Which wi-fi adapter to choose. How to choose a Wi-Fi adapter for a PC - the main rules

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Need to connect to Wi-Fi modern man is encountered everywhere: wireless networks are much more practical and convenient than their cable “brothers”.

It’s just that similar WiFi privileges are mainly used by all sorts of mobile gadgets: phones, tablets, smartphones and most modern laptops. Accordingly, the question arises: what is “classical” Personal Computer-is it worse? After all, working on a desktop computer is much more convenient, and connecting cable internet often causes a lot of trouble.

And in this article we will look at how to connect a desktop computer to wifi, and what needs to be done for the computer to “catch” invisible Wi-Fi.

By the way, the age of the device is not directly related to the creation of a wireless network, and you can connect WiFi even to a relatively old computer.

Can a regular computer be connected to wifi?

Some difficulties with connecting Wi-Fi on a personal computer are not at all related to the “prejudice” of the developers or the unfortunate fate of this device, full of hardships.

The fact is that mobile devices And modern laptops initially equipped with a built-in Wi-Fi adapter for connecting to a wireless network (which is not available on a desktop computer). However, such devices are mostly designed for short-term access to the network, and have a rather meager set of functionality.

While a desktop computer is designed for long work both with serious offline software and with any global resources information network. Accordingly, connection with all peripheral devices and external networks(Internet, power supply, etc.) here is carried out in a more reliable cable way.

A cable Internet connection for a desktop computer is more stable than a wireless Wi-Fi connection. Yes, when WiFi connection The reliability and speed of the network directly depend on the number of active connections, channel load, room architecture and many other third-party factors.

Therefore, decide to connect home computer to wifi solely for aesthetic reasons - still not worth it. "Standard" cable connection more reliable, more efficient ( Not), and causes much less damage to the health of the Internet user.

However, if a hard connection to the Internet source is unavailable for some reason, then you can connect Wi-Fi on your home computer in a matter of minutes.

How to connect your home computer to wifi?

To connect wifi to a desktop PC, first of all, you need to purchase a special removable Wi-Fi adapter - a miniature antenna that will “catch” the Internet signal transmitted by the router and return the data processed by the user to the router.

The most popular and inexpensive solution here would be to choose a removable USB adapter for your computer.

In order not to get a “pig in a poke”, it is better to buy a device from well-known and time-tested manufacturers: TP-Link, D-Link, etc.

If you purchased the adapter from official distributor, then the device comes with a disk with special program to install drivers.

How to install Wi-Fi on a computer running Windows 7?

1. Connect your adapter to any USB port on your computer.

2. Insert the disk into the drive, run the auto-configuration utility and, when prompted by the program, click the “Next” button.

3. After installing the driver in the “Network Center” folder for Windows 7 (or “ Network connections"for Windows XP) you will see a new shortcut (in addition to the usual "Connect via local network"). The name of the label will contain the brand name of the manufacturer of your adapter.

4. Now you can connect your desktop computer to wifi. To do this, click on the shortcut once right click mouse -> “Connection” -> Select the name of your Wi-Fi network and enter the password.

How to set up Wi-Fi if there is no installation disk?

In addition to the “classic” purchase of a brand new licensed adapter, there are cases when the user needed Wi-Fi on the computer “here and now”, and he borrowed/purchased an old used WiFi adapter from friends.

Naturally, the disk with the driver for such an adapter has long been lost.

In such a situation, you need to download the archive with the driver from the Internet.

“But there is no Internet!” - you say - “What to do?”

Here to connect desktop computer to wifi you should:

Connect the computer you are setting up to the router using a cable (if possible).

Go to the official website of the manufacturer of this adapter(or the specialized resource ddriver.ru), find the driver you need by the name of the USB-Wi-Fi adapter and download the software to your computer.

If cable connection it is not possible to connect to the router, download the driver you need to any computer connected to the Internet, and using removable media(flash drives) copy the archive to your wired computer.

2. Next, right-click once on the “My Computer” shortcut, then “Manage” and select “Device Manager” here. In the “Network adapters” section, find the name of our USB adapter, right-click on it and select the “Update driver” menu item. Next, specify the folder into which the archive was copied from the necessary drivers, and click "OK".

3. Once the installation is complete, you will be able to connect your desktop computer to wifi. To do this, in “Network Connections”:

Select a new shortcut;

Right-click on it;

Select the menu item “Connection”;

Select the name of your Wi-Fi network (which you specified in the SSID when setting up the router);

Enter your password and you can use the Internet.

