Top uses of a Wi-fi router"

Nowadays, most people who use
computers access the Internet on a
regular basis, which means
computers need to be connected to the
Internet at all times. When the Internet
was just getting off its feet, computers
needed to be directly connected to the
telephone line or cable line providing
the Internet service; however, as
technology has advanced, routers and
other devices have allowed users to
connect a number of computers or
devices to one Internet source and
have even allowed users to connect to
the Internet wirelessly.
Wireless Internet, which is commonly
known as Wi-Fi, requires a wireless
router, which transmits signals
through the air to computers and
printers equipped with wireless
network cards or adapters. Using Wi-
Fi, computer users can connect to the
Internet from practically any room in
their homes and can even connect to
the Internet on the go using Wi-Fi
hotspots.
In order to connect to a wireless
network, computers and printers must
have wireless adapters. These
adapters can be internal or external,
and there are pros and cons to both
varieties. The most commonly used
external Wi - Fi adapters connect to
the computer via a USB port while
internal wireless adapters connect
directly to the computer’s
motherboard.
A Brief History of Wi-Fi
Although the term Wi-Fi was not used
until 1999, wireless Internet was
created as part of an FCC ruling in
1985. AT&T was the first company to
work with this technology and created
it for use in cash register systems.
One of the major problems with early
wireless signaling was that
information waves were being
bounced off objects and causing
unclear reception on the receiving
end. In the 1990s, an Australian
company solved this problem and filed
a patent for the wireless technology.
It took less than 20 years from the
time Wi-Fi signaling was perfected for
wireless Internet and wireless
networking to pervade everyday life.
Computer users and smartphone users
connect to wireless networks on a
regular basis to access the Internet
and other networked devices. Cafes,
libraries, bookstores, and even fast
food restaurants offer their customers
free or paid Wi-Fi and many homes
have adopted wireless networks to
allow every member of the family to
connect to the Internet from virtually
anywhere within the house.
The Benefits of Using a USB
Wi-Fi Adapter
There are many benefits of using a
USB Wi-Fi adapter, the top five of
which are as follows:
1) Frees Computer Users
from Cables
The main benefit of using a USB Wi-Fi
adapter is that it connects a computer,
printer, or other device to a wireless
network and the Internet without
requiring the computer to be hardwired
to a router or other network device.
The USB Wi-Fi adapter receives
signals from a wireless router or other
wireless device and translates the
signal on the computer, so the
computer user can access the Internet
any time he or she is in range of a Wi-
Fi hotspot or wireless network. This
allows laptop computer users to be
truly mobile and means that they can
access the Internet anytime they are
within proximity of a free Wi-Fi
hotspot or within range of a wireless
network they have the right to access.
Prior to the advent of wireless
networking, desktop and laptop users
needed to connect to a router using an
Ethernet cable. Any time a laptop user
traveled, he or she would have to bring
an Ethernet cable to access the
Internet from the hotel, satellite office,
or client’s location. The computer user
was then limited by the length of the
Ethernet cable and if the cable was
forgotten, he or she would have to
purchase a new one in order to access
the Internet.
2) Eliminates the Need to
Install Internal Hardware
Internal wireless adapter cards are
available for both desktop and laptop
computers; however, most computer
users are unfamiliar with installing
hardware inside their computers and
could end up damaging the wireless
adapter card or the computer itself
during the installation process. USB
Wi-Fi adapters simply plug into a USB
port on the computer, so there really is
no installation required, making it
easy enough for just about anyone to
use.
Many laptops come with built-in
wireless adapter cards, but if a user
purchases one that does not have one,
installing an internal adapter may not
be possible because of the compact
configuration of laptops. While internal
wireless adapters may be an option
with some laptop models, the adapter
cards are usually quite expensive as
they are manufactured by the laptop
manufacturers and are the only ones
that will fit. This means users have no
choice but to purchase the
manufacturer’s adapter card if they
want to install a wireless card
internally.
Occasionally internal components
installed in computers and laptops go
bad, rendering them useless. This is
true of graphics cards, hard drives,
motherboards, memory, and wireless
cards. While a computer cannot run
without a hard drive or motherboard, it
can run without a wireless adapter
card, which means users could use a
USB Wi-Fi adapter to connect to the
Internet rather than having to purchase
a brand new computer or internal
wireless adapter if this happens.
3) Eliminates the Need to
Run Cables Throughout the
Entire House or Office
In the past, computers had to be
located very close to an Internet
source, be it a telephone line or cable
outlet because the computer had to be
plugged into the network via an
Ethernet cable. This made it
impossible to have the Internet source
located in the living room and the
computer located in the home office
without running some type of cable.
