What does a wireless USB adapter do?

[rnmcd]

Is it used to connect any USB device (e.g., graphics board, printer, scanner) to a PC using one of the 802.11 protocols?

If this is so....are USB monitors available?

As you can see, I am trying to get as "wireless" as possible....I've too many cords/wires running everywhere.

 

[PCHPlayer]

If it is the device I think it is, it is just a wireless modem that plugs into the USB port instead of a PCI slot. It allows the computer to communicate on a 802.11 network. Actually they are better than the PCI cards because you can move the unit around to get better reception.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Wireless USB adapters are access points.

Wireless NICs so to speak.

They're used to network COMPUTERS together. Not peripherals.

 

[novowel]

wireless USB adapters connect your comptuer to other comptuers with adapters, or to access points.

there are wireless print servers which allow you to print wirelessly. not sure about scanners.

 

[mrweirdo]

also a note about them is they are very portible because they can be moved from computer to computer as needed

 

[vegetation]

Basically, wireless 802.11a/b/g usb sticks were created to replace the wireless pc-card (laptop cards) that inserted into a PCI adapter for desktops. These sucked for desktops because the rear lower slots of a deskop are in the worst possible location for reception and there was very little you could easily do about it. USB sticks makes reception issues far more accomodating.

Now don't confuse 802.11a/b/g with bluetooth, which is another wireless standard totally separate from 802.11/a/b/c standards. Bluetooth is the short range wireless system for independent peripherals to operate together without typical wires. Right now it's mostly popular with pda's and cell phones, but I've seen some emerging printers with this ability. Definitely more devices will have this in the next year or two.

 

[rnmcd]

I certainly look forward to it. I really like to have some of the less used peripherals at a distance away from my main workstation.

I thank all of you for the very interesting and informative replies.