A wireless chipset allows devices to communicate with other wireless-enabled devices, found in computers and other wireless products. WLAN cards and external adapters contain a wireless chipset, allowing computers to connect to wireless networks. USB devices, such as external wireless network cards, can also use a wireless USB chipset. Wireless routers act as a bridge between computers and modems, and some chipsets allow users to connect to wireless video or audio signals. The term “chipset” can refer to an internal piece of hardware within a device, consisting of two or more connected chips.
A wireless chipset is an internal piece of hardware designed to allow a device to communicate with another wireless-enabled device. This type of chipset can be found in computers and many other wireless products. The types of hardware that may contain a wireless chipset include wireless computer hardware such as wireless local area network (WLAN) cards and external WLAN adapters. Other types of hardware that might include a wireless chipset include routers and other wireless devices that transmit or receive a wireless signal.
Inside a computer, a wireless chipset allows the machine to communicate with other compatible wireless devices. Even if a computer has a network card such as an Ethernet card already installed, it cannot connect to a wireless network without a device made specifically for wireless networking. The most common type of wireless chipset used in a computer is a WLAN card with 802.11b or 802.11g wireless technology. This type of hardware may also be called a wireless internet card or wireless adapter. The internal variety plugs into an available hardware slot inside the computer. Once installed, the wireless hardware drivers tell the computer how to use the wireless chipset.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices are commonly used to add functions to a computer using its USB ports. USB is a common type of plug used to connect devices to a computer. One such device is an external wireless network card that uses a wireless USB chipset to allow a computer to connect to the Internet. A USB wireless chipset can be connected to a computer using a USB cable or plugged directly like a USB thumb drive.
When a WLAN chipset connects to a network, it connects through a wireless router, another device that has a wireless chipset. A wireless router acts as a bridge between your wireless-enabled computer and your modem, which is the device that connects to the Internet signal from your Internet service provider. Wireless chipsets aren’t just limited to networking. Some wireless chipsets allow a user to connect to a wireless video or audio signal.
The word chipset can be used differently by different types of computer users. When referring to hardware, chipset is usually used to describe an internal piece of hardware located within a complete device. This piece of hardware is called a chipset because parts of this type usually consist of two or more connected chips, although some chipsets have only one. In common parlance, devices such as wireless adapters and external video adapters are sometimes also incorrectly called chipsets.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
