<\/a>802.11b<\/b>\u00a0(aka\u00a0Wi-Fi<\/b>) using Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)\n(also known as “High Rate”)<\/p>\n
HomeRF<\/b>\u00a0using Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)<\/p>\n
Bluetooth<\/b>\u00a0also using using Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)<\/p>\n
Bluetooth’s<\/b>\u00a0focus is to create\u00a0very<\/b>\u00a0local area networks of devices within 10Meters of each other, so you won’t really find LAN building products using it.\u00a0 Instead, a new term\u00a0“PAN”<\/b>\u00a0(Personal Area Network) has been coined to describe Bluetooth’s primary function.<\/p>\n
The two 802.11 standards have pretty much jelled into two competing standards groups,\u00a0Wi-Fi<\/a>\u00a0for 802.11b “high rate” and\u00a0Home Radio Frequency or HomeRF<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Wi-Fi<\/b>\u00a0is the faster technology, supporting maximum data rates of 11, 5.5, 2, and 1Mbps.\u00a0HomeRF<\/b>\u00a0supports either 1 or 2Mbps maximum data rates in the 1.0 spec, and 10Mbps sometime in 2.0.\u00a0 The change involves hardware, so you won’t be able to upgrade HomeRF1.0 products to HomeRF2.0, but the older and newer cards will communicate with each other.<\/p>\n Expect the data rate you get when you use any of these products to be significantly lower than the stated maximums, however.\u00a0\u00a0WiFi\u00a0<\/b>products’ best actual data transfer rates are in the\u00a03.5 to 4.5Mbps\u00a0<\/b>range and\u00a0HomeRF<\/b>\u00a0clocks in at about\u00a0800-900kbps<\/b>.<\/p>\n Note that these standards can co-exist (although some might disagree, but they can’t communicate with each other.\u00a0 You need equipment using the same standard in order to successfully build your network!<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Read more about this\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n WiFi<\/b>\u00a0(or more accurately 802.11b products) have tended to be very expensive, with Access Points (bridge and bridge\/router products that allow you to connect Wireless and Ethernet based LANs) in the $900 to $1000 range and LAN client cards running $200 or so.\u00a0 This pricing is changing quickly as the WiFi coalition makes a big market push and more manufacturers get products to market.\u00a0 For example, the\u00a0Melco \/ Buffalo Technologies\/ Techworks’ Airstation<\/a>\u00a0<\/b>Access Point (AP) is priced at\u00a0$280<\/b>, and includes a NAT routing capability (usually not found in the more expensive “professional grade” APs). LAN client adapters are fast moving down to the\u00a0$100<\/b>\u00a0price point for PC cards as of early 2001.<\/p>\n HomeRF<\/b>\u00a0product pricing is somewhat lower for LAN adapters (about\u00a0$80<\/b>\u00a0for USB adapters and\u00a0$105<\/b>\u00a0for PC cards), and about\u00a0$175<\/b>\u00a0for Access Points.\u00a0 One of HomeRF’s pitches is that their products will be lower priced due to the lower pricing of the chipsets used.\u00a0 But with 802.11b prices dropping, the HomeRF guys will need to get a move on to maintain their pricing advantage.\u00a0 It’ll also be interesting to see how the faster HomeRF 2.0 products are priced.<\/p>\n For both standards, the dominant format for client cards is PCMCIA or PC Card.\u00a0\u00a0 If you want to get a desktop machine onto your wireless LAN, you can purchase ISA or PCI adapter cards that will allow you to use the PC Card.<\/p>\n SCM Micro’s “Swapbox” series<\/p>\n <\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Envoy Data<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n USB LAN client adapters have been around for awhile for the slower FHSS standard, but they’re now (late 2000) starting to appear for 802.11b products from\u00a0D-Link<\/a><\/b>,\u00a0Orinoco<\/a><\/b>,\u00a0BuffaloTech<\/a><\/b>\u00a0and other manufacturers with price points around\u00a0$160<\/b>.\u00a0 All this info and more is contained in the handy\u00a0Wireless Networking Product Guide.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n You can buy the products in kits, usually for networking two computers, and in single computer add-on packages.\u00a0 The kits sometimes bundle in some sort of Internet sharing software.