A WLAN card allows a computer to connect to wireless networks without cables. They can be installed permanently or plugged into an external port. WLAN cards require a software driver package to be installed. WLANs are slower than wired LANs but offer more flexibility. WLAN cards may also have Ethernet LAN capabilities.
A wireless local area network (WLAN) card is a device that allows a computer to connect to wireless networks. Used by computer users and businesses to connect multiple devices to a wireless broadcast network, a WLAN card may also be called a wireless card or a Wi-Fi card. A WLAN differs from Ethernet-based cards in that WLAN hardware allows your computer to connect to a wireless network without the use of connecting cables. Wireless cards may look like a card with connection pins on the end, but they also come in portable forms that look like pin drives.
Many people and businesses use a WLAN card setup on a daily basis, often to connect to a home or business network. Most wireless networks use a technology called frequency division multiplexing to transmit data. Wireless networks are sometimes called wireless local area networks (LAWNs). Wireless networks often use a modem to provide WLAN-enabled computers with access to the Internet. Typically, a computer with a wireless card communicates with a router that is wired to a cable modem with Internet access.
A WLAN card can be installed as a permanent piece of hardware inside a computer, or it can be a peripheral piece of hardware that plugs into an external port on a computer. Plug-in WLAN cards usually connect to your computer using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. New laptops usually come with WLAN devices already installed. Some manufacturers refer to a portable computer with built-in WLAN functionality as a WLAN portable computer. Examples of common WLAN card manufacturers include D-Link®, Linksys®, HP® and Netgear®.
Some computers are designed to make hardware WLAN cards easy for anyone to install, while other computers, especially older computers, have somewhat more complicated installation processes for installing built-in WLAN cards that may require assistance a technician or computer-savvy friend. To run a newly installed WLAN card, most computers require a software driver package to be installed. A WLAN card driver tells the computer how to communicate with the WLAN card. Wireless hardware manufacturers usually include driver discs in the package with a new WLAN device or for download online.
A wired local area network (LAN) often has faster data transfer than wireless networks, but cables require the computer user to stay within cable length of the network hardware. With a wireless network, users can stay connected from anywhere they want within transmission range for the wireless network hardware. WLAN cards sometimes have Ethernet LAN capabilities as an embedded feature. Wireless cards without an Ethernet jack are often installed alongside Ethernet cards to give the computer the ability to connect to both wired and wireless network connections. A wired LAN connection can be helpful when troubleshooting network connectivity and can also help set up a computer to connect to a network for the first time.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
