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