Communications
Hardware and Software Guide 8–7
Wireless Local Area Network
With the 802.11 wireless device, you can access a wireless local
area network (WLAN), which is composed of other computers
and accessories linked by a wireless router or a wireless access
point.
■ A large scale WLAN, such as a corporate WLAN or public
WLAN hotspot, typically use wireless access points, that can
handle a large number of computers and accessories and
can separate critical network functions.
■ A home or small office WLAN typically uses a wireless
router, which enables several wireless and wired computers to
share an Internet connection, a printer, and files without
additional pieces of hardware or software. Wireless access
point and wireless router are often used interchangeably.
Notebooks with 802.11 WLAN devices may support one or more
of 3 IEEE physical layer standards:
■ 802.11a
■ 802.11b
■ 802.11g
There are 3 popular implementations of WLAN adapters:
■ 802.11b only
■ 802.11b/g
■ 802.11a/b/g
802.11b, the first popular WLAN standard, supports data rates of
up to 11 Mbps and operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. 802.11g,
which came later, also operates at 2.4 GHz but supports data rates
of up to 54 Mbps. An 802.11g WLAN device is backward
compatible with 802.11b devices, so they can operate on the same
network. 802.11a supports data rates of up to 54 Mbps but
operates at a frequency of 5 GHz. 802.11a is not compatible with
802.11b and 802.11g. For information on identifying the type of
device in your notebook, refer to the “Identifying a WLAN
Device,” later in this chapter.
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