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Definition: PC Card dongle


A device used to couple a network or telephone cable to a PC Card (PCMCIA). The dongle provides a way of adding RJ-45 and RJ-11 jacks to cards that do not have the jacks built in. Since PC Cards are thin, the cards that contain the jacks either have them protruding beyond the card or use an XJACK connector, a thin jack that slides in and out of the card. See hardware key.



PC Card Dongle
Also called a "LAN dongle" or "network coupler," this illustration shows the RJ-45 slot that an Ethernet network cable plugs into. Dongles for analog modems and RJ-11 telephone cables are also available.