Although not limited to Ethernet cables
in this situation, users either had to
drop a phone or cable outlet into the
room containing the computer or run
Ethernet cable from the active outlet to
the computer.
In addition to eliminating the need for
additional wiring, USB Wi-Fi adapters
allow multiple devices to connect to
the Internet via a wireless router
without filling up all the outlets on the
router. This means that users could
have one or two computers connected
through the router via Ethernet cable if
needed along with a hard-wired
networked printer and additional
computers connected via USB Wi-Fi
adapters.
4) Eliminates the Need to
Upgrade a Computer
Computers can be quite expensive,
especially if a user chooses to
purchase the best computer he or she
can afford so that he or she needs to
upgrade less often. Those who are
using laptops or computers that did
not come with wireless network
adapters installed do not have to
spend a lot of money upgrading to a
newer computer if the computer they
are using still works in every other
way. Purchasing an inexpensive USB
Wi-Fi adapter will allow these users to
connect to the Internet wirelessly
without spending money
unnecessarily.
Computer users whose internal
wireless cards are broken or outdated
can also benefit from plugging in a
USB Wi-Fi adapter. Rather than
spending the money to replace the
broken or sluggish internal wireless
adapter, users can simply disable the
internal card and use the USB adapter
to access the Internet. This may
provide a much-needed speed boost
for users whose internal cards are
quite old. For example, wireless
adapters that have the letters b or g
after the 802.11 are slower than those
that have the letter n after the number.
B adapters can only support a
bandwidth of 11 Mbps, while g
supports up to 54 Mbps and n supports
double that at over 100 Mbps. If the
internal wireless adapter is only an
802.11b adapter, users will gain quite
a bit of bandwidth by purchasing a
USB Wi-Fi adapter that supports
802.11b connectivity.
5) Can Be Used on Multiple
Devices
One of the best things about using a
USB Wi-Fi connector is that it can be
shared across multiple devices quite
easily. Because it is an external
device that plugs into a USB port, it
can easily be unmounted and
unplugged when it is needed on
another computer. Since all computers
come with several USB ports, the USB
Wi-Fi adapter can be used on virtually
any computer. Windows-based
computers as well as Macs support
the USB technology, and as long as
the manufacturer has drivers for both
Windows and Mac operating systems,
the same USB Wi-Fi adapter can be
used on both types of computers. This
makes it easy for households or
offices that have both types of
operating systems on their computers
because they can purchase several of
the same USB Wi-Fi adapters for use
on all their machines, and there is no
confusion about which adapter goes
with which operating system.
Although USB Wi-Fi adapters should
not be left plugged into a laptop when
not in use because it could break off
and damage the USB port or the entire
laptop, the adapters are extremely
portable and easily fit into any laptop
bag alongside a laptop making
accessing the Internet while traveling
a breeze.
Shopping for USB Wi-Fi
Adapters
Computer users can purchase USB
Wi-Fi adapters in a wide range of
shops, including electronics stores,
office supply stores, and even mass
merchandise stores. There are many
companies that manufacture these
adapters, so the selection may vary
dramatically from store to store.
Additionally, computer users can turn
to the Internet to find USB Wi-Fi
adapters for their home or office
computers. Online retailers as well as
auction sites like eBay offer a wide
selection of USB Wi-Fi adapters from
many manufacturers and in many
styles so users are sure to find what
they’re looking for online.
Although the prices of USB Wi-Fi
adapters vary from model to model,
they are all fairly inexpensive and
users should consider the features
offered by each model before making
a decision. For users who use both
Mac and PC computers , look for
models that offer drivers for both
operating systems. This will allow
users to use the same adapter on both
operating systems, which will
eliminate confusion and save time.
If possible, computer users should
purchase USB Wi-Fi adapters that
support 802.11n Wi-Fi as this is
currently the fastest and most reliable
type of wireless connection. It
provides data transfer rates that are
10 times the speed of 802.11b and
double the speed of 802.11g, as well
as a wider range of connectivity.
Although these adapters are usually
more expensive than 802.11b and
802.11g adapters, the speed may
appeal to some users.
There are a few additional factors
users should consider before making
a purchasing decision about USB Wi-
Fi adapters, including what type of
security the device offers, what types
of support the manufacturer offers, and
how long the warranty period is.
Although not of the utmost importance
to most computer users, these factors
could help users decide between
comparable models.
USB Wi-Fi adapter users may want to
consider purchasing a USB extension
cable for use with the wireless
adapter, especially if the USB port is
at the back of a computer as this could
affect the antenna’s ability to pick up
the wireless signal. Some models
include an extension cable in case it
is necessary, but the cable can easily
be purchased separately as well, so
this should not be the only deciding
factor for computer users comparing
USB Wi-Fi adapter models.

