| If you are considering creating a wireless network | | | | portability, there are some advantages to hard |
| in your home, at your office or at your vacation | | | | wire networking: |
| getaway cottage, you need to make sure you | | | | Speed - Even thought wireless technology is fast |
| select the appropriate equipment. You want it to | | | | approaching the speeds of cable, cable is faster. |
| work, you want it to do so with any problems | | | | Hard wired networks are already capable of |
| and you want it to be secure. | | | | throughput in the gigabit range. Wireless |
| Wireless offers incredible benefits for online and | | | | technology can barely reach one quarter of that |
| computer-to-computer networking: | | | | speed in the best laboratory environments. But |
| Go-Anywhere Computing - Now you can take | | | | does this matter to you? Internet speeds at |
| your laptop with you anywhere in the house | | | | home with a DSL line only reach 6 megabit per |
| without the hassles of cables. Out on the deck, | | | | second. Unless you constantly moving a lot of |
| by the hot tub, upstairs in the office or by your | | | | data, you really do not need all the speed wired |
| side in the kitchen, your whole house is an access | | | | networks deliver. |
| point. | | | | Range - A wireless network operates with a radio |
| Nice and neat - No ripping holes in walls or | | | | signal and as such, it is vulnerable to limited |
| stringing cables in the ceiling, under carpet, through | | | | distance transmission and reception. Older home |
| doorways or under floors | | | | may be composed of materials that can limit the |
| Cheap - You can have your entire house | | | | network's range. However, modern homes have |
| networked for less an a couple hundred dollars. | | | | drywall materials that pose little signal degradation. |
| Accommodating - You are not limited to having to | | | | Interference - This is most common problem with |
| locate you and your computer next to a | | | | a wireless network. A lot of wireless networking |
| From a view point of throughput and speed, there | | | | devices use the same frequencies as other |
| really is no difference whether you access the | | | | modern devices such as cordless telephones and |
| Internet by plugging in a cable to your computer | | | | microwave ovens. |
| or with a wireless networking device. It makes | | | | Security - The radio signal that is used with |
| little difference regardless of you why you need a | | | | wireless networking does not stop at your front |
| network - sharing files, accessing a single printer, | | | | door. A neighbor or stranger could gain access to |
| home entertainment system or just surfing the | | | | your network using readily available devices. |
| Web - it works much the same way. | | | | There are measures you can implement to make |
| There are some drawbacks to wireless. While it | | | | your network more secure and reduce the |
| certainly wins the battle of convenience and | | | | vulnerability of unauthorized access. |