Dummies, Wireless

Figure 2-2:
A wireless
network
adapter that
attaches
to a
computer’s
USB port.
example, some access points and routers that don’t have built-in broadband
modems are also called gateways. We don’t consider them to be Internet
gateways because they link to the broadband modem. They’re more of a
modem gateway, but no one uses that term — it just isn’t as catchy as an
Internet gateway. We call them wireless gateways to keep everyone honest.
Keep these subtle differences in mind when you’re shopping.
Network interface adapters
Chapter 2: From a to n and b-yond
Wireless networking is based on radio signals. Each computer, or station, on
a wireless network has its own radio that sends and receives data over the
network. As in wired networks, a station can be a client or a server. Most stations
on a wireless home network are personal computers with a wireless
network adapter, but increasingly non-PC devices such as phones, entertainment
systems, gaming consoles, and cameras have wireless networking capabilities
too.
Each workstation on the network has a network interface card or adapter
that links the workstation to the network (we discuss these in Chapter 1).
This is true for wireless and wireline (wired) networks. In many instances the
wireless functionality is embedded in the device, meaning the network interface
adapter is internal and preinstalled in the machine. In other instances,
these internal and external adapters are either ordered with your workstation
or device or you add them during the installation process. We describe these
options in the following subsections.
Figure 2-2 shows an external wireless networking adapter designed for attachment
to a computer’s Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, and Figure 2-3 shows
an internal wireless networking adapter designed for installation in a desktop
computer.
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