A wireless-N network adapter connects a computer to a wireless network using faster technology than previous standards. It uses MIMO technology and requires a wireless-N-enabled router or hub. Backward compatibility is possible, but without MIMO or dual channels. It can be internal or external.
A wireless-N network adapter is a device that allows a computer to connect to a wireless network, especially a network that uses wireless-N technology and standards. This simply refers to a specific type of wireless network, which is faster than previous wireless-G networking systems and allows a wireless network to transmit data faster. Like any other type of network adapter, this device is typically connected directly to the motherboard through an internal installation or it can be an external device that connects through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. A wireless-N network adapter is usually backward compatible with wireless-G network devices, such as routers, but requires a wireless-N-enabled router or hub to take advantage of faster speeds.
Network adapters are devices that plug into or are installed inside a computer and allow the computer to connect to a network. These adapters can be wired and allow a computer to connect over a physical connection, usually an Ethernet cable, or they can be wireless. A wireless network adapter allows a computer to connect to a wireless network, usually through a wireless router or hub. In the past, wireless-B and wireless-G networks were standard, but newer networking standards have improved performance, and you typically need a wireless-N network adapter to connect to this type of network.
A wireless-N network is a marked improvement in wireless technology and allows for much greater transfer speeds and speeds for wireless networks than previous wireless standards. When you use a wireless-N network adapter to connect to this type of network, multiple bands of radio signals are used simultaneously to transmit data faster. This is called multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) technology and is vital to increasing the performance of a wireless-N network and adapter.
MIMO technology uses multiple radios to receive and transmit data simultaneously, significantly increasing the data rate for a computer using a wireless-N network adapter. Wireless-N standards also allow two channels to be used simultaneously, effectively doubling the already increased transmission speeds for systems using wireless-N technology. However, for a wireless-N network adapter to use these enhancements, it must be connected to a network through a hub or router that also includes wireless-N technology.
A wireless-N adapter can still connect to older systems that use wireless-B or wireless-G standards, as backward compatibility is an aspect of wireless-N standards, but it won’t be able to use the technology MIMO or dual channels. This type of adapter will typically be an internal device that installs inside a tower computer and connects directly to the motherboard, often with an external antenna connected to the adapter. You can also use external wireless-N network adapters, which usually connect to a computer through a USB port.
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