PCMCIA Type II Wired Laptop Network Cards

Using Type II Wired Network Cards to Access the Internet on Your Laptop

Wired network cards (aka PC cards) are a peripheral interface device that can connect to laptop computers. The parallel communication from PC Cards is defined by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA). Although wired PC cards were originally only for expanding memory capacity, you also use them to provide modem support, network connectivity, and external graphics processing.

What Are Type II Wired Network PC Cards?

There are four different network card types released to consumers. Type II wired PC cards use 32-bit or 16-bit interface to communicate with your laptop's central processor. The Type II card was the first iteration to have two slot rows, with each row supporting 32 pin sockets. The Type II card is notable for its interface stability, CardBus support, and slim rectangular design. Three other key aspects of the Type II PCMCIA card are:

• Interface: Type II PC cards include two wired interface input connections. If you have an adapter cable or dongle, you can use this peripheral card to connect two external devices. The most common connector devices are Internet network modems, TV tuners, and sound cards.
• I/O Support: The robust input and output connectors allow users to connect full-size and miniature peripheral devices to the PC card.
• Bus Mastering: With a CardBus design, Type II PC cards can use bus mastering to run operations between peripheral devices and the network bus controller. This means that your laptop CPU does not need to devote processing resources to running peripheral devices.

What Can You Do with of a Network PC Card?

The increased number of pin sockets and input connections in a Type II PC card significantly expands available applications when connected to your laptop. The three most common uses of a PCMCIA card are:

• Disk Drive: As long as you have a USB adapter dongle, you can connect a DVD/CD reader and burner to your computer. The adapter input port can be accessed using a retractable jack.
• Network and Wi-Fi Connectivity: Network interface cards can connect to a Type II PC card via the same retractable jack input. Because of the design of the card, you can use both a modem and network card at the same time. However, when you are locking these peripherals into place, make sure the Wi-Fi antenna secures in the PC card's plastic shroud.