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A wireless network, such as one created with Microsoft® Broadband Networking products, is a collection of two or more computers, printers, and other devices that use radio waves instead of Ethernet cables to create communication links to one another and to other networks. Many networks will contain both wireless and wired (Ethernet cable) connections.
The base stations and adapters that create wireless network connections are designed to follow one of the 802.11 radio transmission standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The most popular versions of these standards are often referred to as Wi-Fi®.
Wireless Transmission Standards
Currently, four specifications make up the 802.11 series: 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. The Microsoft products that conform to the 802.11g specification are sometimes said to use Wireless-G technology, and the Microsoft products that conform to the 802.11b specification are said to use Wireless-B.
The main features that distinguish these specifications are connection speed and radio frequency.
In use, wireless performance is defined by another characteristic in addition to connection speed – range. Wireless networks can transmit through walls and floors at speeds of up to 54 Mbps. However, actual range and speed will vary depending on such factors as the number and size of the physical barriers within the network, and any interference to the radio transmission.
Wireless network types
There are two types of wireless network that you can set up by using Microsoft Broadband Networking wireless products – infrastructure networks and ad hoc (computer-to-computer) networks.
Infrastructure network In an infrastructure network, there is usually a base station, gateway, or router that acts as a central point between two or more wireless devices. Often these devices will share a broadband Internet connection. Each wireless device must have an adapter that can connect to the base station or another available wireless access point.
Ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network In an ad hoc wireless network, wireless devices connect to each other directly, without an intermediary device such as a base station, gateway, or router. This option is recommended when you’re connecting only two computers that are not trying to share an Internet connection.
Should you choose wireless or wired?
Wireless and wired networks both offer a number of benefits. Before you decide which connection type is best for you, consider the following:
• Convenience You can set up wireless connections without having to run cables or open computer cases. If your computers already have Ethernet connections, however, it might be more convenient to leave the Ethernet network in place and expand the network as necessary by using wireless functionality.
• Cost Until recently, wireless network hardware cost more than Ethernet hardware. The relative cost of wireless hardware has decreased significantly, making a wireless home network much more affordable to establish.
• Mobility Mobility might be relatively unimportant for a desktop computer but can be an amazing benefit if you have a laptop or notebook computer that you want to connect to a network from different rooms in your home.
• Range and coverage Both wireless networks and wired networks can cover most home and small-business areas. Depending on the physical characteristics and interference factors in your environment, one or the other type of network might be more effective.
• Security Because of the unrestricted nature of their transmission, wireless networks have inherent security issues. However, to help improve security, you can implement network features, such as wireless security (WPA or WEP) or Network Address Translation (NAT).
• Speed The type of network connection that you use does not affect your Internet connection speed, but it can affect how fast you can perform tasks such as transferring files and playing games between computers on your network. 802.11g connection speed is comparable to Ethernet; 802.11b connection speed is typically slower. If connection speed between your networked computers is of primary importance (particularly for playing games with dense graphic detail), you might want to opt for Wireless-G technology or an Ethernet connection.
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