Network Interface Adapters
Wi-Fi network interface adapters are small radio transceivers that convert from computer data to radio signals that they exchange with a Wi-Fi access point, and back again. A Wi-Fi adapter can be an expansion card inside a laptop or desktop computer, a plug-in PC card, or a separate USB device.
Note
A Wi-Fi adapter can also exchange data by radio directly to and from another computer in an ad hoc network, as described in Chapter 2.
Most new Wi-Fi adapters are compatible with all four standards (802.11a, b, g, and n), so they can exchange data with any Wi-Fi access point. Older adapters might use only one, two, or three standards, so they'll only connect to compatible base stations. When a network adapter detects a radio ...
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