Readers chose Cisco Systems' Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Client Adapters as the Best 802.11 NIC. Wireless client adapters connect devices to a wireless network either in ad hoc peer-to-peer (P2P) mode or in infrastructure mode with Access Points (APs). Reader Larry Moss praised Cisco Systems for offering "the best equipment, support, and warranty."
Aironet wireless adapters are available in PC Card, PCI, and CardBus Type II form factors. All types include the Cisco Wireless Security Suite, which takes advantage of the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) framework for user-based authentication. Other features include fast secure roaming, which lets authenticated client devices roam securely among APs with no perceptible reassociation delay; easy installation of client firmware, drivers, and utilities; an intuitive GUI for easy configuration and management; and client network management features, such as site-survey tools and customized profile settings.