| Wireless networks use radio waves instead of | | | | effective only over short distances. |
| wires to transmit data between computers. | | | | Wireless networks also use a technique called |
| Here's how: | | | | "frequency hopping." They use dozens of |
| The Binary Code: 1s and 0s | | | | frequencies, and constantly switch among them. |
| It's well known that computers transmit | | | | This makes wireless networks more immune to |
| information digitally, using binary code: ones and | | | | interference from other radio signals than if they |
| zeros. This translates well to radio waves, since | | | | transmitted on a single frequency. |
| those 1s and 0s can be represented by different | | | | Internet Access Points |
| kinds of beeps. These beeps are so fast that | | | | The final step for a wireless network is to |
| they're outside the hearing range of humans. | | | | provide internet access for every computer on |
| Morse Code: Dots And Dashes | | | | the network. This is done by a special piece of |
| It works like Morse code, which is a way to | | | | wireless equipment called an access point. An |
| transmit the alphabet over radio waves using dots | | | | access point is more expensive than a wireless |
| (short beeps) and dashes (long beeps). Morse | | | | card for 1 computer, because it contains radios |
| code was used manually for years via telegraph | | | | capable of communicating with around 100 |
| to get information from 1 place to another very | | | | computers, sharing internet access among them. |
| quickly. More importantly for this example, though, | | | | Dedicated access points are necessary only for |
| it is a binary system, just as a computer system | | | | larger networks. With only a few computers, it is |
| is. | | | | possible to use 1 of them as the access point, or |
| Wireless networking, then, can be thought of as a | | | | to use a wireless router. |
| Morse code for computers. You plug in a | | | | Industry Standards |
| combined radio receiver and transmitter, and the | | | | Wireless equipment from different manufacturers |
| computer is able to send out its equivalent of | | | | can work together to handle these complex |
| dots and dashes (bits, in computer-speak) to get | | | | communications because there are standards |
| your data from here to there. | | | | which guide the production of all wireless devices. |
| Wavelengths And Frequencies | | | | These standards are technically called the 802.11. |
| You might wonder how the computer can send | | | | Because of industry compliance with these |
| and receive data at high speed without becoming | | | | standards, wireless networking is both easy to |
| garbled nonsense. The key to wireless networking | | | | use and affordable today. |
| is how it gets around this problem. | | | | Wireless Is Simple To Use |
| First, wireless transmissions are sent at very high | | | | If all this talk of frequencies has you worried -- |
| frequencies, which allows more data to be sent | | | | relax. Wireless networking hardware and software |
| per second. Most wireless connections use a | | | | handle all of this automatically, without need for |
| frequency of 2.4 gigahertz (2.4 billion cycles per | | | | user intervention. Wireless networking, for all its |
| second) -- a frequency similar to mobile phones | | | | complicated ability, is far simpler to use than you |
| and microwave ovens. However, this high | | | | might expect. |
| frequency produces a wavelength that is very | | | | Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web |
| short, which is why wireless networking is | | | | developer. Visit for more info. |