| Wireless networks work using radio waves | | | | wavelength must be very short, which is why |
| instead of wires to transmit data between | | | | wireless networking only works over a limited |
| computers. That's the simple version. If you're | | | | area. |
| curious to know what's going on in more detail, | | | | In addition, wireless networks make use of a |
| then it's all explained in this article. | | | | technique known as 'frequency hopping'. They use |
| Ones and Zeros. | | | | dozens of frequencies in the range they are |
| I'm sure you know that computers transmit data | | | | given, and constantly switch between them. This |
| digitally, using binary: ones and zeros. This is a | | | | makes wireless networks more immune to |
| way of communicating that translates very well | | | | interference from other radio signals than they |
| to radio waves, since the computer can transmit | | | | would be if they only transmitted on one |
| ones and zeros as different kinds of beep. These | | | | frequency. |
| beeps are so fast that they're outside a human's | | | | Access Points. |
| hearing range -- radio waves that you can't hear | | | | The final step is when it comes to all the |
| are, in fact, all around you all the time. That | | | | computers on a network sharing Internet access. |
| doesn't stop a computer from using them, though. | | | | This is done using a special piece of wireless |
| Morse Code. | | | | equipment called an access point. Access points |
| The way it works is a lot like Morse code. You | | | | are more expensive than wireless cards for one |
| probably already know that Morse code is a way | | | | computer, as they contain radios that are capable |
| of representing the alphabet so that it can be | | | | of talking to around 100 computers at the same |
| transmitted over radio using a dot (short beep) | | | | time, and sharing out access to the Internet |
| and a dash (long dash). It was used manually for | | | | between them. Dedicated access points are only |
| years, and became a great way of getting | | | | really essential for larger networks, though -- if |
| information from one place to another with the | | | | you only have a few computers, it is possible to |
| invention of the telegraph. More importantly for | | | | use one of them as the access point, or you |
| this example, though, it is a binary system, just | | | | could just get a wireless router. |
| like a computer's ones and zeros. | | | | They Understand Each Other. |
| You might think of wireless networking, then, as | | | | That's all well and good, then, but how does |
| being like Morse code for computers. You plug a | | | | wireless equipment made by entirely different |
| combined radio receiver and transmitter in, and | | | | companies manage to work together when this is |
| the computer is able to send out its equivalent of | | | | all so complicated? Well, the answer is that there |
| dots and dashes (bits, in computer-speak) to get | | | | are standards that all wireless devices follow. |
| your data from one place to another. | | | | These standards are technically called the 802.11 |
| All About Frequencies. | | | | standards, and are set by the IEEE (Institute of |
| You might wonder, though, how the computer | | | | Electrical and Electronics Engineers). It is thanks to |
| could possibly transmit enough bits to send and | | | | people sticking to their standards that wireless |
| receive data at the speed it does. After all, there | | | | networking is so easy and cheap to use today. |
| must be a limit on how much can be sent in a | | | | You Don't Need to Worry. |
| second before it just becomes useless nonsense, | | | | If all this talk of frequencies has you a little |
| right? Well, yes, but the key to wireless | | | | worried, you don't need to be -- wireless |
| networking is that it gets around this problem. | | | | networking hardware and software handles all of |
| First of all, wireless transmissions are sent at very | | | | this automatically, without you needing to do a |
| high frequencies, meaning that more data can be | | | | thing. Don't think that you're going to have to tell |
| sent per second. Most wireless connections use a | | | | one wireless device what frequency another is |
| frequency of 2.4 gigahertz (2.4 billion cycles per | | | | using, because it's just not going to happen, |
| second) -- a similar frequency to mobile phones | | | | alright? Wireless networking, for all its complicated |
| and microwave ovens. As you might know, | | | | workings, is really far more simple to use than |
| though, a frequency this high means that the | | | | you'd ever expect. |