Wireless Networking Need To Know 2006

Published on February 27, 2006 to Networking

It's been a few years since our first Wireless Need to Know series and lots has changed. Hence, our freshly updated 2006 version. Read more

Wireless Networking NTK - Product Types

Published on December 5, 2002 to Networking

Wireless products come in many different "flavors" and differences between some of them are subtle. Let's start by looking at the different types of "Client Adapters". These products are used to connect one device to a wireless network, much like an Ethernet network interface card (NIC). Most of the adapters can work either in a peer-to-peer network (this is called Ad Hoc mode), or through an Access Point that connects to a larger, usually wired, network (Infrastructure mode). HomeRF based devices also support both methods of communication, but switch methods on the fly. PC CardThis format is familiar to laptop and PDA users and comes in 16bit and CardBus (32 bit) forms. Unfortunately, manufacturers often don't tell you which technology they use, so if your laptop supports only CardBus adapters, you may have do experiment to find out whether a product will work for you. PC Cards have been the format of choice for laptop users, but have the disadvantages of relatively high power usage and poor antenna orientation. Read more

Wireless Networking NTK - Technologies

Published on August 15, 2002 to Networking

A year or so ago (early 2001), you had two choices for wireless networking products: Home RF and 802.11b. In mid 2002, your choices have expanded to four main contenders (802.11b, "enhanced" 802.11b, 802.11a, and Bluetooth) and one dying one (Home RF). More choices are coming later in 2002 and 2003, with a lot of activity in "combo" products that meld together two or more standards into one product. First, let's look at what you can actually buy today for building your wireless LAN (WLAN). Read more

Wireless Networking NTK - Setting up

Published on October 11, 2002 to Networking

Now that you know the building blocks of a wireless network, how do you put them together into something that will let you get some work done while you're sitting in your favorite chair? Glad you asked! The approach you take depends on where you're starting from, so we'll take a look at the common situations. Read more

Wireless Networking NTK - Introduction

Published on August 15, 2002 to Networking

So you finally have given in to all the hype and decided to look into wireless networking? Well, you've come to the right place. We'll help you understand the buzzwords, choose a technology, and get set up in a variety of different ways. We'll also try to guide you around the many traps that you can easily stumble into. Read more