Wireless USB Adapter

It's hard to beat the ease of a wireless usb adapter. You can just plug it into an available usb port on your desktop or notebook, and away you go. There are two main types, each with their advantages and disadvantages.

The Dongle

The first one is known as a 'dongle'. It's basically a keychain-sized device about the size of a memory stick (or small mp3 player, like the version by D link, above). It connects directly to your usb port, and once it's configured (with the accompanying CD-ROM), you're connected to your wi fi network. Some models come with attached (or detachable) antennas, while others have the antenna built in. Obviously a usb adapter like this may not have the range or sensitivity of a larger device. But if you're fairly close to the router, or need to share it with several computers, it can be ideal.

Wireless With Wires

The other type will attach to your PC with a usb cable, with the other end connected to the adapter itself. The advantage here is that you can position the actual business end of the network adapter for better reception with the router. This can be particularly handy if your only available usb port is in the back of your computer. A wireless network adapter like this generally will have a greater range than a dongle, especially since you can position it to some degree in order to improve coverage. The drawback of course, is that such a setup is not well-suited to a notebook computer.

Brands

Many brands and models of both types of adapters are available. While it's generally a good idea if possible to stick to the same brand for your router and wifi network adapters, it's not a hard and fast rule. You should be able to use an Addlogix wireless network adapter just as easily as a netgear wireless network adapter. As long as everything uses the 802.11g protocol, all the components of the system should be able to recognize each other.

If you've got a desktop computer without a built-in access point, but don't want to use up a usb port, a pc card is the alternative. We'll discuss the pluses and minuses of that approach in the next section.