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Wireless network interface controller

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802.11 is only reached under ideal circumstances and true effective range is typically about half of the theoretical range. Specifically, the maximum throughput speed is only achieved at extremely close range (less than 25 feet (7.6 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.
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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
340:(MLME) can be implemented either in the NIC's hardware or firmware, or in host-based software that is executed on the main CPU. A WNIC that implements the MLME function in hardware or firmware is called a 265:
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.
359:(Ethernet) interface; a SoftMAC design implements only the timing-critical part of the protocol in hardware/firmware and the rest on the host. 244:
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
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framework provides capabilities for SoftMAC devices and additional capabilities (such as mesh networking, which is known as the
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in an infrastructure mode network connect to an access point. All nodes connecting to the access point must have the same
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A FullMAC device hides the complexity of the 802.11 protocol from the main CPU, instead providing an
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Most WNICs support one or more of 802.11, Bluetooth and 3GPP (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G) network standards.
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adapters; it may also apply to a NIC using protocols other than 802.11, such as one implementing
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standard means that many newer mobile computers have a wireless network interface built into the
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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Meyers, Mike: Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill, 2004, p. 230.
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A wireless network interface device with a USB interface and internal antenna
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network. A WNIC, just like other NICs, works on the layers 1 and 2 of the
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Hardware component that connects a computer to a wireless computer network
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power is saved by having a specialized CPU perform the 802.11 processing;
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Specifications commonly used in marketing materials for WNICs include:
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A wireless network interface controller may be implemented as an
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Popular example of FullMAC chips is the one implemented on the
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NIC and a NIC that implements it in host software is called a
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standard sets out low-level specifications for how all 802.11
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Security of Self-Organizing Networks: MANET, WSN, WMN, VANET
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FullMAC chips are typically used in mobile devices because:
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in an ad hoc network must have the same channel and SSID.
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parameters in order to connect to the access point.
