Advantages of wireless internet

Wireless internet has many advantages for both the business as well as residential users. Wireless internet provides excellent broadband speeds. Today speeds of over 2 Mbps for commercial use (megabytes per second) are attained using wireless internet.

Previously speeds of up to 1 Mbps were acceptable for wireless internet, but with service providers providing speeds of 8 Kbps and above to business and residential customers through cables (fiber optic), expectations through wireless internet too are running high. This could mean just one thing -speeds through wireless internet will sooner or later catch up with speeds offered through fiber optic cables.

Wireless internet is more reliable as compared to internet via cable or satellite. Initial costs to the service provider too are reduced as they do not have to lay out expensive cables or pay highly for satellite transmission. All that is required is the setting up of internet towers (very similar to mobile towers). The user will be connected to the internet as long as his laptop / device receives a signal from the nearest tower (again, very similar to using a mobile phone).

Comparisons between the workings of a mobile network and wireless internet network can be made to some extent, but the working of a wireless internet network is much more complex in nature. So, how does the wireless internet work?

How WiMax works

We can single out the WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology that is widely used for setting up wireless internet. High speeds can be achieved over a wireless network using this technology. Based on the IEEE 802.16 communications standard, this technology if fast replacing cumbersome cable and expensive satellite networks.

The WiMax network consists of base stations (similar to mobile towers) set up by the service provider, and a receiving antenna (similar to a mobile phone antenna) at the user end. The user pays the service provider for wireless internet access, just as they would for a normal internet connection via a cable network. The service provider provides the end user with the software, a login and a password. Most of the laptop manufacturers today equip high-end models with a built in antenna bundled with the required software for the unit to be WiMax compatible. The service provider beams the internet signals from the base station. The antenna at the user end catch the signals, providing uninterrupted internet as long as the signal is available. With a laptop equipped with an antenna you could be connected to the internet wherever the signal is available from the base station. As with mobile phones that catch a signal from the nearest tower of the particular service provider, so is it with new generation WiMax services. One WiMax base station can send signals over distances of several miles depending on the terrain. The more flat the terrain, more the coverage. Once you move from one base station area to another, your laptop receiver will hook up to the other base station (of the same service provider) with a stronger signal. As WiMax service providers spread out their operations, everyone will be connected to really high-speed internet 24X7 wherever they are.

Other common uses of wireless internet

Wireless internet is not limited to WiMax. Most of us have used some sort of wireless internet some time or the other. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is one such example. When a mobile user subscribed to the GPRS service, the receiving mobile unit could receive voice as well as data signals. In simple terms, the mobile phone could be used as a phone for voice calls and also as a modem to connect to the computer to surf the internet. The only limiting factor here was the speed which was very slow. This technology was gradually replaced by the EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) technology. EDGE was an enhancement over GPRS, able to provide more capacity for voice traffic and at the same time have high-speed data transfer capabilities.

EDGE technology has recently been replaced by the 3G (Third Generation) technology. Speeds of over 2Mbps are attained using 3G technology. These speeds will keep on increasing with advancing technology. 4G (Forth Generation) will be the next main change in this domain. 4G research is being carried out, but no frequencies have yet been allocated for this technology. Estimates are that 4G will be implemented around 2010-2012, but with the speed at which technology is advancing, it could happen earlier.

Conclusion

Mobile phones have passed the stage where they were used to just make and receive calls. Today one can buy mobile phones that do almost everything that your personal computer or laptop can. Operating systems can be loaded onto mobiles, virtually making them one instrument for all your phone and computing needs. This is where wireless internet will play a major role in the future. It will connect you 24X7 with virtually no breakdowns.

Cables will still be used for the internet till the time wireless internet can match data transfer speeds of cables. Once this happens, technologies such as WiMax and 3G will help in making this world a 24X7 connected, wire-free world.



