What Is a WiFi Adapter for PC? How does it work? [Updated Guide]

Oct 14, 2022 - Views: 1499

Rating:5.0 - 50Votes

Your online games are so lag-ridden that you want to give up, your video conferences are dragging to a halt, or even your video feeds are buffering intermittently. These problems are all caused by unreliable internet connections.

If you've taken every precaution to install excellent WiFi throughout your house, a high-performance wireless adapter could be all you need.

Find out more about "What is a WiFi adapter for PC?" in this blog post!

WiFi adapter for PC

WiFi adapter for PC

What Is A WiFi Adapter For PC? 

Your wired device may detect WiFi signals with the help of a WiFi adaptor so that you can wirelessly connect a desktop PC to a network. 

You would need to connect an Ethernet cable from the router to your computer and plug it into the Ethernet port on your computer if you don't have a WiFi adapter.

Moreover, a WiFi adapter may be used to update the hardware on your device by enhancing wireless reception or upgrading it to the newest WiFi generation.

What is wifi adapter for a Pc?

What is wifi adapter for a Pc?

How Does Wifi Adapter Work? 

The wifi adapter enables Pc to communicate with the Internet and other laptops without wires. It transmits data over radio waves to routers, which forward it to broadband modems or corporate networks. 

It is built into most laptops. The type of adapter you acquire must match your needs before installing them on your devices and setting up a wifi network in your office.

See also: What is WiFi?

How does wifi adapter work?

How does wifi adapter work?

Features Of Wifi Adapter

Standards

The radio waves utilized by wireless adapters must comply with one of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' 802.11 broadcast standards (IEEE). 

These standards, which all employ the 2.4GHz radio frequency spectrum, dictate the data transfer speed the adapters broadcast. Adapters using the most recent standards can also support the older ones. 

Speeds

The oldest adapter, IEEE 802.11b, speeds up to 11Mbps. The latest model adapters transmit data at IEEE 802.11g speeds of 54Mbps.

Theoretically, the IEEE 802.11n protocol can attain rates of 300Mbps, but its adapters are slower because of crowded radio channels and interference. 

Because it can operate in the 5GHz frequency region, the 802.11ac standard will theoretically be able to achieve 1Gbps and will be quite fast in practice. 

Run a wifi speed test on your device if you use an adapter and router with 802.11 ac to check the exact wifi speed. This wifi adapter is good for gaming. What is a good wifi adapter for gaming? It runs on 802.11ac for the best performance over dual-band wifi.

Features of wifi adapters

Features of wifi adapters

Security

The wifi adapter works in a range of roughly 200 feet and broadcasts the signals from your computer. Your signal can be picked up and accessed by anyone with a wifi adapter installed on their PC or laptop. Securing your wifi network is important to protect sensitive information and critical resources.

Wifi adapters should get encryption to protect their signals from illegal access. The WEP protocol has some flaws, whereas the WPA2 protocol offers the best security. Your adapter must support to use of these protocols. 

Benefits Of Wifi Adapter

WiFi adapters offer a number of benefits. Of these advantages, greater liquidity is the most crucial. A fully wireless experience may be achieved by unplugging the laptop's cable from the Internet connection.

Furthermore, desktop computers don't require intricate wiring, boring holes, or winding Ethernet wires along the backplane, so they may be installed anywhere in the house. 

Lastly, by supporting up to 254 wireless connections concurrently on a single router, wireless adapters do away with the physical constraints of cable routers.

Benefits of wifi adapter 

Benefits of wifi adapter 

Do I Need a WiFi Adapter?

Generally, using a network cable is the best option if your computer is close enough to your router to allow the cable to reach it. In addition to removing interference and WiFi range problems, using a cable connection like this one also enables speedier data transmission.

A WiFi adapter is your best bet, though, if you're too far away from the router. If you are inside the wireless router's range, you may use your laptop or PC anywhere.

Remember that most computers on the market now come with built-in WiFi, so before you decide to purchase a WiFi adapter, make sure you have turned on your WiFi.

When to use a WiFi adapter?

When to use a WiFi adapter?

How To Find Wifi Adapter

Follow the steps below:

  • Step 1: Open the Device Manager program.
  • Step 2: To expand the Network Adapters section, click it. This is where you'll find the wifi adapter.
  • Step 3: Select Properties from the right-click.
  • Step 4: To access the wireless adapter property sheet, go to the Driver tab.

How to find wifi adapter on your Pc?

How to find wifi adapter on your Pc?

See more: What kind of wave is wifi?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does a WiFi adapter give you better WiFi?
The built-in wireless capabilities of the computer are overridden by a WiFi adapter, which uses the USB port to provide a quicker, more dependable connection to your accessible network signals.
Is a USB WiFi adapter good for gaming?
A good WiFi adapter will give you online gaming performance that's practically indistinguishable from the speeds you can get from a built-in adapter.
Do WiFi adapters need drivers?
Several adapters consist of both WiFi and Bluetooth Technology, and they require drivers for each.

Conclusion 

You’ve learned about the definition of what is a wifi adapter for Pc, the function, and the benefits of wireless adapters as well as how to find wifi adapter. Is there anything we missed? Comment below to share it with us!

References: 

https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/wireless-adapter#:~:text=Wi%2DFi%20adapters%20provide%20connectivity,never%20came%20with%20Wi%2DFi.

https://www.linksys.com/us/r/resource-center/basics/wifi-performance-usb-adapter/

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