OfficeConnect Wireless 54Mbps 11g Compact USB Adapter

A NIC or Network Interface Card is a circuit board or chip, which allows the computer to communicate to other computers on a Network. When connected to the network, computers can share websites, files, printers and other resources. The most popular networking standard at the moment is Ethernet, which one can recognize by the rectangular connectors with eight wires in them. Wireless network with the 802.11b and the faster 802.11g standard is also increasingly popular, both at home and in the office, though it is not yet as fast as wired (ethernet) network. A public place where you can use wireless internet is called a "hot spot".

High-Speed 54Mbps Wireless Connections for Desktops and Notebooks
For simple, reliable, high-speed wireless connections for both desktop and notebook users, choose the 3Com® OfficeConnect® Wireless 54 Mbps 11g Compact USB Adapter. Users can access network resources, the Internet, and e-mail at speeds up to 54 Mbps—ideal for multimedia or other high-bandwidth applications. The USB adapter ... More>>> works with the 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11abg and 11g access points and the OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Cable/DSL Routers to create a powerful, high-speed, wireless network in minutes for home and branch offices, remote sites, and classrooms.

To protect wireless connections, the USB adapter supports advanced WPA encryption as well as basic WEP encryption. It also supports the latest 802.1X authentication to help protect against unauthorized users. The sleek, compact USB adapter offers the flexibility and convenience of USB connections without sacrificing performance. The USB extension cable works with a variety of desktop and notebook designs. Wireless Card Manager creates profiles for mobile users that reflect specific wireless LAN settings for each place they travel: users just select the proper profile and they are configured for connection. Dynamic rate shifting automatically matches the best connection speed in response to changing traffic and environmental conditions.

- USB 2.0 connections support both desktop and notebook users; USB extension cable works with a variety of desktop and notebook designs

- Supports wireless speeds up to 54 Mbps—nearly five times the speed of 802.11b networks

- 802.11g is backward compatible with 11b networks, preserving existing equipment investments

- Support for Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) and 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption, and 40/64-bit, and 128- and 152-bit Wireless Equivalent Privacy (WEP) shared key encryption (for legacy clients) help keep wireless transmissions private

- 802.1X server authentication helps ensure that only authorized uses access the network

- Dynamic rate shifting automatically matches the best connection speed in response to changing traffic and environmental conditions

- Two modes provide communications flexibility: choose infrastructure mode for expanded connectivity through an AP, or simple, direct peer-to-peer connectivity with ad hoc mode

- Simple installation includes an easy-to-use configuration utility with country configurator for accurate channel selection

- Wireless Card Manager lets administrators create profiles for mobile users that reflect specific settings for each place they travel, displays connection status, and features simple-to-use diagnostic tools

- Wi-Fi certification helps ensure interoperability with certified products from other vendors <<<Less