Thanks to tatar job for contributing this article to our DSL blog:

ATT DSL Service Availability

Wireless internet or Wi-Fi is one of the latest developments in providing people with Internet access whenever they need it – even while traveling. This is a convenient way to stay connected with family members or business clients anytime of the day.

With the fast evolution and advancement of the Internet, millions of people all over the world make use of the Internet in their daily life. The internet offers a lot of useful information such as weather forecast, entertainment, research, music, news, online shopping, and many more. The Web also provides a more convenient way for people to communicate with others even in far away countries.

Businesses are also dependent on the Internet in dealing with their clients whether local or abroad. They too are kept posted with the trends as well as stock updates though the Net. They also use corporate e-mails in nearly all of their correspondence. Customer services and technical support of many companies also rely on the power of internet. Indeed, the Internet had become a necessity for ordinary people as well as business people.

Because of enormous growth of dependency on the Internet, people want to have internet connection even when on the go. This is now possible through the development of wireless Internet. Wireless Internet is popularly known as Wi-Fi, which is the trade name of this kind of wireless technology. A wireless Internet access is commonly called as hot spot in which a LAN or local area network transmits radio waves as opposed to a wired network.

Internet connection is broadcast with the use of a central hub connected to a computer system that functions as the server. The server broadcasts the signal to clients which have Wi-Fi capable devices such as desktop computers, PDAs, laptops, mobile phones, game consoles, and many more electronic gadgets. The wireless internet covers diverse IEEE 802.11 advanced technologies such as 802.11n, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a.

A home network can be set with wireless Internet, as well. This is done through the utilization of a router which performs as an access point. The router broadcasts Internet connectivity to Wi-Fi enabled devices within its area of reach. With this set of connections, anyone from the family can make use of their laptops or desktops and can gain access to the Internet.

What’s more, wireless Internet through home network can also be accessed by neighbors without your knowledge. To resolve this issue, a password security can be configured so that only authorized devices can have access to the network. With the growing risk of security issues, the security protocols for Wi-Fi log on have been made available with the employment of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2).

Wireless internet through its public hot spot is being offered for free to its customers by many business establishments. These establishments include internet cafes, food chains, coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants. Some airports also provide the same service for travelers’ convenience. These features are becoming very prevalent in many places and countries. There are also a number of cities which provide wireless Internet access to their residences and visitors. Since the hot spot can cover only a certain area, you have to be within the range of the hub in order to log on to the Web.

Significantly, a wireless Internet is of great advantage compared to wired network. Wired network usually consumes a lot of time in order to set up in a building or house. It also entails more expenses as it requires a lot of UTP cables to be wired for each of a client’s computers. In some instances, there is a need to route wires through thick wall or ceilings. Wireless LANs can be deployed easily and is less expensive. More clients can be added to the network without the necessity for extra materials.

Since 2008, many of the latest laptops and gadgets come with a built in wireless network device. There are also a lot of gadgets which can be applied for computers or laptops that do not have any wireless network device. Some of these devices are the USB Wi-Fi adapters, PCI wireless adapters, PCMCIA Wi-Fi cards and other similar devices. There are also wireless repeaters used to extend the range of signal of any existing wireless network. This device is ideal for locations having many physical barriers like thick walls and in cases where there is a need to share the Internet in two separate buildings.



Thanks to Jayesh Bagde for contributing this article to our DSL blog:

Cheap Wireless Routers

Can you answer Marek S’s question about DSL?:

I have wireless internet at home, I have DSL and use Linksys to have wireless internet but lately my internet is kind of slow. I think someone is using my internet. I see that others have password protected wi-fi internet so does anyone know how to set up password for wifi internet?

Wireless Broadband Plans

Can you answer Vojislav V’s question about DSL?:

Hi,

I have an internet wireless connection and two days ago I changed my connection to ADSL, but my wireless connection can still work. Now, I want to combine these two connections to work both in the same time, so, what I’m asking is, is it possible to combine it and if it is, how???

Thanks!

Get a Money-making Website