Plug a wireless adapter into your USB Port<\/p>\n
Zatni Arbi, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) has been one of the advances in
\ncomputer technology that I appreciate the most: It has opened up
\na lot of possibilities.<\/p>\n
To begin with, you no longer have to use a large, space-hungry
\ncasing for your home-built PC if you want to load it fully with
\nexpansion cards such as an internal modem and a radio\/TV tuner.<\/p>\n
Unlike in the past, you need not worry if you have only one or
\ntwo free PCI expansion slots left on your mainboard. If you want
\nto be able to watch TV on your computer screen, for example, all
\nyou have to do is buy an external TV tuner and plug it into one
\nof those USB ports.<\/p>\n
It is detected immediately and the right software driver for
\nit is automatically uploaded.<\/p>\n
USB ports can also expand your connectivity, both wired and
\nwireless. So, for instance, if you have a Bluetooth-capable
\ncellphone or PDA and you want to be able to synchronize the data
\non this mobile device with the data kept on the PC, all you need
\ndo is plug a Bluetooth transmitter-receiver (transceiver) adapter
\ninto one of the USB ports.<\/p>\n
Of course, your cellphone or PDA may already come with a data
\ncable that will connect it directly to the PC. However, more
\noften than not, you will prefer to do the data-synching without
\nany cable. Here is where the Bluetooth can serve you.<\/p>\n
Besides, adding Bluetooth to your PC, Mac or notebook can make
\nit easier for you to connect it to another Bluetooth device such
\nas a print server or a modem.<\/p>\n
Which Bluetooth adapters can be fitted into the USB port?
\nThere is plenty of choice on the market, including those from
\n3Com, AmbiCom, Belkin, Billionton, D-Link and Zoom. Most of them
\ncan connect devices as far as 10 meters apart.<\/p>\n
If you need a more powerful Bluetooth transceiver that can
\ncover a distance of up to 100 meters, it is also available and it
\nusually comes with an antenna outside of the casing. Keep in mind
\nthat you need the same powerful Bluetooth adapters on both ends.
\nOtherwise, it will not work, as the communication between these
\ndevices should be two-way.<\/p>\n
Some Bluetooth transceivers also come in the form of a PC-
\nCard, and they are more suitable for notebooks. The advantage is
\nthat, because it is inserted into the PC-Card slot, you can leave
\nit there while you are traveling and you are less likely to lose
\nit.<\/p>\n
You can choose your PC-Card Bluetooth adapter from companies
\nsuch as Billionton and D-Link. Others even come in a CompactFlash
\nformat, and are meant to be used with a PDA that still has no
\nbuilt-in Bluetooth capability. An example of a CompactFlash
\nBluetooth adapter is the Billionton CFBT02.<\/p>\n
What about Wi-Fi? Is there a Wi-Fi USB adapter available?
\nThere are many available in computer stores. The top names in
\nnetworking gear, such as 3Com, D-Link, Netgear, LinkSys and
\nTekram, will offer one or two for you to choose from.<\/p>\n
What should you check if you are looking for a wireless USB
\nadapter, whether Bluetooth or Wi-Fi?<\/p>\n
First and foremost, check whether they are compatible with
\nyour current operating system. If you have installed Windows XP
\nService Pack 2 (SP2), for example, make sure the device is
\ncompatible with this OS.<\/p>\n
Some users of Bluetooth adapters have reported having really
\nbad migraines trying to make them work with SP2.<\/p>\n
Next, make sure that it also supports USB 2.0, which is faster
\nthan the USB 1.1. This is especially preferable in the case of
\nthe Wi-Fi USB adapter. Most likely, though, it already does.<\/p>\n
Finally, if you tend to break things that you work with, it
\nmay be better for you to buy a PC-Card wireless adapter rather
\nthan a USB adapter. The former will last longer.<\/p>",
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