Today, in the world, they are produced various gadgets, which have the function of accessing the Internet using wireless networks. But still, there are also devices that do not provide the ability to use Wifi - personal computers. Therefore, owners of this type of computer have a task to eliminate this problem. Wireless Wifi adapters come to the rescue.

What is a Wi-Fi adapter?

The Wifi adapter is designed to receive a signal from an access point and transmit it to a personal computer. Such a device is needed only in cases where the computer cannot independently receive a signal. On this moment, there are two types of adapters: the first only receives a signal from the router and transmits it to the computer, the second is capable of not only receiving, but also creating its own access point on the computer. They also differ in location: external and internal.

How to choose a wi-fi adapter for your computer

When choosing such a device, you need to take into account many factors: from your ability to work with a computer to Internet speed. Wifi adapters that connect via USB port. They are very easy to use and do not cause much inconvenience to users.

There is another type of connecting the adapter to the computer – via PCI-E. This method complex, from a technical point of view, for it you need to know whether the computer has a connector for connection.

The most important parameter, when choosing a Wifi adapter – the Wifi wireless network standard. The most common standard is 802.11n. He has good quality signal and acceptable frequency. It also allows you to transmit the Internet via a wireless network, the speed of which reaches 300 Mbit/s.

You need to pay attention to the power of the Internet receiver you want to buy. If it is lower than 20 dBM, then you do not need to buy such an adapter, since it will poorly receive the signal from the router, even if it is not far away.

If you don’t care what type the adapter will have, then it is recommended to buy it with an external antenna. This will improve the quality of signal reception and ensure a stable connection between your computer and the Internet.

After purchasing the adapter, you need to connect it to your computer. After that, you need to configure it and install necessary drivers devices. They are taken from the disk that comes with the kit.
In fact, installation and selection Wifi adapter, does not cause any difficulties for many users. For good data transfer to a personal computer, you just need to choose an adapter that matches the characteristics of the router and computer, and install everything you need software, following the instructions that come with the device.

It often happens that direct connection Internet connection is not enough. This may be due absolutely for various reasons. To solve this problem there is a fairly simple solution - Wi-Fi. However, not all devices support this function. There is an ideal solution widely available in the market. This article will help you choose Wi-Fi adapter. But before we get to the point, you may need some details.

Wi-Fi adapter – what is it and what is it for?

Before you choose a Wi-Fi adapter, you should understand what kind of device it is and how it works. If we talk in simple language, the adapter allows you to use Wi-Fi on any device. In more detail, this is a device, internal or external, that expands the functionality of portable and desktop computers and various media centers. The adapter allows you to use wireless computer network based on the IEEE 802.11 standard.

Despite the apparent diversity on the market, there are not so many types of adapters themselves. There are currently two species present. These are external and internal, respectively Usb and PCI. Which one is right for you is determined by your device or its internal functionality.

PCI adapters

Internal adapters are suitable only for desktop computers and laptops, as they are installed directly into the system unit or case laptop computer. These devices resemble a microcircuit with antennas or a micro-card.

Before deciding to purchase such a device, you need to make sure there is a PCI slot in your device.

Installation internal adapter for the system unit it happens like this:

Your internal transmitter Wi-Fi networks ready with technical side, all that remains is to configure the software part. The adapter will include a disk/flash drive with a driver for your device. Insert the disc and follow the program instructions.

Pros of the internal device:

reliable, more powerful signal;
stable work 24 hours a day;
free USB ports, which when frequent use wear out quickly;
the ability to replace antennas with more powerful ones;
absence of any external signs other than the antenna;
affordability.

Possible disadvantages:

installation complexity, requiring knowledge technical features PC and system unit in particular;
Availability only on personal computers and laptops;
long time to uninstall the device.

External Wi-Fi adapters

External Wi-Fi receivers have the visual appearance of a USB device, more often small size. Sometimes they are almost indistinguishable from a flash drive. Antennas may also be present. Suitable for all devices with a USB port: laptops, media centers, and PCs.

Such devices are not designed for 24/7 use. If you use the internal adapter constantly, the model will fail very quickly. You can purchase more high-quality model, to smooth out this point, but it will not be possible to completely avoid wear.

Also, external models more susceptible to damage due to careless use, or simply from poor quality assembly of a cheap model. This usually happens when you try to connect the adapter to the computer/device forcibly.

