When you get a USB Wi-Fi adapter, the only other necessary component is an open USB port. To access Wi-Fi on your Dell desktop, your computer must have a wireless network adapter built-in ...

Also called a "network interface card" (NIC), a network adapter is a plug-in card that enables a computer to transmit ... adapter sometimes refers to a Wi-Fi adapter (see wireless adapter).

A device based on the 802.11 protocol that is used to add desktop computers and printers in remote locations to the network without having to string cables or equip each one with a Wi-Fi adapter.