On-the-Go Hardware
For anyone that needs to have the ability to sit down and work on their computer, wherever they go, having a wireless connection is key. For instance, if you have wireless capabilities with your laptop you can connect to any network that appears within your Wi-Fi range. While these wireless cards are primarily for laptops and the ease of their portability, there are also adapters for wireless connectivity for traditional desktop computers as well.
What Are the Different Types of HP Wireless Network Cards?
- PCI. These interface adapters are primarily for with desktop computers. It is important to have a PCI slot to be able to install a card such as these.
- Mini PCI. These are for Wi-Fi with laptops. They require a Mini PCI slot along with a built-in wireless antenna. The card is completely in the computer's mainframe and nothing extends out from the exterior.
- PCMCIA. These cards go with laptops and need to have a PCMCIA slot available. Most of these adapters come with an internal wireless antenna that extends a bit from the actual computer while the card is slide into the slot.
- PCI Express x1. These adapters aim to move and process data at faster speeds. The 1 indicates that the port itself is about 1 inch long and replace the standard PCI. They move data at about a 250 Mbps rate.
- PCI Express x8. This type of network card is the same as a PCI Express card except the x8 indicates that it is 8 inches long. They all have about the same processing speed, which is also determined by the local bandwidth.
What Are the Different Types of Wireless Networks?
- PAN. Also known as Personal Area Network, has a range that is usually within reach of the person who works on the single laptop. This type of network is a cable replacement for the peripherals. Some of the features this wireless connection has is that its Bluetooth compatible and it has Zigbees and NFC functions.
- LAN. LAN stands for Local Area Network which commonly appears in a building or on a campus, and it is a wireless extension of a wired network. The benefits to this type of connection on any device is that it supports Wi-Fi connectivity.
- MAN. A Metropolitan Area Network usually appears within a city, and it has a wireless inter-network connectivity that works together to produce a better signal and service connection. Because of the strength of the signal that is needed, WiMAX comes standard with this type of connection.
- WAN. WAN stands for Wide Area Network which is a connection that is worldwide and has wireless network access. This type of connection is more for cellular networks to be able to attain the type of connection and speeds necessary for any device.