Specs - LINKSYS wireless-n WEC600N dual band expresscard adapter (retail) (NO...

The form factor describes how the adapter is integrated into to device. Internal These adapters connect inside a computer. External External adapters connect to your computer through a port (such as USB or Ethernet). Expansion Slot These are integrated into a notebook or other device using built-in slots (such as a PCMCIA).

The specific interface technology/standard an adapter uses to 'communicate' with a system/computer.

The wireless standards that are supported by the device, these standards tell you which functionalities a device has as well as the standards that should be supported by the wireless adapter itself.

2.4GHz is used by both the 802.11b and 802.11g standards. This signaling frequency enables high data rates at bigger ranges. 2.4GHz WLANs can experience interference from cordless phones, microwaves, and other WLANs. 5GHz is used by the 802.11a standard. 5GHz signaling frequency has a much greater spectrum and is relatively free from interference.

These are the data rates that this device supports using this type of connection. There may be more than one rate supported by each device.

These are the data rates that this device supports using this type of connection. There may be more than one rate supported by each device.

These are the data rates that this device supports using this type of connection. There may be more than one rate supported by each device.

There are many standards of modulation; the most commonly used are; DSSS (Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum), which is a transmission technology that combines the data signal with a higher data rate bit sequence, called a chipping code this improves noise resistance and data integrity. OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) transmits digital data over a radio wave by splitting a radio signal into multiple sub-signals that are then transmitted simultaneously at different frequencies. OFDM's modulation technique reduces the amount of crosstalk in signal transmissions. CCK (Complementary Code Keying) uses a set of 64 eight-bit code words to encode data for 5.5 and 11Mbps data rates in the 2.4GHz band of 802.11b standard. The code words have unique mathematical properties; this allows them to be correctly distinguished from one another by a receiver even in the presence of substantial noise or multipath interference.

WEP data encryption is defined by the 802.11 standard to provide two main security features to a network. Firstly, to prevent access to the network by "intruders" using similar wireless LAN equipment and second, to prevent eavesdropping of wireless LAN traffic. WEP works by allowing an administrator to set defined respective "Keys" for each wireless network user based on a "Key String" via the WEP encryption algorithm. Simply, access is denied by anyone who does not have a key.

All wireless access points should offer some sort of security against completely open access of the data you are transmitting. These are the security standards that this device adheres to.

The operating system, or OS, performs basic tasks like running software applications, files on your hard drive, and directing peripherals like a network adapters. The Apple OSX offers fewer hardware and software choices than Windows, but is often preferred by graphic and sound design professionals as well as among students and universities. The latest version of Windows, Microsoft Windows XP, comes included on many PCs on the market today. If you're going to a WLAN (for business use), Windows XP Pro may offer more operational flexibility. Other OS like Linux offer the experienced computer user more control, though the user-friendliness of these OS is not as advanced as Windows or OSX.

Led Indicators are used to display the status of device. They can indicate a number of different things from activity, power, connection speed or traffic scale.