Essay on Wireless Networking

The term wireless networking refers to technology that enables two or more computers to communicate using standard network protocols, but without network cabling. Strictly speaking, any technology that does this could be called wireless networking. The current buzzword however generally refers to wireless LANs. This technology, fuelled by the emergence of cross-vendor industry standards such as IEEE 802.11, has produced a number of affordable wireless solutions that are growing in popularity with business and schools as well as sophisticated applications where network wiring is impossible, such as in warehousing or point-of-sale handheld equipment.

Advantages
Laptops are easier to use and so are used more often. To hook up to the network, a student merely opens his laptop, inserts a wireless card and turns on the machine. That’s all. The wireless connection eliminates the need to find a hub, unravel a cord, walk or reach several feet, and plug in.

The ease of access to the network encourages precisely what schools want to see: greater use of the laptops and greater integration of the technology into the curriculum. Faculty members who had been put off by the sheer physical effort of getting a room of students online seem more likely to consider assignments to use the web. Ease of use also encourages spontaneity. Inside or outside class, students and faculty can turn to their laptops to collaborate or answer questions as soon as the need arises.

The system saves time. With access easy, setup is fast. Valuable as this is for one user, it is even more so for several – notably, groups of students in classrooms. With wires, teachers report as much as five minutes spent setting up and shutting down the laptops for class. A wireless network frees as much as ten minutes of extra learning time each period – potentially as much as an hour a day for students..................

ESSAYS ON TECHNOLOGY