A storage or memory USB dongle, also called a memory stick, provides a convenient means to pass files between computers or devices. The memory stick contains a rewritable solid-state memory chip that does not require power to retain its contents. As capacities have grown and price has dropped, these portable, plug-and-play storage drives have replaced floppy disks and even compact disks for exchanging files and archiving data.
Another type of USB dongle can add WiFi® functionality to a computer to provide wireless Internet connectivity. Most desktop computers can accommodate internal WiFi cards, but laptops and notebooks rely on external gadgets to increase features. The USB WiFi dongle comes in many models with the most basic model working with operating system software to locate nearby wireless networks in order to share access, commonly within the home or office.
A WiFi finder or scanner also comes in the form of a USB dongle, allowing a person to scan for free public hotspots while mobile. This type of USB dongle features LEDs that light without having to boot the laptop, indicating a wireless network has been detected. A series of LEDs can indicate signal strength, allowing one to glance at the dongle to see instantly if accessibility is increasing or decreasing. Different colored LEDs might also specify encrypted or unencrypted networks.
If you require Bluetooth® a personal area network (PAN) used to wirelessly connect your digital devices to each other — consider a USB Bluetooth® dongle. Bluetooth® has become increasingly useful for passing data between cell phones and computers, for syncing personal digital assistants (PDAs) to laptops, and for sharing files between laptops and desktops, to name just a few benefits of the technology. The advantage of Bluetooth® over other types of networking is that it is easy to activate and use with virtually no networking experience required, and it eliminates the need to haul various cables around.
If you spend a lot of time on a laptop, you might want to make your printer and laptop Bluetooth®-enabled. By doing so you can wirelessly link the two machines in a few seconds to send print jobs to the printer without having to move the laptop to the printer and attach a cable. Newer printers feature a USB port that can be used with a Bluetooth® USB dongle, but other types of Bluetooth® adapters are also available if a USB port is not present.
Company employees might be familiar with the proprietary USB dongle that acts as a security token to authenticate software in order to protect it from use by unauthorized persons. This type of dongle might also verify credentials or supply a password to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for field personnel, for example, operating on a secured system. Without the USB security dongle and proper credentials, a person cannot log into the network or access the software under its protection.
