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'[[Image:USB-wireless-adapter.jpg|thumb|250px|A wireless network interface device with a USB interface and internal antenna]] [[File:DELL TrueMobile 350 Bluetooth card.jpg|thumb|Bluetooth card]] A '''wireless network interface controller''' (WNIC) is a [[network interface controller]] which connects to a [[radio]]-based [[computer network]] rather than a wire-based network such as [[Token Ring]] or [[Ethernet]]. A WNIC, just like other NICs, works on the Layer 1 and Layer 2 of the [[OSI Model]]. A WNIC is an essential component for wireless [[desktop computer]]. This card uses an [[antenna (radio)|antenna]] to communicate through [[microwaves]]. A WNIC in a desktop computer usually is connected using the [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] bus. Other connectivity options are [[USB]] and [[PC card]]. Integrated WNICs are also available, (typically in [[Mini PCI]]/[[PCI Express Mini Card]] form). The term is usually applied to [[IEEE 802.11]] adapters; it may also apply to a NIC using protocols other than 802.11, such as one implementing [[Bluetooth]] connections. == Modes of operation == A 802.11 WNIC can operate in two modes known as '''infrastructure mode''' and '''[[Mobile ad-hoc network|ad hoc mode]]'''. === Infrastructure mode === In an infrastructure mode network the WNIC needs a [[wireless access point]]: all data is transferred using the access point as the central hub. All wireless [[Node (networking)|node]]s in an infrastructure mode network connect to an access point. All nodes connecting to the access point must have the same [[service set identifier]] (SSID) as the access point, and if the access point is enabled with [[Wired Equivalent Privacy|WEP]] they must have the same WEP key or other [[authentication]] parameters. === Ad-hoc mode === In an ad-hoc mode network the WNIC does not require an access point, but rather can interface with all other wireless nodes directly. All the [[Node (networking)|node]]s in an ad-hoc network must have the same [[channel (communications)|channel]] and SSID. hhhheeeeyyyyyyyyy heeeeyyyyyy heeyyyyyy IM FAT ALBERT! HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY Y.O.L.O SWAG WAG YYYYYEEEAAHHHHHH BUDDY YOU MAD YET BRA? IM NOT YOUR BRA. I DONT SUPPORT YOU! yellaaaa fella im gellin like a fellin with them dr. schols yeah yeah livin that thug LYFE wweeeeeee are NEVER EVER EVER getting back together because you sound like a squealing pig Taylor Swift!!!!! justin beiber sang that song boyfriend for a reason.... if you know what i mean. == Specifications == The [[IEEE 802.11]] standard sets out low-level specifications for how all 802.11 [[wireless network]]s operate. Earlier 802.11 interface controllers are usually only compatible with earlier variants of the standard, while newer cards support both current and old standards. Specifications commonly used in marketing materials for WNICs include: *Wireless [[data transfer]] rates (measured in Mbit/s); these range from 2 Mbit/s to 54 Mbit/s.<ref name="Meyers">Meyers, Mike: Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill, 2004, p. 230.</ref> *Wireless transmit power (measured in dBm) *Wireless network standards (may include standards such as [[802.11b]], [[802.11g]], [[802.11n]], etc.) 802.11g offers data transfer speeds equivalent to 802.11a &ndash; up to 54 Mbit/s &ndash; and the wider {{convert|300|ft|m|sing=on}} range of 802.11b, and is backward compatible with 802.11b. Most Bluetooth cards do not implement any form of the 802.11 standard. ==Range== Wireless range may be substantially affected by objects in the way of the signal and by the quality of the antenna. Large electrical appliances, such as refrigerators, fuse boxes, metal plumbing, and air conditioning units can impede a wireless network signal. The theoretical maximum range of IEEE 802.11 is only reached under ideal circumstances and true effective range is typically about half of the theoretical range.<ref name="Meyers"/> Specifically, the maximum throughput speed is only achieved at extremely close range (less than {{convert|25|ft|m}} or so); at the outer reaches of a device's effective range, speed may decrease to around 1 Mbit/s before it drops out altogether. The reason is that wireless devices dynamically negotiate the top speed at which they can communicate without dropping too many data packets. == History of WNIC designs == {{empty section|date=October 2012}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==See also== * [[List of device bandwidths]] * [[Wi-Fi operating system support]] [[Category:Wireless networking|Interface card]]'