| Wireless networks work using radio waves
| |
| | -- a similar frequency to mobile phones
|
| instead of wires to transmit data between
| |
| | and microwave ovens. As you might know,
|
| computers. That's the simple version. If
| |
| | though, a frequency this high means that
|
| you're curious to know what's going on in
| |
| | the wavelength must be very short, which
|
| more detail, then it's all explained in
| |
| | is why wireless networking only works
|
| this article.I'm sure you know that
| |
| | over a limited area.In addition, wireless
|
| computers transmit data digitally, using
| |
| | networks make use of a technique known as
|
| binary: ones and zeros. This is a way of
| |
| | 'frequency hopping'. They use dozens of
|
| communicating that translates very well
| |
| | frequencies in the range they are given,
|
| to radio waves, since the computer can
| |
| | and constantly switch between them. This
|
| transmit ones and zeros as different
| |
| | makes wireless networks more immune to
|
| kinds of beep. These beeps are so fast
| |
| | interference from other radio signals
|
| that they're outside a human's hearing
| |
| | than they would be if they only
|
| range -- radio waves that you can't hear
| |
| | transmitted on one frequency.The final
|
| are, in fact, all around you all the
| |
| | step is when it comes to all the
|
| time.The way it works is a lot like Morse
| |
| | computers on a network sharing Internet
|
| code. You probably already know that
| |
| | access. This is done using a special
|
| Morse code is a way of representing the
| |
| | piece of wireless equipment called an
|
| alphabet so that it can be transmitted
| |
| | access point. Access points are more
|
| over radio using a dot (short beep) and a
| |
| | expensive than wireless cards for one
|
| dash (long dash).More importantly for
| |
| | computer, as they contain radios that are
|
| this example, though; it is a binary
| |
| | capable of talking to around 100
|
| system, just like a computer's ones and
| |
| | computers at the same time, and sharing
|
| zeros. You might think of wireless
| |
| | out access to the Internet between them.
|
| networking, then, as being like Morse
| |
| | Dedicated access points are only really
|
| code for computers. You plug a combined
| |
| | essential for larger networks, though --
|
| radio receiver and transmitter in, and
| |
| | if you only have a few computers, it is
|
| the computer is able to send out its
| |
| | possible to use one of them as the access
|
| equivalent of dots and dashes (bits, in
| |
| | point, or you could just get a wireless
|
| computer-speak) to get your data from one
| |
| | router.That's all well and good, then,
|
| place to another.You might wonder how the
| |
| | but how does wireless equipment made by
|
| computer could possibly transmit enough
| |
| | entirely different companies manage to
|
| bits to send and receive data at the
| |
| | work together when this is all so
|
| speed it does. After all, there must be a
| |
| | complicated? Well, the answer is that
|
| limit on how much can be sent in a second
| |
| | there are standards that all wireless
|
| before it just becomes useless nonsense,
| |
| | devices follow. These standards are
|
| right? Well, yes, but the key to wireless
| |
| | technically called the 802.11 standards,
|
| networking is that it gets around this
| |
| | and are set by the IEEE (Institute of
|
| problem.First of all, wireless
| |
| | Electrical and Electronics Engineers). It
|
| transmissions are sent at very high
| |
| | is thanks to people sticking to their
|
| frequencies, meaning that more data can
| |
| | standards that wireless networking is so
|
| be sent per second. Most wireless
| |
| | easy and cheap to use today.Gregg Hall is
|
| connections use a frequency of 2.4
| |
| | a consultant to the internet industry
|
| gigahertz (2.4 billion cycles per second)
| |
| | with over 12 years experience online.
|
