Wireless Networks

Wireless services symbolizes a development of technology, and perhaps a new era of telecommunications, but these services have been used for over a century and remain identical with the "radio". The modest beginning of wireless services takes us back to the 19th century at time when Guglielmo Marconi, "the father of radio" made his mark in the world of wireless technology.

When Marconi started experimenting with radio waves (Hertzian Waves) in 1894 his idea was to produce and detect radio waves over long distances. In 1896, Marconi was successful and obtained a patent and established the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company Limited, the first radio factory in the world. In 1901, signals were received across the Atlantic and in 1905 the first wireless distress signal was sent using Morse Code.

Wireless technology ultimately progressed as an invaluable tool used by the U.S. Military. The Military configured wireless signals to transmit data over a medium that had complex encryption, which makes unauthorized access to network traffic almost impossible. This type of technology was first introduced during World War II when the Army began sending battle plans over enemy lines and when Navy ships instructed their fleets from shore to shore.

Wireless proved so important as a secure communications medium many businesses and schools thought it could expand their computing arena by expanding their wired local area networks (LAN) using wireless LANs. The first wireless LAN came together in 1971 when networking technologies met radio communications at the University of Hawaii as a research project called ALOHNET. The bi-directional star topology of the system included seven computers deployed over four islands to communicate with the central computer on the Oahu Island without using phone lines. And so, wireless technology, as we know it, began its passage into every house, classroom, and business around the world.

Wireless network technology has been implemented for a number of things including cell phones, PDA's, and personal and business computers. There are three types of wireless networks, wide area networks (WAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), and personal area networks (PAN). Wide area networks include the networks provided by the cell phone carriers. Wireless local area networks are networks set up to provide wireless connectivity within a certain coverage area. Personal area networks are networks that provide wireless connectivity over distances of up to 10m or so.

Wireless networks have many advantages, but also has many disadvantages to. Some advantages are convenience, mobility, productivity, deployment, expandability, cost. Wireless networks allow people to connect to a network from anywhere in range of the access point. They also have the ability to expand as needed without buying more equipment because most access points can handle a large number of connections at once. The biggest disadvantage of wireless networks is security. Since wireless signals can be picked up by anyone in range makes it difficult to secure. There's also interference which can be a problem for network administrators because not much can be done to prevent this.

The 802.11 wireless networks operates in one of two modes- ad-hoc or infrastructure mode. The IEEE standard defines the ad-hoc mode as Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS), and the infrastructure mode as Basic Service Set (BSS). In ad hoc mode, each client communicates directly with the other clients within