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NDISwrapper
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<p>NDISwrapper is a <a href="/facts/Free_software/IaoVtJXn">free software</a> <a href="/facts/Driver_wrapper/M1XEW8eL">driver wrapper</a> that enables the use of <a href="/facts/Windows_XP/IozrkAYS">Windows XP</a> <a href="/facts/Networking_hardware/ck0rIkXA">network device</a> drivers (for devices such as <a href="/facts/Peripheral_Component_Interconnect/n6CGuFvP">PCI cards</a>, <a href="/facts/Mobile_broadband_modem/91kNTutm">USB modems</a>, and <a href="/facts/Router_(computing)/Nh5cIyVf">routers</a>) on Linux operating systems. NDISwrapper works by implementing the Windows <a href="/facts/Kernel_(operating_system)/uEj4U3Rz">kernel</a> and <a href="/facts/Network_Driver_Interface_Specification/YPjBLj2t">NDIS</a> <a href="/facts/API/GMlN4vUr">APIs</a> and <a href="/facts/Dynamic_linker/4vQ2J2xS">dynamically linking</a> Windows network drivers to this implementation. As a result, it only works on systems based on the <a href="/facts/Instruction_set_architecture/8p8vwUeE">instruction set architectures</a> supported by Windows, namely <a href="/facts/IA-32/7yTv1aHH">IA-32</a> and <a href="/facts/X86-64/cyWvUFlP">x86-64</a>. </p><p>Native drivers for some <a href="/facts/Network_adapter/wyf5FR29">network adapters</a> are not available on Linux as some manufacturers maintain proprietary interfaces and do not write cross-platform drivers. NDISwrapper allows the use of Windows drivers, which are available for virtually all modern PC network adapters. </p>