Many “smart devices” and computers are equipped with a built-in wireless LAN card that allows these devices to connect to wireless Ethernet networks. The device, while specifically allowing for the wireless network connection of devices into wireless access points and ad hoc networks, is made in many sizes and form factors, all of which can be considered as built-in wireless LAN cards. The most common appliance to contain such a device and call it by this name is a laptop computer.
Wireless LAN description
A wireless Local Area Network (LAN) is a standard Ethernet network that uses radio frequency radio transceivers instead of wires to connect computers and other devices into the Ethernet network. Each device uses a wireless LAN card to send and receive data from the other, analogous to the way a wire allows the same communication type.
Interface
Many laptop computers utilize a mini-PCI interface for the connection of the wireless LAN card into the laptop. Other options are PCMCIA and USB, but these interfaces are not the type that built-in wireless LAN cards use. Some systems have the wireless card circuitry built into the motherboard, but the modular design of mini-PCI is favored.
Wireless Protocols
Wireless LAN cards can use any of the IEEE 802.11 standards the controller chip supports. The most common are the standards: b, g, a, n. Maximum throughput speeds increase with time, and the old 11 Mbps “b” cards are a fraction of the 200-plus Mbps “n” standard. Protocols also vary in range and receive sensitivity.
Popularity of Built-In Wireless LAN Cards
The explosion of popularity in wireless networking has led to the almost ubiquitous implementation of wireless LAN cards in all laptop computers and any other portable computer-like device. Any laptop purchased would be expected to have wireless capability as a standard feature, whereas a few years ago, it was an expensive addition.
Benefits
Wireless LAN cards allow people to compute with LAN, and often Internet, access without the constraints of wires. The benefit of mobility in computing cannot be understated in the scenarios where instant local computing, as well as networked data access, is mandatory. Also, the cost of implementation can be significantly lower than a wired connection in some circumstances.
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