Wireless Lan And Laptop Computers

By: Mike Dobson

A small business run from home or on rented space, while it can
be extremely profitable, cannot be furnished in the same style
as a large-scale company office. Using standard full-size
desktop computers in such a set up is impracticable, as it takes
up too much space and is too bulky for cramped confines. To deal
with such a situation, desknotes or transportables may just hold
the key.

Desknotes are systems that can be alternately used as a standard
desktop PC, but also offers portability into the bargain.
Desknotes have the same power levels as a desktop PC and occupy
much less room. Moreover, to keep expenses to a minimum, it is
possible to install a LAN amongst the desknotes, where only one
laptop need be connected to the Internet and access is shared to
all the laptops connected to the network. This is also true for
the devices connected to the central laptop; through LAN, all
the laptops can use the same device. Thus, for small offices
with three or more laptops, LAN (Local Area Network) is surely a
boon.

LANs usually span a building or a small group of buildings.
Connecting one LAN with many others through telephone lines and
radio waves is called WAN (Wide Area Network). A Local Area
Network that uses radio waves to communicate is called WLAN
(Wireless Land Area Network). There are several advantages to
WLANs. One is its flexibility. Radio waves can pass through
walls of nearly any surface, and also do not require miles and
miles of cables, thus offering a clutter-free work atmosphere.
Wireless LAN can be almost invisible!

Another advantage is that WLANs are extremely easy to use. Most
laptops are built in with WLAN capability. So all you need to do
is plug in and make sure you have a wireless LAN card. WLANs are
very tough. If one base becomes disconnected, it is possible to
use another laptop as a base and can be shifted physically into
the range of another WLAN. Prices are very low these days for
WLAN, and it is no wonder the choice for home networks.

However, as nothing is perfect in this world, WLAN does carry a
few disadvantages. Anyone can operate a laptop near a WLAN and
hack into the stored wireless traffic. This makes safety an
issue due to the loss of privacy. While radio waves can pass
through almost any surface, too many obstacles in the path such
as buildings can degrade the transmission. Another drawback is
the data transfer speed. As many laptops share the same
bandwidth, data transfer speeds are significantly lower in a
WLAN. In addition to this, wireless data rates fall according to
signal strength or interference.

Wireless LAN is convenient where mobility is required, and is
the only choice in old buildings where cables cannot be
installed. Companies usually provide wired connections for fixed
offices, and wireless LAN for those users who have no fixed
location. In the end, WLAN should be installed only after taking
into account all factors regarding your office or home set up.

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