USB Dongles Offer Portability And Options

The invention of the USB led directly to the invention of the “dongle.” The USB dongle is any peripheral or other device that plugs directly into the USB instead of being connected by a cord. This name comes from the fact that the device “dongles” from the USB port, necessitating that it be both light and firmly seated so as to not be dislodged while in use. USB dongles are also inherently small and simple, since it is not possible to put a large number of functions into a device small enough to stay in the USB drive. Most so-called “thumb drives” which permit storage of data on a Flash card are made as USB dongles. More commonly, however, many wireless devices are being manufactured as dongles. The dongle design allows for a wireless device to be used on any device with a USB port, from desktop PCs to laptops to even some handheld devices and video game consoles.

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The wireless dongle design varies from unit to unit, although in recent years advances in technology have lead designers to push for wireless dongles that are smaller and more compact. This is most apparent in the Bluetooth USB dongle. Bluetooth wireless communications were originally designed for mobile phones, and as such they use transmitters and receivers of exceptionally small size. This size comes at the cost of power, making their transmission radius a meter or less in size. However, this is more than enough for some basic wireless communications, especially to peripherals such as mice, keyboards, and mobile devices. A Bluetooth USB dongle may be little more than a USB plug with a small nib for gripping. This makes them ideal for people on the go, since they are so small that they can ad permanent functionality to a laptop merely by occupying an otherwise unused USB port. Indeed, the design and portability of dongles makes them ideal for laptops, although of course they are fully functional on desktop PCs as well.

Most wireless dongles, however, are somewhat larger. This is because the antenna must be contained within the dongle. Some units have a wire that connects the dongle to an external antenna, however this is rare. In general, most wireless dongles are designed towards portability and flexibility. The point of a dongle, after all, is to permit the user to quickly switch between devices. This is ideal for persons who own a portable machine with limited wireless functionality, since they can swap between a standard wireless dongle and a dongle that permits browsing via the cellular network in only a few seconds. The use of dongles is also great for persons looking to conserve battery power. With recent advances in hard drive and motherboard technology, most laptops have a minimal power drain put out by the hardware, by turning off power to any device that is not currently in use. However, wireless communications require constant transmission to and from the nearest wireless hub, which draws battery power. Using a dongle allows a user to quickly turn off wireless communications in a very physical manner, which not only conserves power, it makes it physically impossible to attack the laptop via remote wireless communications. Dongles are thus also a great alternative for those looking for a security solution, as it allows them to permanently shut down wireless communications.