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.
