Wireless networking ports and cards, what do you need?

Find out what you need for wireless networking ports and cards before you buy!

There are many of different devices available for giving your computer wireless networking capabilities. Because these devices can often look very similar, you might wonder which one will actually work best for you.

The most fundamental difference we can identify among wireless devices lies in the way they are connected to your computer. There are three major connection methods: PCI, PCMCIA and USB.

Desktops: PCI Cards

PCI means Peripheral Component Interconnect and is an older and well-known method of installing new equipment in a desktop computer. If your wireless card resembles a green rectangle with something coming out from the end, what you have is a PCI card.

Installing a PCI card requires you to unscrew your computer, take the cover off, and then plug the card in. Even though it may sound quite frightening, it is actually designed to be extremely simple, and once you're finished, your computer will have internal wireless networking capabilities forever.

Chose this method if you have a desktop computer, and are willing to do the whole installation by yourself or can afford to pay someone to do it for you.

Laptops: PCMCIA Card

PCMCIA means Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. A PCMCIA slot is a little slot in your laptop that enables you to add these cards and so attach functions to your laptop rapidly and with no trouble. Although they were initially developed for memory expansion, they are currently more often utilized for networking.

The majority of laptops have PCMCIA slots. To find out whether you have one, check the side of the machine and look for a slot, possibly close to the CD drive. Once you've fund the slot, make sure that it is free by pressing the button to get rid of anything that might be inside. If you have an Ethernet card, you still have a chance to replace it or use your USB instead.

For almost all laptop owners, using PCMCIA is the best solution (some might use USB just because they are not aware of the alternatives).

The Third Way: USB

Using USB is possible regardless of whether you have a desktop computer or a laptop. USB ports are similar to small slots, and could be located almost anywhere on your computer, although you should remember that they hardly ever appear in groups of less than two. Computers are now equipped with often four or even more of these ports. The slots are rectangular instead of square; and quite thin from left to right. By buying a splitter (a USB hub) you can even use more devices than you have physically for ports.

The only problem with USB is that your network won't be completely wireless, due to the presence of a small wire connecting your computer and the USB device.

In addition, it very easy to break little USB devices, forcing you to buy several new receivers each year. On the other hand, USB wireless cards are typically the cheapest ones, and are a lot more simple to install than PCI.

Basically, if you have a laptop without a free PCMCIA slot, or you have a desktop computer you are afraid to open up, then USB is a good intermediary solution for you.

However, if you choose the USB route and have a relatively new computer, make sure to verify whether the device you wish to purchase supports USB2. The majority of computers now have USB2 ports, and if you use specially-designed USB2 devices with them you can really obtain a major speed increase.

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