Video review of mini Wi-Fi adapter:

The main advantage of using external devices is mobility, wireless system, as well as ease of installation and operation. In rare cases, a driver disc is included in the package, most often after installing USB WiFi adapter into the port, automatic installation and self-tuning of the device occurs.

Positive sides:

Mobility;
Easy to install on all devices;
Ease of operation;
Possibility of use on multiple devices;
Quick uninstallation;

Possible disadvantages:

Occupies a USB port;
Wears out ports with frequent use;
More expensive than domestic analogues;
Not intended for continuous operation 24/7;
Easy to damage if used carelessly;

Once you have decided on the type network adapter, you should understand the models themselves. A few recommendations will help you with this.

Try to purchase a device with maximum speed traffic. This will reduce your ISP speed loss to an unnoticeable minimum. Remember that in reverse side this does not work. Even the most powerful Wi-Fi the adapter in the world will not be able to accelerate the upper threshold that is specified in your contract.

Pay your attention to the antenna power. If your router is at your fingertips or somewhere nearby, then you don’t need to pay much attention to this. But if it goes further, then you should take a device with a power of at least twenty dB.

You don't have to worry too much about compatibility between your device and the router. They may be from different manufacturers, but they are still compatible. As an exception, only very old models can be included.

Also, almost all adapters can be installed on any Windows version: from XP to modern ten. To make sure of this, look at the characteristics of the selected model. In addition, they are also suitable for Mac OS.

Misconceptions about adapters

Don't assume that all adapters are identical and not worth the time to familiarize yourself. Many models differ from each other. Even models from the same company have different characteristics that suit completely different needs.

Also, do not under any circumstances skimp on the receiver model if it ideally suits your conditions. It’s better to have one, slightly more expensive purchase for many years than several relatively small ones. This will save you time and also eliminate internet issues in the process.

There is a myth about the poor quality of goods made in China. This statement has nothing to do with reality. The only important thing is which manufacturer ordered it and who manufactured the device.

Helpful video on Wi-Fi selection adapter:

We live in a business world, and this needs to be kept in mind when communicating with a seller. An ideal consultant will certainly help you choose the right Wi-Fi adapter for your device. But even he acts as an intermediary between your interests and the interests of the store.

Therefore, the best consultant when choosing a device is yourself. The main thing is not to be overly arrogant: ignorance of the features of the adapter and a superficial acquaintance with the characteristics will not help you choose a good device.

Internal and external Wi-Fi transmitters are very different, and you've probably already decided which type is best for you. All that's left to do is decide on the model and power that suits your needs and go shopping.

A Wi-Fi adapter is a device that receives a data signal from a router or any access point. Such devices are used everywhere no possibility stretch the cable to connect to the Internet. Wireless Internet connection adapters are a new generation of data broadcasting from the Internet. In many offices they are used when connecting via a local network, so as not to pull wires.

There are similar gadgets different types. The most popular of them will be described below.

Adapter Types

Exists several types these devices.

Internal s PCI interface, PCI-e, mini PCI-e.
External with USB interface.
Expansion cards, card-bus type.

The very first, internal adapters built inside computer into connectors motherboard. Connector types – pci, pci-e, Mini pci-e. The performance of such devices is high, since the connection goes directly to the processor, ensuring stable reception of data from the router. Used in laptops as built-in board inside the case. And on a computer, such devices can be recognized by the antenna protruding from the back wall of the system unit. Of course, the price of such devices will be much higher than the following types described.

Internal adapter

USB adapters. From the name itself it should be concluded that they connected via USB connector on the front or back of the computer. Some types are connected using a cable to a USB connector.

Such gadgets have low speed data transmission. However, this disadvantage is compensated by the low cost.

External adapter

Expansion cards or card-bus are designed for computers and laptops that have a special PC-card connector. The antenna is located inside such a device. However, these devices are almost never used and are not widespread.

Expansion card

How adapters work

Data reception and transmission devices operate using the TCP/IP protocol. Selected frequency range operating from the factory is 2.4 GHz. There is a second type of range, which is 5 GHz. IN modern world and in high-rise buildings, the first type of range is too noisy, since almost all residents use routers tuned to this particular frequency.