212:In an infrastructure mode network the WNIC needs a 463: 461: 394:standard) for devices with limited functionality. 366:they are easier to integrate in complete products 195:An 802.11 WNIC can operate in two modes known as 556: 372:the chip vendor has tighter control of the MLME. 458: 325: 286:Wireless network standards supported, such as 332:Comparison of open-source wireless drivers 483: 114:rather than a wired network, such as an 73: 65: 14: 557: 427: 279:Wireless transmit power (measured in 190: 84:wireless network interface controller 496:. Taylor & Francis. p. 28. 29: 24: 25: 576: 252: 168:The low cost and ubiquity of the 34: 400:also supports SoftMAC drivers. 179:The term is usually applied to 530: 510: 436: 415:Wi-Fi operating system support 338:MAC Sublayer Management Entity 13: 1: 490:Al-Sakib Khan Pathan (2010). 420: 92:network interface controller 7: 403: 326:FullMAC and SoftMAC devices 232:), the NIC must have valid 10: 581: 329: 276:rates (measured in Mbit/s) 78:A Bluetooth interface card 469:"Linux Wireless glossary" 444:"Linux Wireless glossary" 410:List of device bandwidths 43:This article needs to be 518:"mac80211 documentation" 316: 471:. Definition of SoftMAC 446:. Definition of FullMAC 336:In an 802.11 WNIC, the 222:service set identifier 145:bus, or connected via 79: 71: 214:wireless access point 77: 69: 137:and connected using 94:which connects to a 565:Wireless networking 209:Infrastructure mode 197:infrastructure mode 126:to communicate via 191:Modes of operation 80: 72: 503:978-1-4398-1919-7 263:wireless networks 64: 63: 16:(Redirected from 572: 549: 548: 546: 544: 534: 528: 527: 514: 508: 507: 487: 481: 480: 478: 476: 465: 456: 455: 453: 451: 440: 434: 431: 96:wireless network 59: 56: 50: 38: 37: 30: 21: 580: 579: 575: 574: 573: 571: 570: 569: 555: 554: 553: 552: 542: 540: 536: 535: 531: 516: 515: 511: 504: 488: 484: 474: 472: 467: 466: 459: 449: 447: 442: 441: 437: 432: 428: 423: 406: 334: 328: 319: 255: 193: 60: 54: 51: 48: 39: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 578: 568: 567: 551: 550: 529: 509: 502: 482: 457: 435: 425: 424: 422: 419: 418: 417: 412: 405: 402: 378:Raspberry Pi 3 374: 373: 370: 367: 330:Main article: 327: 324: 318: 315: 311: 310: 284: 277: 254: 253:Specifications 251: 250: 249: 242: 238: 237: 234:authentication 210: 192: 189: 135:expansion card 62: 61: 42: 40: 33: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 577: 566: 563: 562: 560: 539: 533: 525: 524: 519: 513: 505: 499: 495: 494: 486: 470: 464: 462: 445: 439: 430: 426: 416: 413: 411: 408: 407: 401: 399: 395: 393: 389: 385: 381: 379: 371: 368: 365: 364: 363: 360: 358: 353: 351: 347: 343: 339: 333: 323: 314: 309: 305: 301: 297: 293: 289: 285: 282: 278: 275: 274:data transfer 271: 270: 269: 266: 264: 260: 247: 243: 240: 239: 235: 231: 227: 223: 219: 215: 211: 208: 207: 206: 204: 203: 198: 188: 187:connections. 186: 182: 177: 175: 171: 166: 164: 160: 156: 152: 148: 144: 140: 136: 131: 129: 125: 121: 117: 113: 109: 105: 101: 97: 93: 89: 85: 76: 68: 58: 46: 41: 32: 31: 19: 18:Wireless card 541:. Retrieved 532: 521: 512: 492: 485: 473:. Retrieved 448:. Retrieved 438: 429: 396: 392:IEEE 802.11s 387: 384:Linux kernel 382: 375: 361: 354: 349: 345: 341: 337: 335: 320: 312: 267: 256: 200: 196: 194: 178: 167: 132: 122:and uses an 87: 83: 81: 52: 44: 259:IEEE 802.11 241:Ad hoc mode 202:ad hoc mode 181:IEEE 802.11 174:motherboard 155:ExpressCard 128:radio waves 523:kernel.org 421:References 344:WNIC or a 98:, such as 272:Wireless 185:Bluetooth 159:Mini PCIe 120:OSI model 104:Bluetooth 55:July 2013 559:Category 404:See also 388:mac80211 308:802.11ax 304:802.11ac 116:Ethernet 110:(4G) or 475:23 July 450:23 July 398:FreeBSD 350:SoftMAC 346:HardMAC 342:FullMAC 300:802.11n 296:802.11g 292:802.11a 288:802.11b 151:PC Card 141:bus or 124:antenna 90:) is a 45:updated 543:1 June 500:  357:802.3 352:NIC. 317:Range 246:nodes 218:nodes 170:Wi-Fi 106:, or 100:Wi-Fi 545:2016 498:ISBN 477:2020 452:2020 257:The 199:and 143:PCIe 88:WNIC 386:'s 281:dBm 230:WPA 228:or 226:WEP 163:M.2 161:or 147:USB 139:PCI 130:. 108:LTE 561:: 520:. 460:^ 380:. 306:, 302:, 298:, 294:, 290:, 205:: 176:. 165:. 157:, 153:, 149:, 112:5G 102:, 82:A 547:. 526:. 506:. 479:. 454:. 283:) 86:( 57:) 53:( 47:. 20:)

Index

Wireless card


network interface controller
wireless network
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
LTE
5G
Ethernet
OSI model
antenna
radio waves
expansion card
PCI
PCIe
USB
PC Card
ExpressCard
Mini PCIe
M.2
Wi-Fi
motherboard
IEEE 802.11
Bluetooth
ad hoc mode
wireless access point
nodes
service set identifier
WEP

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