Wireless networking is a method of connecting PCs and other peripherals wirelessly.
On both your desktop and Notebook PCs, wireless LANs would provide the flexibility of independence from a wired network connection. Whether it is to your home local area network or it is to another Wi-Fi based device.
Wireless LAN adapters are now embedded on most of the laptops. On desktops they are not as common. However it is a worthy investment. For example if you are using DSL based connection on to the Internet, your PC can be linked using wireless LAN to the Internet providers equipment installed at home (which also must be wireless) so that you have advantage of portability.
Traditional network adapters had to be linked up using cable to communicate.
What’s in it for you?
Ask the PC supplier about this technology especially when you are on the market for laptops.
Wireless networking overviewWireless networking is a way to connect computers or other devices, either in your home or across long distances, using infrared light or radio frequency signals. Devices commonly used for wireless networking include desktop and laptop computers, hand-held computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, pen-based computers, and pagers.
Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are often used in corporate or campus buildings, or in airports. WLANs are also used in home or small office networks. In many conutries there are talks about making the whole cities and town wireless.
There are two types of WLAN:
A local area network that uses access points to connect computers and devices on the network. This is also called an infrastructure network.
A computer-to-computer local area network (also called an ad hoc network) with several users in a limited area, such as a conference room. This type of network does not use an access point.
In Windows XP:
When you have Windows XP with wireless component and an access point to the network is nearby, configuring windows XP to connect to that access point is a breeze. However more sophisticated security configurations might need some know-how.
Wireless LAN Tutorial (www.tutorial-reports.com/wireless/wlanwifi/)
Introduction to Wireless Networking Part 1
(WindowsNetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Introduction-Wireless-Networking-Part1.html)
Introduction to Wireless Networking Part 2
(www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Introduction-Wireless-Networking-Part2.html)
Wireless Network Security
(www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Wireless-Networks-Surpassed-Security-Wired-Networks.html)
Have Wireless Networks Surpassed the Security of Wired Networks?
Wireless LAN Protocols
(www.javvin.com/protocolWLAN.html)
Wireless LAN Technical Whitepapers and Howtos
(www.wardrive.net/general/links)
Wireless LAN Webcasts, Whitepapers and Reports
(www.bitpipe.com/rlist/term/Wireless-LAN.html)
WLAN Wireless Networking
(www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/wlan.html)
WLAN in Debian
(wiki.debian.net/index.cgi?Wlan)
EICAR Task Force on Wireless LAN Security
(wlan.eicar.org/)
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