\u00a0 Most of the products are Windows based, but there are alternatives:<\/p>\n Farallon’s SkyLINE 11Mb PC Card<\/a><\/b>\u00a0has both Windows and MacOS drivers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Apple has\u00a0Airport<\/a><\/b>\u00a0for Macs\u00a0primarily,\u00a0<\/i>but\u00a0see this page<\/a><\/b>\u00a0for information on use with Windows.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Also try\u00a0this listing<\/a><\/b>\u00a0if you’re looking for Linux support for wireless cards.<\/p>\n If you have an existing Ethernet based network and are adding wireless clients, you’ll probably need one or the other of these products.\u00a0 Access Points (AP) attach to your existing network via a 10BaseT connection and allow wireless clients to become part of the same network (same subnet).\u00a0\u00a0AP’s don’t provide routing or sharing capability<\/b>, but will work with any router that you already have on your network.\u00a0 APs are available from\u00a0Buffalo Technology<\/b>,\u00a0D-Link<\/b>,\u00a0Linksys<\/b>,\u00a0SMC<\/b>\u00a0and other companies.<\/p>\n If you don’t already have a router, or want one box to handle Internet sharing for both the Ethernet and wireless parts of your network, then you should look for a\u00a0Wireless Router<\/b>.\u00a0 These products combine a NAT based hardware router with a wireless Access Point and allow both Ethernet and wireless clients to share files and printers and also an Internet connection.\u00a0 The most popular product in this category right now is\u00a0SMC’s Wireless Barricade<\/a><\/b>, which provides a 3 port 10\/100 Ethernet switched router, 802.11b Access Point and Windows (LPR) print server for about $280.\u00a0 It’ll even handle a dialup or ISDN Internet connection!<\/p>\n NOTE! NOTE! NOTE! NOTE! NOTE! NOTE!<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n An important point to note (and the source of some confusion) is that\u00a0most Access Points cannot communicate with each other wirelessly<\/strong>.\u00a0 Generally, (and especially in the case of inexpensive consumer-grade products) APs communicate only with wireless\u00a0clients<\/strong>.\u00a0 This means that you can’t use two APs to wirelessly connect two non-wireless LANs together.<\/p>\n You can, however, use another type of product called a\u00a0Wireless Bridge<\/strong>\u00a0to get connected!\u00a0\u00a0See this article<\/a><\/b>\u00a0for more info.<\/p>\n <\/center><\/p>\n \n Still not sure if wireless is the way to go?\u00a0 Here’s some info that may help you decide:<\/p>\n Antenna placement and distance between wireless network nodes is critical to performance.\u00a0 This chart from\u00a0Compaq’s WL series reviewer’s guide<\/a><\/b>\u00a0gives you some idea of what to expect, but like all manufacturer specs, is\u00a0optimistic in terms of the actual effective data rate you’ll see.\u00a0\u00a0It’s not uncommon to have an under 50 foot indoor range in a typically constructed residence, and to have speed begin to drop off with a few walls between stations.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/center><\/p>\n You don’t have to have an Access Point!<\/b>\u00a0 Cards can work in a peer-to-peer mode without going through an AP.\u00a0 You can also set up Internet sharing using a wireless card as the second network adapter.\u00a0 Some manufacturers have software APs available, too. Go to\u00a0this page<\/a><\/b>\u00a0if you need\u00a0help getting a peer-to-peer (AdHoc) wireless networking<\/b>, or\u00a0this page<\/a><\/b>\u00a0for more info on how to not use an AP.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n You can combine wireless, HomePNA, and Ethernet networks. Go to\u00a0this page<\/a><\/b>\u00a0for more info and example setups.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Check\u00a0this page<\/a><\/b>\u00a0for wireless networking technical articles.<\/p>\n<\/li>\nPricing and Card Formats<\/h3>\n
\u00a0Wireless manufacturers have started to ship their PCI adapters, but you may need (or want) to do it yourself.\u00a0 Here are some sources for\u00a0ISA\/PCI to PCMCIA adapters<\/b>:<\/p>\n\n
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Access Points and Wireless Routers<\/h3>\n
More helpful info..<\/h3>\n
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