Internet Cloud-Explained!

"The cloud" is one of those trendy tech
terms a lot of people use but can't
clearly define. What is the cloud?
When do you encounter it? How can it
benefit your business?
If you use any kind of social media or
online data drive, you're already using
the cloud; you just may not realize it.

In this beginner's guide , we break
down the who, what, where and why of
one of tech's most abstract terms.
What is the cloud
exactly?
The first thing you should understand
about the cloud is that it is not a
physical thing. The cloud is a network
of servers, and each server has a
different function. Some servers use
computing power to run applications
or "deliver a service."
For example, Adobe recently moved
its creative services to the cloud. You
can no longer buy the Creative Suite
(Photoshop , InDesign , etc.) in a box
set. Instead, you must pay a monthly
subscription fee to use each individual
service. That's why it's now called the
"Adobe Creative Cloud" instead.
Other servers in the network are
responsible for storing data.
For example, when you take a picture
on your smartphone, it is stored on
your phone's internal memory drive.
However, when you upload the photos
to Instagram, you are uploading it to
the cloud.
IMAGE: Flickr, Acoustic Dimensions
So remember: "The Cloud" is a
network of servers. Some servers
provide an online service, like Adobe
Creative Cloud, and others allow you
to store and access data, like
Instagram or Dropbox.
Chances are, you encounter the cloud
daily. From Google Drive to SkyDrive
to iCloud to Evernote , any time you
store information without using up
your phone's internal data, you're
storing information on the cloud.
What are the benefits to
working in the cloud?
The business decision to "move to the
cloud" is often financially motivated.
Companies used to have to buy their
own hardware equipment, the value of
which depreciated over time. But now
with the cloud, companies only have
to pay for what they use. This model
makes it easy to quickly scale use up
or down.
That's why the cloud is such a big
deal; it doesn't just let you upload that
delicious looking #foodporn (although
that is important), but it also helps
companies save thousands of dollars
a year.
SEE ALSO: What's the Fastest Cloud
Storage Service?
In an article on the benefits of cloud
computing, SalesForce wrote, "Where
in the past, people would run
applications or programs from
software downloaded on a physical
computer or server in their building,
cloud computing allows people
access the same kinds of applications
through the Internet."
Working on the cloud allows your
company to be nimble, efficient and
cost-effective. If your company
quickly needs access to more
resources, it can scale quickly in the
cloud. Conversely, if it needs to
downscale or reduce resources, it can
do so just as easily. Because of this
scalability, the cloud's elasticity is
often compared to that of a rubber
band.
A brief history of the
cloud
The history of the cloud dates back as
far as the 1950s . Back then, a
mainframe (read: computer) was so
big it took up an entire room. Because
mainframes were so expensive,
organizations couldn't afford to
purchase a new one for each user. In
response, they developed "time
sharing" methods, which let multiple
users share access to data and CPU
time. Today, this idea of "time
sharing" is the premise of cloud
computing.
The next major event in cloud
computing history occurred in 1969,
when J.C.R. Licklider developed
ARPANET (Advanced Research
Projects Agency Network) in hopes
that some day everyone would be able
to access data and programs from any
location.
Despite these early advances, the
Internet didn't feature enough
bandwidth to make the cloud available
to the masses until the '90s.
Professor Ramnath Chellappa was the
first to use the term "cloud computing"
in 1997, and in 1999, Salesforce
became the first site to deliver
applications and software over the
Internet.
Amazon officially launched its own
cloud computing platform called
Amazon Web Services (AWS ) in 2006.
AWS provides online services to
websites or client-side applications.
Chances are, you come in contact with
AWS daily. Social media sites like
Instagram and Pinterest use AWS to
host traffic and data. In fact, AWS
powers hundreds of thousands of
startups and larger companies in over
190 countries worldwide.
How big is the cloud?
No one knows exactly how much
space can be provided by cloud-based
services like Google, Amazon or
Facebook; however, according to this
infographic, the cloud can store about
1 Exabyte.
But how big is an Exabyte?
An Exabyte of memory can hold the
same amount of data as 4.2 million
Macbook Pro hard drives. That's a lot
of storage.
How secure is the cloud?
The cloud is great for storing non-
sensitive information, like to-do lists
on platforms like Evernote . But
unsurprisingly, the idea of storing
personal information somewhere "up
in the cloud" makes many people
wary.
Some companies, like Google, are
responding to this worry accordingly.
Google recently announced it would
automatically encrypt data for paid
cloud storage service users.
If you're looking to lessen your use of
the cloud, check out this guide on "6
Ways to De-Cloud and Avoid
Tracking."
How do you use the cloud? Let us
know in the comments section below.