This article is all about Dongles. You’ll find answers to the top questions people have about USB Security Dongles. So, if you’ve ever asked any of the following questions:
- What Is A Wifi Dongle
- Wireless Network Dongle
- Usb Wifi Dongle For Tv
- Usb To Wifi Converter
- Usb Wireless Adapter For Laptop
- What Is A Usb Wifi Dongle Adapter
- Best Usb Wifi Dongle
Former Software Engineer Answered June 14, 2020 USB WiFi dongle is a device (in the shape of a USB flash memory) inserted to an electronic device via a USB port to provide this device Wi-Fi capability. It may sound unusual, but sometimes wireless USB adapter is also used. When you need to connect wireless keyboard, mouse or headset to a computer you can use a USB dongle that connects to USB port of your machine and doesn't need to connect to anything at the other end.
Then this post will be a dream come true…
What Is A Dongle Key?
Often referred to as a 'Dongle' or a 'Key', they function as software protection dongles. Dongles are a piece of hardware that, when connected to computers (or other electronic devices), permit specified software to function or allow for content decoding.
Dongles allow access limitations to certain software based on who possesses the dongle.
Programmed with product keys or other such cryptographic security protection, dongles utilize electrical connections to external computers/device ‘buses’.
How Does A Dongle Work?
Dongles are beloved software protection hardware. Dongles are two-interface security tokens utilizing transient data flow.
Transient data flow occurs thanks to a 'pull communication' which reads security data stored on the Dongle, itself. Softwares that use Dongles will either run in restricted mode or not at all if a Security Dongle is not
plugged in.
What Is Dongle Used For?
What is the purpose of a dongle? As outlined above, it is a piece of hardware that limits access to software. Basically, once a security dongle is set-up with a specific software, only people who have access to the dongle can access the software.
There’s often more expensive piracy prevention software included since you not only have to have the software installed, but the physical device (the Dongle), as well.
While software protection Dongles are a great security tool, issues arise if you have more than one person needing access to software that utilizes a Dongle.
For example, if you gave someone a copy of the software, and they don’t have the physical security Dongle, the software is inaccessible.
However, there is an easy and reliable solution that allows you to expand access to software using software protection Dongles!
That solution is the software called Donglify.
I am a bit behind the times and have only recently moved over to a WiFi-based Internet service from a hard-wired Ethernet-based service. When I did this I had to make the decision between using a PCI-E WiFi card in my desktop computer or using a USB WiFi adapter which seemed to be a lot less hassle to me.
When I first looked at these two options I thought to myself “well they do the same job don’t they so why bother researching this any further?” I am a curious person by nature and I just couldn’t help myself. I had to know what the real differences were and so I went on a mission to find out.
In this article, I will share my findings with you. If you are facing the same decision about PCI-E WiFi card vs USB then I sincerely hope that this will help you out and prevent you from going through the same pain that I did!
What is a PCI-E WiFi Adapter?
What Is A Wifi Dongle
The first part of my research was to find out what kinds of PCI-E WiFi adapters were available as I wasn’t 100% sure. If you have a desktop computer that has a spare PCI-E slot available then you can get a wireless adapter that has at least one antenna that will communicate directly with your WiFi router.
Of course, if you want to go down this route then it will involve opening up your computer and installing the PCI-E WiFi card. This was OK for me as I have many years of experience working on computers but you might feel nervous about doing this.
It is actually a pretty easy thing to do. If you really don’t fancy doing this then you can always ask a computer shop to do it for you or a friend or family member who knows a bit about computers.
What is a USB WiFi Adapter?
This is a USB device that provides connectivity with your WiFi router. Not all USB adapters come with external antenna but a lot do these days. Most desktop computers have a number of USB slots available and as long as you have one free then you can use a USB wireless adapter.
TP-Link Nano AC600 USB Wifi Adapter- AC600 Nano size wireless Dual band USB Wi Fi adapter for fast and high speed Wi Fi connection.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Wireless Network Dongle
One of the best things about a USB wireless adapter is that anyone can use one to quickly and easily establish a connection to the Internet. You do not have to install anything and never need to take the cover off of your computer.
It is just simply a matter of plugging the USB WiFi adapter into a spare USB slot in your computer. After that, you are good to go. I tried a few different USB wireless adapters and they were all very easy to plug in and get going.
So at this point, you may be thinking “why should I bother even considering a PCI-E WiFi adapter if the USB solution is so much easier to install and setup?” I had the same thoughts but there are advantages and disadvantages to both of these types of WiFi adapters.
Advantages and Disadvantages of PCI-E WiFi Cards
Pros- Powerful network connection
- Built-in antennas
- Does not require USB port
Usb Wifi Dongle For Tv
- Physical installation needed
- Not a portable device
Usually, PCI-E WiFi cards are more powerful than USB WiFi adapters. One of the main reasons for this is that the PCI-E card connects directly to the motherboard of your computer. This means that the connectivity is a lot faster as there is nothing between the PCI-E card and your mainboard. You cannot say the same about a USB adapter.
Another advantage of a PCI-E wireless adapter is that they usually always have at least one external antenna. Some of the better quality cards have more than one antenna – having three antennas is fairly common. This means that you should be able to pick up a stronger signal from your WiFi router.
Usb To Wifi Converter
These days you need USB ports for just about everything and if you use a USB wireless adapter then you will permanently take up one of these precious slots. PCI-E wireless adapter slots straight into your computer motherboard and does not require the use of a USB slot.
When I was testing the USB WiFi adapters I found that one of them became really hot when I was using the Internet a lot for downloading and other things. This is not something that you have to worry about with a PCI-E WiFi adapter.
The only real disadvantages of a PCI-E wireless adapter are that you have to physically install them into your computer and they are often more expensive than a USB wireless adapter.
Advantages and Disadvantages of USB WiFi Adapters
- Can be hot for long time usages
- Requires a USB port
- No built-in antennas
- Less powerful than pcie cards
The clear advantage of using a USB wireless adapter to connect with your WiFi router is that there is no installation of any cards. You will not need to take the cover off of your computer at all which will probably be a big relief to you if you are scared to death of doing this kind of thing!
Usb Wireless Adapter For Laptop
All that you need to do is just plug the USB WiFi adapter into a free USB slot. I mean what could be simpler? When USB wireless adapters first hit the market most of them did not have an external antenna. This meant that it was not that easy to pick up a strong signal from the WiFi router.
These days, you can find USB wireless adapters that have an external antenna. But this is never going to be the same as having a PCI-E card that has three antennas. If your spare USB slots are at the back of your desktop computer then you can get a USB WiFi adapter that has a cradle arrangement.
What Is A Usb Wifi Dongle Adapter
This means that there is a cable with a USB plug on the end of it that plugs into the USB slot at the back of your desktop. The cable on the cradle is long enough for you to place it on a desk or even on top of your desktop box so that the adapter has a better chance of picking up a strong signal from your wireless router.
Best Usb Wifi Dongle
As I said earlier I did find that one of the USB wireless adapters that I used got hot very quickly when I was streaming and downloading a lot which was a worry for me. Surely these things are not supposed to get too hot?
What kind of Wireless Networking Adapter works best for you?
Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of both types of wireless adapters you need to choose the one that is right for you. If performance and power is a must for you then I would recommend that you go for a PCI-E WiFi card. It is always likely that a PCI card will outperform a USB adapter and you can get more than one antenna for stronger signals.
If you are not that bothered about the best performance then you should find that a USB wireless adapter is a cheaper option for you. It is certainly easier to install and you can do everything yourself even if you have limited experience with computers!