Wireless Networks: How Do They Work? by Ron King
Wireless networks use radio waves instead of wires to transmit data between computers. Here's how: The Binary Code: 1s and 0s It's well known that computers transmit information digitally, using binary code: ones and zeros. This translates well to radio waves, since those 1s and 0s can be... The key to wireless networking is how it gets around this problem. ... Industry Standards Wireless equipment from different manufacturers can work together to handle these complex communications because there are standards which guide the production of all wireless devices.

Computer Security: Home Wireless Networks by Rex Fisher
Home wireless networks dramatically increase the versatility and usefulness of computers. I have a wireless network at my home that allows four computers to share two printers and a high-speed internet connection. It works great! The technology has made wireless networking so inexpensive and... The factory (default) settings for most home networking equipment create an open, unsecure wireless network. ... Fortunately, most of us are not worth that kind of concentrated effort and we can easily reduce our risk to an acceptable level, simply by using the built-in features that come with...

Wifi - So What Is It? by Michael Russell
In this article we're going to begin to define what wifi is and just how it works. Relatively speaking, wifi is a new technology, created within the last couple of years at the time of this writing. However, the basis on which is created is not really new. ... The problem is that with a wireless network you have to share the bandwidth with all the users connected to the wireless network in a given network. ... So, how does wireless networking work? ... This mode is great for quickly and easily setting up a wireless network where a wireless infrastructure doesn't exist or is simply not...

Wired Network Working into Wireless Access Points by Tony Fitz
Let's dive into something a little more complex. What if you have a wired network already, and you're quite happy with the way it performs -- you see no point in dismantling it and making it wireless when it works fine as it is. You've got this laptop, though, that you'd really like to use... Partly Wireless If you've got a lot of computers (on an office network, for example) and you can't switch them all over to wireless networking at once, installing a wireless router is a good way of doing it bit-by-bit.

Inexpensive Radius Server Gives Wireless Networks The Security They Need by Terry Weadock
Many small businesses have considered connecting computers and other devices to their corporate network via wireless (WiFi) connections, and a brave few have actually done so. Many of these early networks required that wireless devices be carefully placed within the building so that the wireless... Wireless Networking Basics Building a wireless network requires two distinct types of hardware components, wireless access points, and wireless access cards. ... Wireless Network Security Solved Installing a simple wireless network is pretty straightforward, but installing a secure wireless...

Maybe You Already Have Wireless and Don't Know It? by Tony Fitz
More and more laptops and desktop computers are coming pre-equipped with wireless networking devices -- it's so cheap that they might as well put it in, to have another thing to list in the system specifications. It is easy to tell if a desktop computer has wireless enabled. ... Computer manufacturers seem a little bad at explaining what this technology is or does, but it basically means that your laptop has wireless networking built right in, without you needing to do a thing. ... When you don't know what wireless networking is, it's easy to ignore it in a computer's specifications, and...

Getting Wireless Set Up with Windows Operating System by Jason Keno
It was supposed to be so easy, wasn't it? Windows and easy in the same sentence !! Sometimes, for some reason, Windows just doesn't want to play ball. Here's a quick guide to what to do when you've plugged in all your wireless equipment but it's not connecting as it should. ... Use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard While it's easy to use Windows to connect to an existing wireless network, you still need to create the wireless network to begin with. ... The easiest way to open the Wireless Network Setup Wizard is through the Start Menu: go to All Programs, Accessories, then Communications,...

Good Reasons To Have A Wireless Network by Kenneth Snodin
Having a wireless network opens up many possibilities. Wireless networks provide an inexpensive and easy way to share a single Internet connection among several computers. This means you only need one modem, and you can add additional computers to the network just by plugging in a wireless card... The single greatest thing about a wireless network is that it is, well, wireless! ... Wireless network connections are always on. ... It is much easier to experience online play through an Xbox or PlayStation 2 that is connected to a wireless network than have to use a modem!

It's 12 Noon, Do You Know Who's Using Your Network? by Jason Frovich
The idea of reading email while lounging by the pool, text or instant messaging while doing the laundry, or lounging in the Jacuzzi listening to your MP3 collection is appealing to us all. Unfortunately, many, or even most, wireless units don't come with security features already functioning. ... You can usually find quite a bit of free information as to how to secure your network at the website of your router's manufacturer, or by doing a search in a search engine for a phrase like "secure home wireless." Beyond the truly malicious, there are also your neighbors who may find your network...

Wireless Installation Checklist by Lee Asher
Buyer Beware - Ignorance can be a financial waste and a lot of hassals. Before you buy any wireless equipment, you need to be sure about what you're doing. There's nothing worse than having everything there and finding that it doesn't work in your house, or with your computers, or over the... 2.4Ghz, the most common wireless networking frequency, is also a commonly-used wireless phone frequency. ... There are two very common causes of wireless interference: wireless phones and microwave ovens. ... Here's a handy checklist of the things that you really ought to do before you go out and...