Hardware

Wireless networking hardware serves the same function as hardware used on wired PCs. Wireless Ethernet NICs take data passed down from the upper OSI layers, encapsulate it into data packets, send the packets out on the network media in strings of ones and zeroes, and receive data packets sent from other PCs. The only difference is that instead of charging up a network cable with electrical current or firing off pulses of light, these devices transmit and receive radio waves.

Wireless networking capabilities of one form or another are built into many modern computing devices. Wireless Ethernet capabilities are increasingly popular as integrated components, or can easily be added using PCI or PC Card add-on cards. In fact, many wireless PCI NICs are simply wireless PC Card NICs that have been permanently housed in a PCI component card.

You can also add wireless network capabilities using external USB wireless network adapters. The USB NICs have the added benefit of being placeable- that is, you can move them around to catch the wireless signal as strongly as possible, akin to moving the rabbit ears on old pre-cable television sets.

NOTE Many USB Wi-Fi NICs these days come as little USB sticks, similar in looks to a flash memory thumb drive. You can still position this type of NIC, though, by using a USB extender cable, with a male USB A connector on one end and a female USB A connector on the other.

Is the wireless network adapter all the hardware you need to connect wirelessly? Well, if your needs are simple-for example, if you're connecting a small group of computers into a decentralized workgroup-then the answer is yes. However, if you need to extend the capabilities of a wireless Ethernet network-say, connecting a wireless network segment to a wired network-you need additional equipment. This typically means a wireless access point.

A wireless access point (WAP) connects wireless network nodes to wireless or wired networks. A basic WAP operates like a hub and works at OSI Layer 1. Many WAP manufacturers combine multiple devices into one box, however, to create a high-speed hub or switch, bridge, and router, all rolled into one and working at many different OSI layers.

NOTE Some manufacturers drop the word "wireless" from wireless access points and simply call them access points. Further, many sources abbreviate both forms, so you'll see the former written as WAP and the latter as AP.