Advertisements / Special Offers Current Store or Chain Wide Selection Pagination Comparison Section Search Refinements Product Results More Advertisements / Special Offers
0 Product(s) found 0 Content Page(s) found
Additional Ads / Special Offers that relate to your search.
Microsoft Windows Server
Micro Center News, Reviews, How-Tos, and more!

Special Offers / Advertisements

ASUS. Recycle & Save 10% on select WiFi 7 devices.
Compare up to 4 items
Compare Remove All

New list of matching products

X

Sorry, you may compare a maximum of 4 items at a time.

Please clear one or more of your compare items before adding another

Special Offers / Advertisements

What Is a Wireless Network Adapter?

In order for a computer to connect to a WiFi network, it needs a wireless network card, sometimes known as a network adapter, connected to its motherboard. A wireless card picks up wireless signals from a router or access point via its antennas, allowing the user to create a wireless connection to the internet.

If you have never seen or heard of a wireless adapter, it is probably because most of todays motherboards come with onboard WiFi cards built in. Thus, you usually won’t need to buy a separate WiFi adapter when you purchase a new computer. However, if you are building a desktop PC, some motherboard models require you to install your own wireless network adapter instead.

You might also use an adapter if your PCs built in card doesn’t support the latest WiFi technology, such as dual band 2.4GHz / 5GHz or the WiFi 6 standard. If your PC currently doesn’t support Bluetooth connectivity, you might also be looking for a so called combo card that also adds Bluetooth functionality.

Which Wireless Network Adapter Should I Choose?

These are some of the most important factors to consider when you are evaluating the specs of a wireless network adapter:

USB vs. PCIe: USB WiFi adapters connect to your computers USB port, typically via a USB-A connector. They are convenient to install and easy to move from one computer to another. Take note of the supported USB protocols if you are looking for the high speeds of USB 3.0. PCIe adapters connect directly to your motherboard through its PCIe slots. They are slightly more complex to install, although still relatively simple, and they tend to provide faster performance than USB adapters.

Form Factor: Some USB wireless adapters use only a fingernail sized dongle. Others, including most PCIe based models, use multiple external antennas to provide improved signal strength.

Connectivity Standards: Some wireless adapters also include Bluetooth compatibility, allowing you to connect Bluetooth devices to your computer. If your router uses popular speed boosting standards like MUMIMO or dual band WiFi, make sure your wireless adapter is compatible with these standards so you can enjoy the full advantages of their improved speeds. Finally, with more people making the transition to the WiFi 6 standard, it can also be a smart idea to look for WiFi 6 compatibility - so long as your router also supports it.

Operating System: Some adapters only support Windows or macOS, or in some cases, certain Linux distros).

Find The Best Wireless Network Adapters at Micro Center

Shop Micro Centers selection of wireless network adapters here and find the perfect connectivity solution for your PC. We offer industry best pricing on top networking tech brands like TP Link, Netgear, ASUS, and more. Setting up WiFi for your home? See our full lineup of wireless networking devices, including routers, range extenders, and more.

Content Site Search

Showing 61–80 of 480 for “wifi card”
Web Page Amazing Bundle Deals | Micro Center Shop bundle deals with featuring processors and more! Community Article Getting Spooky: Three Halloween Inspired PC Builds! — Micro Center Written By @Lesaol and @Vaganza, photos by @Elliot_L Building your very own computer system can be fun, challenging, and rewarding, especially when thinking about aesthetics and a theme. Community Article Mobo WiFi or no? — Micro Center I've already boiled my choice of motherboard to the ASRock B450 PRO4 mATX. Community Article First build would like to stay under $1,200 (with tax) - tips please — Micro Center This is my build so far. I am not certain on a few things and was hoping for some advise. I would like to be able to play video games. Community Article Need help on the best pc build 500-560$ That can run games and can have Bluetooth WiFi — Micro Center I wanna run games well and that’s Bluetooth WiFi this is gonna be my first gaming pc and I want to play almost every game such as fortnite,cod,Garry mod,rust,horror games,roblox,last year,gta etc.. Community Article Help w/ 1st build MoBo — Micro Center I have received a Ryzen 5 3600 CPU as a basis for my 1st build. I will be targeting $1000 - $1250 for the budget (computer only). Community Article Am I doing this right? — Micro Center I'm looking to build something around $1,200 that could at least last 5 years.  If there is anything I should add I would appreciate the advice thank you!  Also, I know nothing about monitors so I just picked the cheapest option... Community Article Are my parts compatible — Micro Center I put this parts list together and I dont know if they are compatible. Could you please tell me if they are? Community Article Are there good parts for a pc? — Micro Center graphics card: 3060ti cpu: Ryzen 7 3800x cpu fan: noctua nh-u12s motherboard: msi b550m pro-vdh wifi ram: 16 gb (2x8) sdd: 1tb western digital case: Community Article NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Benchmarks: Stunning 1440p Performance with 8K Stability — Micro Center Written by Sean Mekinda The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 launches today, and to go along with our build guide and announcement breakdown, we got to spend some time benchmarking the GeForce RTX 4080 and pushing it to its limits. Community Article NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti - The 1440p Powerhouse Breakdown and Benchmarks — Micro Center Written by Sean Mekinda The newest card in NVIDIA's 40 Series lineup has arrived: The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. Community Article Need Help with RAM Upgrade (Purchasing, Compatibility, Additional Questions) — Micro Center Hello I am trying to upgrade my ram. I am very computer-illiterate, so bear with me. Here is my processor: Web Page Computer Motherboards | Micro Center Shop new motherboards from top brands at Micro Center. View our large selection online or instore and upgrade your PC today! Community Article ESP32-Cam Breakdown And Project Ideas — Micro Center Wireless cameras are extremely useful for a wide range of maker projects. Community Article How to Choose PC Parts: The Motherboard — Micro Center If you’re reading this post, you’re probably here for one reason: you want to build a new PC. Community Article Micro Center Champions Recommend: BYO Month Parts! — Micro Center BYO Month is our celebration of all things Build-Your-Own. Community Article power supply recommendation — Micro Center Hello so I am doing another build for my little cousin, he wants a gaming pc with an intel i5 10400 10th gen, an amd rx 6600 dual- dual fan 8gb and will have a micro ATX B560M motherboard, i know for the gpu they recommend a 500 watt power supply but with all the other parts, is a power supply of 550 bronze enough? Community Article Need Help Choosing Parts — Micro Center I put this parts list together and am looking for some advice. I've never built a PC before and am looking for any helpful tips! Community Article Looking for thoughts on pc build — Micro Center Monitor: Lg Ultragear 38" Curved LED  Budget is Max $2,000.00 Also want to be sure I am maximizing wifi speed. CPU: Community Article Atari Ultimate Arcade Fightstick w/ Raspberry Pi 4? — Micro Center Hi, I'm a newb to these retro controller games and could use some help.

Sign in for the best experience

Access helpful features and personalize your experience - Sign in or create an account now

Sign In
Don't have an account? Create Account