When a person accesses any site through a browser, a data packet with a request is sent to the router via a wireless network, then the site corresponding to the request is found via the wire and again transmitted via wire to the home router, and from the router this signal is picked up by your Wi-Fi receiver, desired page opens on the screen of your laptop or computer.

When receiving and transmitting data they play an important role receiver standards and routers, compatibility, frequencies on which they operate. The speed of your PC on the Internet will depend on them. Therefore, it is important to consider all these characteristics when purchasing a Wi-Fi receiver.

What to look for when choosing

First of all, we look at standards and speed. There are several standards in the world.

802 11.a – does not apply in Russia. Its range is small, but throughput good – up to 54 MB/s. Not worth buying as there are no devices that work with it.
802 11.b – speed (11 Mb/s) and security of this standard leaves much to be desired. Range up to 50 meters.
802 11.g – this standard is different high speed up to 54 Mb/s and a range of up to 50 meters.
802.11i is the modern standard. It uses modern encryption data. The speed is 125 Mb/s, and the radius is 50 meters. Contains WEP, WPA, WPA2 protocols.
And the latest standard today is 802 11.n. Data transfer occurs at a speed of 540 Mb/s, and the coverage radius is up to 200 meters. Security is high.

For regular user suitable device with 802 11g standard. This inexpensive gadgets allow you to surf the Internet, watch movies, and play online games with pleasure.

The second thing we pay attention to is router compatibility. It is better to buy adapters from the same company as the router. This way you can avoid many problems that arise when connecting incompatible devices.

Frequency on which the adapter works. As was already said at the beginning of the article, each adapter operates at its own frequency. There are only two of them. 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz. Since 2.4 GHz is widely used in today's world, it is best to buy a 5 GHz adapter.

Once you are satisfied with the listed parameters, pay attention to transmitter power and number of antennas. It is not recommended to buy a power less than 20 dbM. The signal will be weak and the covered distance will also decrease. It is advisable to buy a device with two or more antennas. And with an external antenna, the device receives and transmits the signal better.

Antennas are divided into types according to directionality and polarization . By direction There are narrowly focused, omnidirectional and sectoral.

Directed– antennas distribute the signal in the form of a narrow beam. Chart width from 5 degrees to 15 degrees.
Sectoral– distribute the signal in a certain sector: vertically 15 degrees, horizontally from sixty to one hundred and twenty. They are used when it is necessary to connect a large number of clients.
Omnidirectional These are the antennas that distribute the signal 360 degrees.

By polarization antennas are divided into two types.

Unipolarization. They use one connection connector.
Bipolarization. The connection is made using two connectors. Such antennas have strong signal, since the broadcast is carried out in two streams: vertically and horizontally.

In addition, the device must support such encryption, like WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK. This modern standards security.

The longer the transmission and reception range, the better.

Basic mistakes when choosing an adapter

The most important and first mistake when choosing - it's beautiful appearance and cheap price. Almost no one pays attention to its characteristics. This cannot be done when purchasing this device.

Another mistake is based on a stereotype - all Chinese technology is bad. Quality depends on the model, not the company.

When purchasing first read the specifications, reviews about the device, and then draw conclusions.

How to connect a Wi-Fi adapter to a computer

The simplest adapters when connecting to a system unit are external ones. They connect to usb output via cable or without it. The system finds drivers on its own. And the user just has to connect to his network and start working.

It will be more difficult with internal ones. For this the case is disassembled system unit is located pci-e interface on the motherboard.

The antenna on the adapter is unscrewed and the device is inserted into a special hole.

The antenna is screwed onto the adapter from the outside of the unit.

You must do everything as shown in the picture above. Then insert the disc with the driver and install it into the system. After the drivers are installed, go to the device manager.

If you did everything correctly, you should have this driver appear in the manager. Then we go to control center networks. Right-click on the point indicated in the figure.

In the window that opens, click on the block Change adapter settings.

Then we look at your adapter driver. If everything is correct, and in most cases it is automatically configured, then you will see a green ladder. If not, then go into it by right-clicking on the block and go to properties.

In properties we find “ Internet Protocol versionIP4 " and double-click on it with the left button. Change the specified values there to “Obtain an IP address automatically.”

The settings of the Card-bus adapter are identical to the settings of the internal adapter or usb. This card is inserted into a special slot on a laptop or computer.

A Wifi USB adapter is a device for connecting a personal computer or other device to a wireless network.

What are Wi-Fi devices for?

