Which wireless client devices require drivers to be installed on the client node?

Which wireless client devices require drivers to be installed on the client node?

• A. Wireless client devices on PC cards that are to be installed in PCI or ISA adapters
• B. All wireless client devices
• C. USB wireless adapters only
• D. Built-in laptop wireless modules only

Answer: (A)

Wireless NICs need software support to talk to the operating system. PC Card wireless devices—those that fit into a PCI or ISA adapter—typically require you to install a vendor-specific driver so the OS can recognize the card and know how to communicate with it. In contrast, USB wireless adapters and built-in laptop wireless modules are usually supported by drivers that are already included in the OS or installed automatically when you connect the device, so they don’t always need a manual driver installation. So the device type that most reliably requires a driver install to operate is the PC Card wireless card.

Wireless NICs need software support to talk to the operating system. PC Card wireless devices—those that fit into a PCI or ISA adapter—typically require you to install a vendor-specific driver so the OS can recognize the card and know how to communicate with it. In contrast, USB wireless adapters and built-in laptop wireless modules are usually supported by drivers that are already included in the OS or installed automatically when you connect the device, so they don’t always need a manual driver installation. So the device type that most reliably requires a driver install to operate is the PC Card wireless card.