| A home and office wireless network can be set | | | | Ethernet home/office network is extended. You |
| up using wireless local area network (WLAN) | | | | must cable your accesspoint to the switch, hub or |
| devices. A wireless LANhas a wireless platform to | | | | LAN router. |
| enable wireless communication amongst the | | | | Unlike cellular networks with fixed frequencies, |
| computers/laptops and peripheral devices partof | | | | users in Wireless Local Area Networks have to |
| the LAN. A wireless LAN has limited range and is | | | | share frequencies,that sometimes can lead to |
| usually best suited for local environment such as a | | | | collisions. The choice of frequency depends on |
| building,office complex or home. The number one | | | | whether microwave, spread spectrum, orinfrared |
| advantage is the flexibility and mobility provided | | | | communication is used. |
| by a wireless LAN. | | | | The primary WLAN standards include the |
| A wireless home and office network can easily be | | | | IEEE-802.11 series and HiperLAN. The IEEE-802.11 |
| installed by connecting a wireless router to the | | | | (Wi-Fi) standards supports |
| network. Therouter must be placed in a high and | | | | 1 Mbps data rate and several selection of physical |
| central position within the home or the office. | | | | medium like: spread spectrum and infrared. One of |
| Computers which are placedclose to the router, | | | | the extrafeature of this standard is the battery |
| or in the same room as the router, receive | | | | conservation for inactive or idle wireless users. |
| better network speed. Most wireless routers | | | | Faster 54 Mbit/s 802.11a |
| supportbroadband modems while others support | | | | (5 GHz) and 802.11g (2.4 GHz) standards are now |
| telephone lines connections. Each computer | | | | available. New criteria beyond the 802.11 |
| connected to the wireless LAN needto have a | | | | specifications, such as |
| wireless LAN card installed. | | | | 802.16(WiMAX), are currently being developed and |
| It is compulsery and important to name the | | | | provide enhancements such as longer range and |
| wireless network and to ensure that all the | | | | faster transferspeeds. |
| computers on the WLAN sharethe same network | | | | The HiperLAN standard may be used to support |
| name. Despite the fact that a wireless router | | | | 23.5 Mbps channel rates. However, it allows use of |
| contains a built in access point, one may need | | | | only spread spectrumphysical medium and is not |
| touse a wireless access point if an existing | | | | very popular. |