| Shopping around for a good USB wireless card | | | | on the net at any given time, and shouldn't be |
| means sorting through a lot of products that | | | | taken as a problem with the device itself. 54 |
| basically look identical to each other. You have to | | | | MBPs is a bit under seven megabytes a second, if |
| pay attention to the provided stats, the customer | | | | you need something to compare it to in practical |
| reviews, the marketing blurbs and all other | | | | file size terms. |
| information you can get about the workings of | | | | Operating system compatibility is also something |
| these tiny convenient machines, since looks alone | | | | you can't afford to neglect. If you have a |
| don't tell much at all. With all this being necessary | | | | particularly new or old operating system, be sure |
| to insure buying a quality product for net access, | | | | to get a USB card that specifically mentions it |
| you may feel like you're getting into something | | | | supports your OS. Most will support the major |
| more than you're ready for. Thankfully however, | | | | Windows systems happily, but users of other |
| the information you can use to judge USB | | | | operating systems may have extra trouble finding |
| devices isn't too hard to understand with a very | | | | something compatible. |
| little working knowledge of what it all means. | | | | Then there's range, which can be vital to using a |
| Frequency is the big technical specification to look | | | | device for its intended purpose of picking up |
| out for. All USB wireless cards will have at least | | | | internet well. Much like a telephone, a wireless card |
| one compatible frequency listed. Frequency is the | | | | needs a good range to be at all useful. Range will |
| 'channel' the internet operates on, with the | | | | vary heavily, much like bandwidth efficiency, but a |
| industry standard for wireless net being 2.4 | | | | minimum of a hundred meters outside or |
| gigahertz or GHZ. A secondary alternative is 5 | | | | thirty-five to forty inside should be expected, with |
| GHZ, and if you want the most flexible possible | | | | maximums of up to three times those numbers. |
| access, you can get a device that supports both | | | | Don't get something with skimpy range or you'll |
| frequencies. However, for most ordinary uses, 2.4 | | | | find yourself immensely frustrated with limited |
| is fine. | | | | access in areas that should be able to support |
| You'll also want to know what speed the device | | | | you. |
| operates at. This is usually measured in MBPs, or | | | | While there are many other traits the more |
| megabits per second. Anything less than a | | | | technical-minded might wish to look into, these are |
| potential 54 MBPs is below the standard. | | | | the most important parts of any USB card |
| However, it should be noted that it's rare for | | | | intended for internet access. Get something that |
| wireless networks to be able to perform at peak | | | | does these things right, and you'll get great |
| efficiency all the time, since much of their speed | | | | internet. So remember them the next time you're |
| depends on their current workload. This will | | | | out there shopping! |
| naturally vary depending on how many people are | | | | |