Wireless Networks - By: Robert Thomson

Wireless Networks

A wireless network is a group of computers that are not physically linked or wired to each other. These computers generally communicate or send data through electromagnetic waves or radio waves.

German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz was the first to establish electromagnetic waves in 1888. It was not long before Guglielmo Marconi took interest on Hertz studies and developed it further. Marconi, who soon found electromagnetic waves traveling in a much greater distance, demonstrated his discovery in England in 1896. Shortly after the successful demonstration, the patent on System of Wireless Telegraphy was awarded to Marconi. It was in 1901 when radio signals were first sent over the Atlantic Ocean.

Amidst the chaos of World War II, the US army initially used radio waves to transfer data. Researchers from University of Hawaii expanded on the transfer process and shortly launched ALOHNET, the foremost network of packet radio communication. With seven computers communicating in bi-directional star pattern, ALOHNET, the first WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) was born.

IEEE 802 Executive Committee later on aimed to standardize WLAN and introduced 802.11 Working Group. The proposal was approved in the year 1997 and IEEE 802.11 became the global standard for WLAN.

The most popular wireless network standard is the IEEE 802.11 also known as WiFi. There are other types of WiFi standards; each standard differs in its assigned one letter suffix.

Different Types of Wireless Networks

802.11n and Pre-n

802.11n was officially released in 2007. This wireless network connection provides a minimum 200 Mbps to 600 Mbps maximum transfer rates. This equipment provides a ''multiple in, multiple out'' (MIMO) more advance antennas that can establish faster data processing and wider network area coverage.

Before 802.11n, equipments with ''pre-n'' or ''draft'' technologies were already out in the market. These equipments do not have the same technology as an 802.11n, though these equipments are said to perform faster than an 802.11g wireless network. Note that ''pre-n'' products do not guarantee compatibility with 802.11n machines.

802.11a

It is best to use 802.11a type of wireless network standard if you wish to avoid signal intervention.
Equipments and appliances such as wireless phones, Bluetooth, and video antennas run under 2.4GHz band that is similar to that of an 802.11g and 802.11b wireless standards. This similarity causes signal disruption and disorder that leads to poor wireless connection.

802.11a is a more stable wireless network standard, which operates in a less saturated 5.0GHz band at 54 Mbps transfer rate.

802.11g

The 802.11g wireless network standard is almost similar to an 802.11b. However, 802.11g runs lesser than the 2.4Ghz band and can process data at the rate of 54 Mbps.

Extreme G equipment is a device that updates the initial firmware of a regular 802.11g machine. The firmware update enables 802.11g wireless standard to maximize its data processing speed up to 108 Mbps.

802.11b

The primary wireless network standard for the general market is the 802.11b machine. It runs under 2.4GHz band and can process file at 11Mbps. Shortly after 802.11b, the new 802.11b wireless standard was introduced.

A wireless network is a group of computers that are not physically linked or wired to each other. These computers generally communicate or send data through electromagnetic waves or radio waves.

Robert Smith is a freelance writer who the author of articles such as Securing Wireless Networking, Sierra Wireless ac597e review, and Wi-fi Software Tools