Networking: Wired or Wireless?
How Does Wi-Fi Compare to Other Networking Methods?
Computer networks for the home and small business can be built using either wired or wireless technology. Wired Ethernet has been the traditional choice, but Wi-Fi wireless technologies are gaining ground fast. Both wired and wireless can claim advantages over the other; both represent viable options for local area networks (LANs).
About Wired LANs
Wired LANs use Ethernet cables and network adapters. Although two computers can be directly wired to each other using a crossover cable, wired LANs generally also need central devices like hubs, switches, or routers to accommodate more computers.
For dial-up connections to the Internet, the computer hosting the modem must run Internet Connection Sharing or similar software to share the connection with all other computers on the LAN. Broadband routers allow easier sharing of cable modem or DSL Internet connections, plus they often include built-in firewall support.
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About Wireless LANs (WLANS)
Popular WLAN technologies all follow one of the three main Wi-Fi communication standards.
The benefits of wireless networking depend on the standard employed:
- 802.11b was the first standard to be widely used in WLANs.
- The 802.11a standard is faster but more expensive than 802.11b.
- The newest standard, 802.11g, attempts to combine the best of both 802.11a and 802.11b.
No other networking technology used to set up a small home or SOHO network provides the convenience or mobility of a Wi-Fi network. That's because other methods, including standard wired Ethernet networks and phone line- and power line-based networks, all require a connection via wire or cable. Wi-Fi uses radio waves that travel through walls and floors and connect you anywhere, indoors or out.
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