Term of the Moment
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Redirected from: wireless network adapter
Definition: wireless adapter
A device that adds wireless connectivity to a laptop or desktop computer. All of the adapters below are available as external USB modules as well as PCI or PCI Express (PCIe) cards that plug into an empty slot on the motherboard. See PCI and PCI Express.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi adapters provide connectivity to the local area network (LAN) in the home or office. Typically used to add Wi-Fi to desktop computers, they can also retrofit older laptops that never came with Wi-Fi or upgrade them to a more recent and faster Wi-Fi standard. See Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
Cellular
Cellular wireless adapters, also called "cellular modems," "air cards," "broadband adapters" or "broadband cards," deliver the same 3G, 4G and 5G wireless service that smartphones use. See wireless broadband and cellular modem.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth provides short range transmission between the computer and a mouse or keyboard. See Bluetooth.
Adding Wi-Fi
Adding Cellular
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi adapters provide connectivity to the local area network (LAN) in the home or office. Typically used to add Wi-Fi to desktop computers, they can also retrofit older laptops that never came with Wi-Fi or upgrade them to a more recent and faster Wi-Fi standard. See Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
Cellular
Cellular wireless adapters, also called "cellular modems," "air cards," "broadband adapters" or "broadband cards," deliver the same 3G, 4G and 5G wireless service that smartphones use. See wireless broadband and cellular modem.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth provides short range transmission between the computer and a mouse or keyboard. See Bluetooth.
The USB adapter (top) adds Wi-Fi to both laptop or desktop, while the card on the bottom plugs into a PCI slot on a desktop computer. (Images courtesy of D-Link Corporation and TP-LINK Technologies Co., Ltd.)
This cellular modem plugged into a PC Card socket on old laptops to connect to Verizon's 3G network. Subsequent adapters plug into USB. See cellular modem. (Image courtesy of Verizon Wireless.)