These days, it might just be impossible to find a new laptop that lacks a wireless network adapter (A.K.A. WiFi). However, there are several different forms of WiFi (due to the fact that the WiFi standard evolves over time to increase performance) and each one uses a different type of adapter which may or may not support the other forms of WiFi. With several different types of WiFi out there, it can become somewhat confusing. We are here to help you understand what you are buying and whether or not it will be compatible with your existing wireless network.
When it comes to WiFi and your laptop, you should be concerned about the following letters: a, b, g, n. These are used to denote the specific types of WiFi. The most important thing to learn about the wireless adapter in a potential new laptop is which if these types of WiFi are supported. If you are in a big-box store, be sure to consult the specification card of the laptop that you are examining to find which types are supported. You’ll likely find something similar to the following: ‘WiFi b/g’, ‘WiFi a/b/g’ or sometimes ‘802.11b/g’, etc (all you need to know are the letters.) This denotes that the wireless adapter in the laptop can function with the listed WiFi types. What makes this information useful? One must have a compatible wireless router in order to utilize WiFi. If you have a WiFi b router and end up with a WiFi a laptop, you won’t be able to connect to a wireless network. Before heading to the store, you should check your router to see if you can determine which types of WiFi it supports.
So perhaps you’ve discovered that you own a WiFi g router and have found a laptop that supports WiFi g. Great, but what exactly is the difference between the various types of WiFi?
WiFi a
WiFi a (sometimes 802.11a) was one of the earlier types of WiFi. It supports theoretical transfer rates of 54 Mbit/s and uses the 5GHz frequency. Because of the frequency that it uses, WiFi a has a shorter range than the other standards, but it is also less likely to be affected by interfering sources that use the same frequency, such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, etc.
WiFi b
WiFi b (sometimes 802.11b) was created at the same time as the WiFi a standard, but gained quick popularity in the consumer space. WiFi b is actually slower than WiFi a, supporting speeds of only 11 Mbits/s, but it uses the 2.4GHz which gives it greater range (but also makes it susceptible to interference from other devices.)
WiFi g
WiFi g (sometimes 802.11g) is likely the most popular WiFi at the time of writing and if you are purchasing a new laptop, you should be sure that it supports WiFi g. WiFi g uses the 2.4GHz frequency for increased range over WiFi a, but can support the 54 Mbit/s speed which is much faster than WiFi b. Because WiFi g uses the same frequency as WiFi b, WiFi b products are backward-compatible with WiFi g products.
WiFi n
WiFi n (somtimes 802.11n or draft-n) is the latest and greatest WiFi specification. Utilizing MIMO (multiple-input/multiple-output) technology, WiFi n expands range and speed greatly over the commonly used WiFi g. WiFi n supports speeds up to 600 Mbit/s and functions on multiple frequencies, reducing the impact from interfering devices.
Which To Buy?
The first thing you should do is find out which type of WiFi that your wireless router supports. This could be any range of things, from a simple WiFi a compatible router to one that supports WiFi a/b/g/n. If you’ve purchased a new wireless router in the last few years, you’ll likely have a router than is compatible with WiFi g (which means that it is backward-compatible with WiFi b). Look at the router itself, the supported types are commonly printed directly on it. If you can’t determine the supported types by looking at the router, consult the box that the unit came in, and if nothing else, check the web.
If you are going out to purchase a new laptop today, the biggest issue you’ll likely run into is whether or not to go with the common standard of WiFi g, or head for the latest — WiFi n. Some things to consider: WiFi n may support speeds up to 600 Mbit/s, but a fast internet connection is only around 25 Mbit/s, which means that WiFi g’s 54 Mbit/s speed should be able to handle moving that data just fine. Though if you use or are planning on using a home network to share large files between computers, WiFi n’s 600 Mbit/s is definitely great for that sort of use. WiFi n also has increased range over WiFi g which may make it worth dishing out a little bit of extra cash. But, of course, you may need to purchase a WiFi n router to be compatible with your new laptop, and existing wireless devices that you already own won’t be able to make use of the extra speed without an upgraded WiFi adapter (but may still be backward-compatible with a WiFi n router, just check which types it supports by looking at the letters.)
We definitely recommend that you be sure that your new laptop features at least WiFi g (WiFi a and b alone are mostly outdated). Even if you don’t yet own a WiFi n router, you might want to consider a laptop that features WiFi g and well as WiFi n so that when you do make the upgrade, your new laptop will be ready to utilize the extra speed and range.
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