should pay attention to the following parameters: compatibility, standard, frequency, transmitter power, encryption and range.
Compatibility
The network module is intended for connection to computer and television equipment. To connect devices to desktop computers and laptops used installation driver and other software.
In the case of choosing Internet equipment for a TV, the compatibility parameter is important.
Compatibility can be checked using the hardware data sheet, which lists all brands of TVs that are compatible with specific model technology.
If there is no desire to buy branded equipment, for a specific brand of TV or for connecting to a PC, laptop or tablet, then it is recommended to give preference to universal models.
Standard
Wi-Fi communication standard - important parameter selection of equipment for a wireless connection on which the transmission speed depends. The devices support the following standards: 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b and 802.11a.
The maximum possible data transfer rate is 300 Mbps, and is provided by the 802.11n standard. The 802.11a standard transmits data at speeds up to 54 Mbps.
It is recommended to choose a module with the same metric that is supported WiFi router. If the router is 802.11a, the adapter should have similar performance. Choosing a device with a standard lower than that of the router is fraught with limiting the Internet speed.
It is important to remember that the actual speed of the wireless module is much lower than the maximum declared by the manufacturer. Therefore, you do not need to choose high-speed models, it is better to give preference to modules with an average speed, which is enough for comfortable Internet use.
Frequency
The operating frequency of the wireless module is the next device selection parameter. This indicator depends on the Wi-Fi connection standard for which the module is designed. The main models operate at a frequency of 2.5-5 GHz.
For 802.11a, a frequency of 5 GHz is used, for 802.11n, from 2.5 to 5 GHz. The remaining standards operate at initial frequencies of 2.5 GHz.
If it is supposed sharing router and adapter, then the operating frequencies of such devices should be the same. So, if the router has a frequency of 2.5 GHz, then the module will operate at the same frequency, otherwise malfunctions may occur.
Transmitter power
This parameter is responsible for a stable and high-quality connection. Units of measurement - dBm. To ensure good wireless communication, it is recommended to choose models with a power of: 16-20 dBm.
Access Encryption
A characteristic of choice that provides reliable protection against hacking and unauthorized access by other users.
Such devices support special encryption protocols such as WAP and WAP2.
Range
This parameter determines the maximum distance at which the device operates. Units of measurement are meters. The specification for the device specifies two values - range indoors and outdoors.
For use at home, models with a range of up to 5 meters are suitable, providing full coverage and uninterrupted communication.
Wi-Fi adapters are functional devices that provide a reliable wireless Internet connection to an access point.
Network adapters come in different types. Today, you almost do not need to buy them yourself, as motherboard manufacturers build in these devices to reduce the cost of the computer and the convenience of the user in general. Network adapter can be connected to a computer via a USB input or via a connection to the motherboard. The purchase of these devices is mostly associated with a breakdown of the previous one.
As you know, there are two types of network, these are: wireless network and wired. Network adapters are used for both types of networks. It is worth noting that there are much more varieties of network adapters for wireless networks, since it is this type of network that is in great demand and popularity today. With their help, the user can connect the computer to any available wireless network and use the Internet.
What is a network adapter for?
Most modern computers and laptops have an integrated network wifi adapter or network card. It is possible that this card has failed and no longer functions properly, or it simply does not work. This is possible if network standards change to a new and faster connection protocol. Of course, old cards can no longer serve the new protocol, and therefore cannot work with routers that support new standard. Replacing such a card with a new network adapter will solve the immediate problem.
By itself, the network adapter and the driver that comes with it perform two functions: transmitting and receiving a frame. As a result of a certain sequence of actions that the driver and the network adapter perform, the user gains access to the network and can easily and simply surf the Internet. Without AC adapter or network card the user will not be able to access the network, will not be able to connect to it using a cable, and will not search for and use any wireless networks. As a result, the user loses a lot.
The current generation of network adapters allows you to reach speeds on the Internet up to Gb / s, and they also have a number of specific (high-level) functions, sometimes about which the user may not even know. For example, the set may include: support for remote monitoring, functions remote control and much more.