The dongle, which we can translate as an adapter, is a small electronic device that connects to a larger one to add functionality to the device to which it connects, a function formerly performed by PCMCIA cards in laptops when we had to add a connection that was not natively available.
We could say that the dongles are the old PCMCIA cards They have been converted into a much smaller device that can also be connected to any USB port, not necessarily to a computer, since they can also be connected to other devices such as televisions, hard drives, printers ...
What is a dongle for?
Dongles were born, as in most cases, from a need by users. A few years ago, it was quite common to buy computers without a wireless network card (in fact, many desktop computers are still sold without it), as well as without bluetooth.
Thanks to these devices, we can add both Wi-Fi and bluetooth to any device, no matter how old it is (as long as the operating system is compatible) both types of connectivity and thus be able to stretch its life a little more, especially when it comes to old equipment that manages specific machines and whose upgrade to more modern systems it is unfeasible due to the economic cost.
Dongle types
As I mentioned in the previous section, dongles were invented to add extra functionality to devices that do not have them. Considering its premise, we can find dongle of all kinds, although the best known with which it offers us Wi-Fi connection.
WiFi Dongle
A WiFi dongle, as we can well assume from its name, allows us to add wireless connection to a computer that lacks it, so that it can be connected to a private network or even the internet.
This dongle does not replace the RJ-45 connection (much faster) but adds a wireless connectivity that we did not have before. The problem with this type of device is that it usually does not have much range since most models do not incorporate an antenna.
Bluetooth dongle
Most laptops that reach the market today do so with bluetooth connectivity, a connectivity that allows us to share content between our smartphone and equipment quickly and easily.
Yet we can still find low-end equipment that do not incorporate it, like many old equipment, so we must use a bluetooth dongle.
It should be remembered that through a bluetooth dongle we will not be able to connect to the internet, unless the connection is being shared through this technology (something very unlikely due to its low data transfer speed).
Storage dongle
Although they are better known as pendrive or USB stickThese devices are storage dongles that add extra capacity to the equipment they connect to. Don't confuse a storage dongle with an external hard drive.
Within this type of dongles, we can also find those that allow us insert a memory card so that the team can access its content.
Communications Dongle
This type of dongle allows us add data connectivity to a device, be it 3G, 4G or 5G. These devices, also called USB modems, can be found in mobile operators. A solution to this type of dongles, if your device has a Wi-Fi connection, is to use a MiFi, a wireless modem with a data connection.
Navigation Dongle
If you want to use your laptop as a GPS navigator, you need a GPS chip that connect to satellites to know your position on the map. This is possible thanks to a GPS dongle, thanks to which we will turn our computer into a smartphone with maps.
This kind of dongle commonly used in vehicles to add GPS connectivity to devices that include a navigator.
Obviously, it is also necessary an internet connection if we do not have the downloaded maps on our computer. There is not much variety in the market for navigation dongles due to the limitations of use that they offer today.
HASP key
HASP keys are security keys that block the operation of an application specifically and / or directly the operation of the device.
Once we extract this key from the equipment, this will stop workingas it cannot find the required required encryption or product key. This type of key is very common among those users who need extra security on their computer to the protection that the operating system already offers natively.
Where to buy and how much does a dongle cost
Depending on our needs and the type of dongle we need, the easiest and fastest thing is to take a look at Amazon. eBay It is another interesting option to take into account since we can find a large number of devices of this type that, although they are not new, continue to function as the first day.
Buy WiFi dongle
If you are looking for a WiFi dongle, one of the best value for money options is offered by the manufacturer TP-Link for 9 euros, one of the oldest in the market.
Another model with built-in antenna TP-Link is the Archer model for 16 euros. I do not recommend opting for the Chinese named models that, although they may be cheap, the performance leaves much to be desired.
Buy bluetooth dongle
Once again, if we want a quality dongle, we must opt ​​for the model that it offers us TP-Link, the UB400 whose price is 12 euros on Amazon.
Buy storage dongle
Here everything depends on the amount of storage we need (in the case of a pendrive) and the type of memory cards we want to read. It is always preferable to choose uA reader that only reads one card format since it will offer us much higher data speed than one that is multi-format.
The reader of USB 3.0 for 14,99 euros, it is a solution if you usually have the need to read different types of memory cards.
Buy mobile data dongle
El Huawei Wingles 4G for 68 euros, it is one of the best solutions to add mobile data connectivity to a computer that does not have a Wi-Fi connection or does not have a nearby one to connect to.
If you want a wireless WiFi modem, in which insert a data card to share the connection with other computers, the TP-Link M7000 Wi-Fi Modem it is an excellent option to consider.
Buy GPS dongle
The number of this type of dongle is small. Still, one of the models that best positive reviews on Amazon is the No products found., whose price is 38 euros.
Buy Hash Key
Buy a key of this type is not easy, since its use is the minimum market, despite the security it offers us. To buy a key of this type, the best thing we can do is go to a computer store.