A Complete Guide to Wireless Adapters

Wireless adapters are small and simple-to-use attachments for PCs, laptops and smart devices such as TVs, programmable thermostats, security cameras and similar equipment. They contain a Wi-Fi transmitter or radio. Once attached, these adapters enable the host device to connect wirelessly to other devices or the internet. This removes any need for the expense and clutter of ethernet cabling.

Most commonly, the connection is created via Wi-Fi, but some wireless adapter models offer other methods, for example:

• 4G or 5G cellular data connections (for internet access)
• Bluetooth (for device-to-device connections)
• RF or Radio Frequency (for low power device-to-device connections)

Wireless adapters are also known as Wi-Fi adapters, wireless network adapters and wireless router adapters.

A Wi-Fi dongle is a small and lightweight wireless adapter with a USB plug for a direct external connection to the device. Some models feature a length of cable from the plug to the dongle itself, but others sit directly behind the plug. Wherever it is located, the Wi-Fi dongle will most likely contain a fast 5 GHz or extended range 2.4 GHz transmitter, providing the host device with a wireless connection to the web. Some models feature an external antenna, while in others the antenna is integrated.

The word dongle has become a widely used term for adapters that add additional functions or allow the connection of cables to otherwise incompatible ports on computing devices. For example, thunderbolt cables to ethernet ports.

Wi-Fi adapters provide a networking connection for PCs, laptops and other devices which do not have an integrated Wi-Fi radio. These have become an increasingly standard inclusion on some devices, but they are by no means universal.

A wireless internet connection is significantly more flexible than a wired ethernet connection, allowing computers to be freely repositioned and taken to new locations without any need to worry about re-laying cables.

Since its initial standardisation in 1999, Wi-Fi has become a major global standard for wireless networking. Different iterations of Wi-Fi offering varying speeds are available, but most modern devices broadcast at either 2.4 or 5GHz. Wi-Fi uses electromagnetic data transmission to create wireless links between devices in the same area. This is called a LAN (Local Area Network). Most commonly, Wi-Fi is used to link a device to a Wi-Fi-equipped internet router, providing access to the web.

Whether 5G or Wi-Fi, wireless adapters work by providing wireless transmission components not included in the host device. These will usually include a transmitter or receiver. The former converts data into a radio wave. The signal will then be broadcast to the LAN via the transmitter. Incoming data will be converted by the receiver.

Meanwhile, models providing a high-speed cellular data connection will include a SIM card, enabling connection to the nearest mobile phone tower.

How Does a Wi-Fi Dongle Work?

So, how do Wi-Fi dongles for PCs, laptops and similar devices work? They are essentially miniature modems. A modem - short for modulator-demodulator - converts digital data into formats suitable for transmission over the network. This is done via modulation - varying the characteristics of a radio wave to encode data. The demodulator reverses this process, converting an incoming radio wave back into accessible data.

Wi-Fi has an effective range of 75 to 150 feet. Any laptop, PC or smartphone within that distance should be able to connect, but environmental obstacles - for example, stone walls - may interfere.

Wi-Fi is based on the IEEE 802.11 wireless transmission standard, a subset of the wider IEEE 802.11 family of wireless standards, which were defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Successive, faster iterations of IEEE 802.11 are marked by appended letters. The original version in 1999 was 802.11a, and the most recent IEEE 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6. This transmits at 5GHz, although all versions are backwards compatible with their predecessors, allowing older hardware to remain in use. Wi-Fi 6 has a maximum speed of 9.6 gigabits per second, close to three times the speed of its predecessor, the Wi-Fi 5 standard.

Most Wi-Fi networks are encrypted and password-controlled to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data.

How to Connect a Dongle to Mobile Wi-Fi

To connect a dongle to mobile Wi-Fi, insert the device and open a browser on your PC or laptop. You will then be prompted to register an account and create a login and password. Note these or store them in an online password manager.

How Do You Connect a Desktop Computer to Wi-Fi?

This depends on the operating system of the desktop computer. Most recent models will prompt you to create a login password or user name when the computer is first started up if no ethernet cable is detected. This should also occur when a wireless adapter is connected for the first time. Alternatively, navigate to the Wi-Fi settings and create the connection there.

How Do I Connect My Dell Desktop to a Wireless Network?

To connect a Dell laptop to a wireless network, navigate to the ‘Network & Internet’ settings within Windows. This pane can be reached via the Windows start menu or via the concentric lines icon in the lower right of the toolbar. Then, locate the wireless network in the list of available Wi-Fi networks and click to connect. You will be prompted to enter the required username and password.

How to Connect a 4G Dongle to a Wi-Fi Router

To connect a 4G dongle to a Wi-Fi router, simply locate a used USB port on the router and insert the device. You may be prompted to accept the installation of certain drivers on your PC or laptop.

How to Speed Up a USB Wi-Fi Adapter?

If your Wi-Fi adapter is running unusually slowly, try changing the Wi-Fi channel on your router. The precise method for doing so varies by model. Changing the channel will eliminate any electromagnetic interference that may be degrading the signal. Alternatively, try installing a Wi-Fi extender between the router and the adapter. These devices act as signal relays, boosting the signal against any interference.

How Do I Fix a Disabled Wi-Fi Adapter?

Occasionally, settings become misaligned on PCs and laptops, and devices that should be on are deactivated. Alternatively, a previous user may have switched off the device. To switch a disabled Wi-Fi adapter back on in Microsoft Windows:

1. Type ‘Device Manager’ into the Start Menu search box and select. Alternatively, navigate to ‘Control Panel’ from the Start Menu, then select ‘Devices’, ‘Connected Devices’, ‘Device Manager’
2. Navigate to ‘Network Adapters’
3. Right-click the device or devices and choose ‘enable’