When building a radio network in an office or home, you have to use devices that do not have wireless functions. For example, system units computers, televisions, gaming consoles And so on. Even if the device is equipped with a wireless client, you often have to purchase and install a more modern Wifi USB adapter that supports faster communication formats. After all information Technology are constantly evolving, it often turns out that a device released 2-3 years ago is now irretrievably outdated. Every day, devices are being produced smaller and smaller, while the functions and parameters are increasing. If a couple of years ago, in order to provide the Internet to two personal computers at once, it was necessary to install switches and stretch twisted pair cables around the apartment, today everything is much simpler. It is enough to install a Wifii USB adapter on your PC, which is compatible with all versions of operating systems, and that’s it - the network is ready. You can connect several simultaneously to such an improvised access point wireless devices. For example, communicators, laptops and other computers. To support such networks, specialized Virtual Wi-Fi software is used. This software is the basis of the Windows 7 operating system. This wireless network supports encryption high level WPA2PSK.

Communication standards for wireless networks

When choosing a Wifi USB adapter, you must first of all pay attention to the standard that supports this device. This setting must match your router. Because if you buy a device that is incompatible with the main equipment, you will not be able to negotiate and configure a wireless network. In this case, an important parameter is the frequency of radio signal transmission. Today, two are widely used (2.4 MHz and 5 MHz). In addition, when choosing an adapter, you need to pay attention to the number of transmitting and receiving devices that the device can support.

Interfaces that support Wi-Fi receivers

Just a few years ago you could find them with various types of connectors: PCMCI, PCI, and others. However, today USB standard supplanted all other types of interfaces. This is very convenient because, having purchased the mentioned device, the user can use it with any personal computer. And even when replacing your PC with a new one or upgrading an old one, you can always use this adapter.

Specifications

The wireless USB Wifi adapter transmits data at a speed of 300 Mbit/s, and some models are capable of transmitting information at a speed of 450 Mbit/s. There are Wi-Fi devices with three antennas, which significantly increases the performance of the wireless connection and signal stability. On Russian market The top sellers are adapters produced by Asus, D-Link and TP-Link.

Turning a Wi-Fi USB adapter into an access point

Thanks to Wi-Fi technology Virtual, any adapter that has driver support for this technology can be used as a Wi-Fi signal distributor for client devices. To debug the system, installing drivers is not necessary; it is enough to use a personal computer with the Windows 7 operating system. This software contains built-in installation utilities. And when installing the equipment, it will offer to download latest version software List of adapter models that are compatible with Virtual system, can be found on the official website of the software developers. Essentially, this is graphical shell, which works with the netsh snap-in via the console. This program makes the process visual and user-friendly; moreover, it is completely free and has all the necessary functionality. In addition to its main purpose, it is capable of switching the adapter to Ad-hoc mode, which allows you to create peer-to-peer networks. Almost all laptops and personal computers are capable of supporting this standard.

How to connect and set up a Wifi USB adapter with the Virtual Router system?

The first step is to install the necessary software on your PC (for example, Connectify), it will convert the Wi-Fi receiver into an access point. After this, we connect the adapter to the USB port of the personal computer. operating system Windows 7 installs drivers on its own; for this, the PC must be connected to the Internet. After this, we launch the program. The first step is to set the name of the wireless network, which is indicated in the HotspotName field. Next, in the Password section, you need to set an access password to the created system. For reliable protection It is recommended that you specify a password of eight characters or more that uses capital letters and capital letters, numbers, and Special symbols. In the future, it must be entered on each wireless client when connecting for the first time. In the "Internet" field, you must select the connection through which the personal computer gains access to World Wide Web. For example it could be LAN card. Then you should select “Local Area Connection”.

Next, in the Advanced field you should specify the Wi-Fi adapter. If only one device is connected to the computer, then select the default, and if there are several, then you need to specify exactly the device that will be used as an access point. This completes the setup; all that remains is to turn on the device. Essentially, we created a Wi-Fi router from a regular adapter and a PC. After clicking the Start Hotspot button, another NAT server appears on the network. After this, you can connect your first clients: laptop, tablet or smartphone. To do this, we search for wireless networks and “connect” to ours using given password. After this, the device is ready for use.

How much can a USB Wifi adapter cost?

The price of such a device will depend primarily on the manufacturer and the parameters of the device. In any case, the cost of a USB Wi-Fi adapter will be affordable for almost everyone; it is 10-20 US dollars, depending on the chosen model.