Quick Introduction to Wireless Networks
During last few years wireless networking has become very popular. It's comfortable and relatively cheap solution. Wi-Fi technology allows you to keep your laptop connected to the Internet or corporate network from any place in the building, that is in scope of wireless network. You don't have to be attached to your desk anymore to have Internet connection available from your laptop. With thousands of available HotSpots, you can access the Internet from virtually every airport and dozens of hotels and restaurants around the World. This is what makes your laptop really mobile.
Prices of Wi-Fi equipement were constantly dropping during last few years, which was one of the main factors that made wireless networks so common. Companies like D-Link or Linksys have flooded the market with cheap wireless devices. At the time of writing this article, PC Card wireless adapters are sometimes available for less than $20. You can build simple home network for less than $100, as basic access point costs about $30-$40.
In this series of articles I try to guide you through wireless networks standards and help you choose the one that best feets your needs. I describe design and implementation of wireless networks and explain what all these terms like ad-hoc, SSID or WEP mean. I also come through the most important wireless hardware parameters and give you a hint what to look at when buying Wi-Fi equipement.
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