CompTIA A+® Certification All-In-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

7.6. Laptop Communication Components

Laptops communicate with each other and with networks in a few different ways. In the following sections, I discuss some of the popular types of communication components found on a laptop.

7.6.1. Network card and modem

The most obvious communication component on the laptop is its built-in Ethernet network card. You use this network card to plug the laptop into a network via a typical UTP cable. Most laptops today ship with 10/100 Mbps network cards that allow for fast data transfer.

You can identify the integrated network card by looking on the side of the laptop for the RJ-45 jack, which looks similar to a telephone jack, only a tiny bit bigger.

Speaking of telephone jacks, the network port is typically located right beside a telephone port for the built-in modem on the laptop. Most laptops also indicate these ports with little pictures so that you know which port is the modem port and which is the network port.

7.6.2. Wireless network card

Most laptops ship with a wireless network card as well as a wired network port. The wireless network card built into your laptop allows you to connect to a wireless access point to access the network and Internet without using a physical network cable.

Laptops typically allow you to enable or disable the wireless network card quickly by pressing a button on the laptop. The wireless button on my laptop is in the top-right corner, but I have also seen the button on the front panel near the hard drive and ...