wireless networks

What Is Wireless Local-Area Networking?

In the simplest of terms, a wireless local-area network (WLAN) does exactly what the name implies: it provides all the features and benefits of traditional LAN technologies such as Ethernet and Token Ring without the limitations of wires or cables. But to view a WLAN just in terms of the cables it does not have is to miss the point: WLANs redefine the way we view LANs. Connectivity no longer implies attachment. Local areas are measured not in feet or meters, but miles or kilometres. An infrastructure need not be buried in the ground or hidden behind the walls--an "infrastructure" can move and change at the speed of the organization. This technology has several immediate applications, including:

IT professionals or business executives who want mobility within the enterprise, perhaps in addition to a traditional wired computer network

Business owners or IT directors who need flexibility for frequent LAN wiring changes, either throughout the site or in selected areas

Any company whose site is not conducive to LAN wiring because of building or budget limitations, such as older buildings, leased space, or temporary sites

Any company that needs the flexibility and cost savings offered by a line-of-sight, building-to-building bridge to avoid expensive trenches, leased lines, or right-of-way issues

Current vertical markets include:
Education
Finance
Healthcare
Hospitality and retail
Manufacturing and industrial

WLANs use a transmission medium, just like wired LANs. Instead of using twisted-pair or fibre-optic cable, WLANs use either infrared light (IR) or radio frequencies (RF). Of the two, RF is far more popular for its longer-range, higher- bandwidth, and wider coverage. Most wireless network LANs today use the 2.4-gigahertz (GHz) frequency band, the only portion of the RF spectrum reserved around the world for unlicensed devices. The freedom and flexibility of wireless networking can be applied both within buildings and between buildings.

HSdataline design, install and maintain wireless network infrastructures throughout the UK