Lesson plan
Wireless network interface controller
A wireless network interface controller (WNIC) is a network interface controller that connects to a wireless network, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or LTE (4G) or 5G rather than a wired network, such as an Ethernet network. It consists of a modem, an automated radio transmitter and receiver which operate in the background, exchanging digital data in the form of data packets with other wireless devices or wireless routers using radio waves radiated by an antenna, linking the devices together transparently in a computer network. A WNIC, just like other network interface controllers (NICs), works on layers 1 and 2 of the OSI model. A wireless network interface controller may be implemented as an expansion card and connected using PCI bus or PCIe bus, or connected via USB, PC Card, ExpressCard, Mini PCIe or M.2. The low cost and ubiquity of the Wi-Fi standard means that many newer mobile computers have a wireless network interface built into the motherboard. The term is usually applied to adapters using the Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) network protocol; it may also apply to a NIC using protocols other than 802.11, such as one implementing Bluetooth connections.
Article summary
A wireless network interface controller (WNIC) is a network interface controller that connects to a wireless network, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or LTE (4G) or 5G rather than a wired network, such as an Ethernet network. It consists of a modem, an automated radio transmitter and receiver which operate in the background, exchanging digital data in the form of data packets with other wireless devices or wireless routers using radio waves radiated by an antenna, linking the devices together transparently in a computer network. A WNIC, just like other network interface controllers (NICs), works on layers 1 and 2 of the OSI model. A wireless network interface controller may be implemented as an expansion card and connected using PCI bus or PCIe bus, or connected via USB, PC Card, ExpressCard, Mini PCIe or M.2. The low cost and ubiquity of the Wi-Fi standard means that many newer mobile computers have a wireless network interface built into the motherboard. The term is usually applied to adapters using the Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) network protocol; it may also apply to a NIC using protocols other than 802.11, such as one implementing Bluetooth connections.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.