Questions About Wireless USB Answered

There is a new technology on the market that is expanding the allure of wireless computer use. Wireless USB is a new protocol that allows devices to communicate without wires. If it sounds a lot like Wi-Fi it is, and yet it isn’t. This article goes into the five most common questions people have about Wireless USB and attempts to answer them in the easiest way possible.

What Exactly Is Wireless USB?

Wireless USB is a networking standard that many hardware makers have adopted to produce computer devices that can communicate without the need for a wired USB connection to a host computer. Prior to Wireless USB most if not all printers, scanners, and other devices had to be physically connected to a computer either by USB, Firewire, or Ethernet cable. Do not confuse Wireless USB printers with Wi-Fi printers as the two require different kinds of hardware to be used with the host computer.

What Does Wireless USB Not Do?

Wireless USB has a fairly strict distance limitation. Unlike Wi-Fi which can go for miles with the proper equipment and antennas, Wireless USB is designed to only go up to 10 meters (30 feet). Wireless USB devices must still use a power cable plugged into a wall socket to function unless the device runs on battery power.

Does Wireless USB Have Any Interference Problems?

Wireless USB has several benefits over traditional Wi-Fi in terms of connectivity. It uses a different wireless frequency than Wi-Fi and therefore is not as prone to loss of signal due to objects or walls. The lower frequency transmissions allow Wireless USB to travel through these objects however speed of the connection may be reduced especially as the distance to the device increases.

Is Wireless USB Slower Or Less Reliable Than Wired USB?

Wireless USB bandwidth is very similar to wired USB, maxing out at 480 MB/sec. However these numbers would only been seen under ideal conditions and no manufacturers have as yet produced devices that transfer at the upper limit of the specification.

What Products Are Available With Wireless USB Connectivity?

Wireless USB is making its way into many products that traditionally have connected through wired USB. Printers, scanners, game controllers, external hard drives, and even digital media devices and cameras now come equipped with Wireless USB. The growth of Wireless USB is not all encompassing however. While a growing number of new devices are coming out with Wireless USB capabilities the majority of current and older computers do not have the ability to communicate with Wireless USB devices without the addition of a special add on card or USB dongle plugged into an available wired USB port on the computer.

Perhaps some of the more interesting uses of Wireless USB include Wireless USB docking stations for laptop computers that allow a properly equipped WUSB laptop to send its monitor signal and other communications into and out to the peripherals without the hassle of plugging in multiple wires each time the laptop is moved.

While it is not likely that Wireless USB will replace wired USB for all applications (wired USB 3.0 is now being introduced and boasts huge improvements in speed for example) it is likely that Wireless USB will continue to become a more ubiquitous part of computing and be built into more and more products as the years go by.