Wireless LAN Overview
amanda
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High-speed wireless LANs can provide the benefits of network
connectivity without the restrictions of being tied to a location or
tethered by wires. There are many scenarios where this becomes
interesting, including the following.
Wireless connections can extend or replace a wired infrastructure in
situations where it is costly or prohibitive to lay cables. Temporary
installations represent one example of when a wireless network might
make sense or even be required. Some types of buildings or building
codes may prohibit the use of wiring, making wireless networking an
important alternative.
And of course the "no new wires" phenomenon involving wireless, along
with phone line networking and even electrical power line networking,
has become a major catalyst for home networking and the connected home
experience.
The increasingly mobile user becomes a clear candidate for a wireless
LAN. Portable access to wireless networks can be achieved using laptop
computers and wireless NICs. This enables the user to travel to
various locations - meeting rooms, hallways, lobbies, cafeterias,
classrooms, etc. - and still have access to their networked data.
Without wireless access, the user would have to carry clumsy cabling
and find a network tap to plug into.
Beyond the corporate campus, access to the Internet and even corporate
sites could be made available through public wireless "hot spots."
networks. Airports, restaurants, rail stations, and common areas
throughout cities can be provisioned to provide this service. When the
traveling worker reaches his or her destination, perhaps meeting a
client at their corporate office, limited access could be provided to
the user through the local wireless network. The network can recognize
the user from another corporation and create a connection that is
isolated from local corporate network but provides Internet access to
the visiting user.
In all these scenarios it is worth highlighting that today's standards-
based wireless LANs operate at high speeds - the same speeds that were
considered state of the art for wired networks just a few years ago.
The access the user has is typically more than 11 megabits per second
(Mbps) or about 30 to 100 times faster than standard dial up or
Wireless WAN technologies. This bandwidth is certainly adequate to
deliver a great user experience for a number of applications or
services via the PC or mobile device. In addition, ongoing
advancements with these wireless standards continue to increase
bandwidth, with speeds of 22 Mbps.
Many infrastructure providers are wiring public areas across the
world. Within the next 12 months most airports, conference centers and
many hotels will provide 802.11b access for their visitors.
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