A wireless, or Wi-Fi, network liberates your computer and its users. Wireless allows the ability to share files between PCs without being connected with a cable; multiple computer users can share the same Internet connection from different locations within a building. With a wireless network, you can also print without being directly connected to the printer.

 

So long as you have broadband Internet service (DSL or cable), all that’s required is a wireless router and a wireless network adapter for any desktop or laptop computer that doesn’t already have this technology under the hood. Nearly all laptops today include built-in high-speed wireless connectivity. Depending on the speed, wireless routers range from about $ 40.00 to $100.

Similarly, wireless adapters for laptops or desktops can also cost between $25 and $100, depending on the brand and speed.

In the case of a desktop or if the laptop does not have a built-in wireless adapter, then you can pick up a wireless NIC card or USB wireless adapter, both of which plug into their respective slot in the computer, so it can join the wireless network.