Wireless networking has emerged over the last 10 years and has grown
to be a viable competitor to wired networking.
There are many advantages to wireless networks:
- Portability: A wireless network enables a wireless device to be used anywhere within the range of the network. The range is determined by the type of wireless protocol used. Speed of wireless networks is increasing.
- Flexibility: Wireless devices can be added to a wireless network without the added expense of installing structured Ethernet cabling.
Wireless networks also have some disadvantages over wired networking.
- Speed is a major issue to consider when designing a wireless network. With the availability of Gigabit switches and network interfaces, speeds of 1000 Mbps can be obtained over Ethernet cabling. Wireless products generally work at up to 108 Mbps, although faster products are becoming available.
- Reliability: A wireless access point becomes a point of failure within a wireless network, although it can be argued that a switch is also a point of failure within a network. Wireless connections can also be prone to interference and fluctuation in bandwidth.
- Security: Wired networks are very secure only when configured correctly. A wireless network can be interrupted by intruders, also known as eavesdroppers. WEP (Wired Equivalency Protocol) security standards are installed to enable the wireless network to become secure.
There are different wireless speeds and coverage depending on wireless hardware.
The following table shows some of the speeds and coverage currently available:
| Protocol |
Released |
Frequency Ghz |
Data Rate (typ) |
Data Rate (max) |
Range Indoor |
Range Outdoor |
| 802.11a |
1999 |
5.75 |
25 Mbps |
54 Mbps |
30 Metres |
Untested |
| 802.11b |
1999 |
2.4/2.5 |
6.5 Mbps |
11 Mbps |
30 Metres |
Untested |
| 802.11g |
2003 |
2.4/2.5 |
25 Mbps |
54 Mbps |
30 Metres |
Untested |
| 802.11n |
2006 |
2.5 or 5.0 |
200 Mbps |
540 Mbps |
50 Metres |
125 Metres |
The communication protocols for wireless networking are defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, which incorporates the 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g protocols.
The most widely used of these is 802.11b (Wireless B),
which is more reliable than the faster 802.11a (Wireless A) standard.
Wireless G, or 802.11g, is a newer protocol that is becoming more widely
available as it is capable of speeds up to 54Mbps rather than the 11Mbps of 802.11b
devices.
It is very rare to find devices that support all three standards, but Wireless G is designed to be backwards compatible with Wireless B devices. Wireless B and Wireless A devices will not work with each other, and neither are they compatible with Wireless G devices.
It is worth noting that although the maximum speed provided by the IEEE standards is 54Mbps, some vendors have introduced protocols that effectively double the 802.11b rate to 22Mbps and the 802.11g rate to 108Mbps. This is a theoretical throughput, with actual data rates being considerably lower.
Operating Systems to consider for Wireless connectivity
Windows XP
Microsoft Windows XP is the most popular Operating system used by wireless clients.
It is widely supported, easy to use and is able to connect seamlessly to many
wireless networks.
Linux
Linux is now quite well supported with drivers for a variety of WLAN cards.
Linux works well with wireless networking, and an experienced Linux engineer
will be able to install the relevant wireless cards,
drivers and installation onto the network in about the same time as a
Microsoft engineer would to install Microsoft wireless networking.
Linux will operate on a Microsoft network with Samba enabled on the
Linux computer. This program makes the Windows network think that the
Linux computer is another Windows pc.
MAC OS
Mac OS is another operating system that can operate on a wireless network,
using built in Airport or external wireless devices, and can share files
using MAC OS X Finder.