Wireless NIC. If you want to setup a temporary network between two computers then two wireless NIC cards are enough. If you wish to share a broadband internet connection then speeds of a 512k and above are required. WiMax NIC and 802.16e PCMCIA Card information.

The kind of hardware you would need to setup a wireless network depends on what the scale of the network will be. However you will almost certainly always need an access point and a wireless network interface card. If you want to setup a temporary network between two computers then two wireless NIC cards are enough. If you wish to share a broadband internet connection then speeds of a 512k and above are required. Lower bandwidth will work but only result in slower or unacceptable performance.

Access Point
This piece of hardware acts as a bridge between the wired network and wireless devices. It allows multiple devices to connect through it to gain access to the network. An AP can also act as a router; a means by which the data transmission can be extended and passed from one access point to another.

Wireless NIC (Network Card)
A wireless network card is required on each device on a wireless network. A laptop usually has an expansion (PCMCIA) slot which the network card would fit in to. A desktop computer would need an internal card - which will usually have a small antenna or an external antenna on it. These antennas are optional on most equipment and they help to increase the signal on the card.