A wireless network interface card or controller (WNIC) is a type of interface card that connects to a radio-based computer network. This wireless network card is an important component for wireless Internet connections. Unlike a regular network interface controller, a wireless interface card is not wire-based and does not need to connect via Ethernet or token ring.
Before a desktop computer is able to connect to a wireless network, it will need to have a wireless network interface installed. The network card uses an antenna to communicate through microwaves found in the air. The wireless network interface card is usually found on the PCI bus that’s on a desktop computer.
The wireless network interface card can also be connected through a USB drive or PC card. A USB network adapter is a small device that is connected to the computer through a USB connection. USB network adapters are popular among desktop computer users because they can be easily transferred from computer to computer. PC cards are a network adapter similar to a USB adapter that connects to laptop computers. Integrated wireless interface cards are also available in Mini PCI or PCI Express Mini Card form.
A wireless network interface card can operate in infrastructure mode or ad hoc mode. If the network card is operating under infrastructure mode, the wireless network interface card will need an access point, which means that all data will be transferred using the designated access point as a central hub. All wireless clients will connect to this access point. All nodes will need a service set identifier, or SSID. If the access point is WEP encrypted, then each of the nodes will need a WEP key. If the wireless network interface card is operating under ad-hoc mode, there is no need of an access point. The wireless network interface card will directly interact with all the wireless nodes. All nodes in an ad-hoc network will need to have the same channel and service set identifier.
Wireless network interface cards are based on IEEE 802.11, or Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi sets low-level specifications on how all wireless networks operate. There can be many factors affecting wireless range. Wireless range can be affected by objects being in the way of the signal. Range can also be affected by antenna quality. Large electrical appliances such as fuse boxes, air conditioning units, refrigerators, and metal plumbing can interfere a wireless network signal.
