Wired or Wireless?
Wireless for Wandering
With
notebooks poised to soon surpass stationary desktop systems in
popularity, wireless networks are seeing a corresponding boost in
popularity. What good is a portable PC if it’s tethered to the network?
Wireless networking lets you drag your laptop to the conference room,
the kitchen, or out to the patio. But wireless doesn’t mean painless.
To go wireless, you’ll need to understand a growing vocabulary of
sometimes incompatible specifications. And all currently available
wireless hardware specs are less secure–much less secure, in some
cases–than "wireline" networks, thanks to sophomoric encryption
schemes.
Fortunately, wireless networking
prices are reasonable enough, so you won’t feel too bad retiring your
equipment once faster and more secure versions appear. Adapters start
at less than $25, access points (hub-like base station units) at about
$50, and routers that connect the network to a cable or DSL modem are
just a few bucks more.
Though it can’t compete with
standard 10/100-mbps ethernet, newer wireless (or Wi-Fi, if certified
standards-compliant by the Wi-Fi Alliance) equipment is generally
faster than phone- and power-line technologies. And it comes with one
other unique benefit: Equipping your laptop with a wireless adapter
could allow you to connect to wireless-network hot spots in hotels,
airports, and coffee shops. For more details about these possibilities,
check out "All About Wi-Fi."
The
most common wireless spec, called 802.11b, transmits data at a
theoretical maximum of 11 mbps (some newer products extend the spec to
22 mbps). PCI and PC Card adapters start at just over $20, and wireless access points,
the wireless equivalent of ethernet hubs, start at just under $50.
Remember that your distance from the access point, and the materials
between you and it, can cause significant drops in speed.
A
faster specification, 802.11a, transmits at theoretical maximum speed
of 54 megabits per second, and these days, doesn’t cost much more.
However, 802.11a and 802.11b equipment can’t communicate directly with
each other. A few manufacturers produce access points that combine the
two specs, letting you network both "a" and "b" devices. And then
there’s a new spec–802.11g–that can communicate with 802.11b but not
with 802.11a, and there are access points that combine "a," "b," and
"g."
Confused yet? The 802.11g spec currently seems to be
the one to get, but even it will soon be replaced by something else in
due time. In the meantime, be sure to choose the wireless network type
that affords you the greatest security against mobile wireless-network
break-in artists, or "war drivers." Because wireless networks broadcast
their availability like a radio station–albeit one with a limited
range–neighbors and anyone parked in front of your house could bum a
ride on your wireless network.
To ward off freeloaders and
snoops, most 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11g products have an encryption
scheme called wireless equivalent privacy. Unfortunately, WEP quickly
proved easy to decrypt, so the nice people at the Wi-Fi Alliance
came up with something stronger: Wireless Protected Access. When
shopping for wireless networking equipment, I strongly suggest that you
select products that incorporate WPA security (all elements must
support it). For more information, see "Internet Tips: Play It Safe With the Right Browser Security Settings."
Finally,
you don’t have to select just one kind of network–many wireless
routers also incorporate a wired ethernet hub, for example. Combined
wireless/wired networks allow you to connect stationary computers that
require a faster connection (for online gaming, streaming media, or
large file transfers) by ethernet, while still providing wireless
convenience for other PCs in hard-to-wire or changing locations.
Whichever network type you select, Windows’ networking software should
run handily on it.
Go to "How to Set Up Your Home Network"
for step-by-step instructions on how to set up different types of
networks. For tips on how to enhance your wireless network, see "Wireless Networks That Do More."
