User's Manual

Microsoft Wireless Home Networking USB Adapter or PC Card Adapter 11
υ Mobility. Wirelessly connected computers have the
potential for mobility. This may be relatively
unimportant for a desktop computer, but a much larger
consideration for a laptop or notebook computer.
υ Security. Because of the unrestricted nature of their
transmission, wireless networks have inherent security
issues. However, you can implement security
measures such as Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP)
encryption to improve your wireless security.
Wired Network Connections
Microsoft Wireless Home Networking provides wired as
well as 802.11b Wi-Fi wireless connectivity. In most cases,
you will use a wired Ethernet connection to connect your
modem and at least one computer to a router or gateway.
Ethernet is the most common and fastest wired network
protocol, with connection speeds of 10 to 100 megabits per
second (Mbps). Each computer on an Ethernet network
has an internal Ethernet network interface card, which
provides an Ethernet port on the back of the computer,
which resembles a phone connection. Other devices, such
as broadband modems, also have Ethernet ports. Ethernet
ports may be designated by the following symbol: [icon]
For more information about Ethernet connections and
networks, see the documentation for the Microsoft
Wireless Home Networking Router.
Wireless USB adapters attach to computers through wired
USB connections. If all your computers have USB
connections, they can all be attached to USB adapters,
and can then connect to the router and the Internet
wirelessly.
Microsoft Wireless Home Network USB adapters are
connected to computers through Universal Serial Bus
(USB) connections. A USB port looks like a small (about
1/2” wide), rectangular connection on the front or back of
your computer. The USB ports on the back of the computer
are usually located below your mouse and keyboard
connections, although this may vary. USB connections
may be indicated by the following symbol: [icon]
The Wireless Home Networking USB adapter has no
internal power source, so it must be connected to a
powered USB port. The ports on your computer are