Wireless Networking

A wireless LAN enables remote employees, as well as those in the building, to "roam" with laptops without the need for wired hookups.

• 802.11a transmits at 5GHz and can move up to 54 megabits of data per second. It also uses orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), a more efficient coding technique that splits that radio signal into several sub-signals before they reach a receiver. This greatly reduces interference.

• 802.11b is the slowest and least expensive standard. For a while, its cost made it popular, but now it's becoming less common as faster standards become less expensive. 802.11b transmits in the 2.4 GHz frequency band of the radio spectrum. It can handle up to 11 megabits of data per second, and it uses complimentary code keying (CCK) coding.

• 802.11g transmits at 2.4 GHz like 802.11b, but it's a lot faster. In theory it can handle up to 54 megabits of data per second, while in reality it can reach speeds of about 24 megabits of data per second because of network congestion.

• 802.11n is the newest standard that becomes widely available, significantly improves speed and range. It's reportedly can achieve speeds as high as 140 megabits per second.